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DCMA
The DCMA Instruction / The DCMA Guidebook Purpose
Agency processes are deployed as "instructions" that contain those activities that are mandatory for all elements of the Agency and which may not be deviated from without approval by the Agency Director and/or as "guidance" that may be used to help elements implementing the process to establish or improve their performance for that process.  All statutory and regulatory requirements are mandatory regardless of whether they are referenced in an instruction or guidebook or whether they are referenced at all.  "Guidance" is completely discretionary in its use by any/all elements of the Agency.  Collectively, this information is contained with the DCMA Instruction and the DCMA Guidebook.  The separate DCMA instructions supplement the statutory requirements of U.S. law and the regulatory guidance of the Department of Defense and other Federal agencies only where needed. 

The processes contained in the DCMA Instruction and DCMA Guidebook are intended to be complete processes capable of producing acceptable results in a "standard" environment.  Selected standard words are used to help understanding of the process. 

  • "Shall" is used as the standard imperative in contract management and procurement processes.  If the process step is required for the process to be viable, then the imperative "shall" is used (i.e., if the step were omitted the process would not be capable of producing a product).  "Must" and "will" may be used as an imperative in other than contract management and procurement processes.

  • If a process step is included because it would enhance the effectiveness of the process (i.e., enhance the quality/timeliness/cost of the process' product) then the word of choice is "should."

  • If a process step can be executed in multiple ways to achieve the same level of effectiveness, then the word of choice is "may" and the substance of the description of the process step is such that it is clear that there are alternatives to completing that step effectively (i.e., ...may do it this way or that way or do it a number of ways).  

    • "Shall" and "may" may be combined in the description of a single process step, i.e., CMOs shall... but may do it in different ways.

The DCMA Instruction and Guidebook, as a whole, implement Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) guidance (mandatory and discretionary) for the performance of contract management functions listed in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS), for implementation of DCMA policy for the administration of grants, cooperative agreements and other transactions in accordance with the Department of Defense Grant and Agreement Regulations (DODGARS), and for associated processes that provide direct and indirect organizational support for contract management.  The DCMA Instruction and Guidebook is applicable to the Defense Contract Management Agency only.  Further instruction supplementation by organizational elements of DCMA is not authorized.

Deviations from any DCMA Instruction will be obtained in accordance with the Deviations instruction.  Each separate instruction is labeled with its latest revision date (month/year) which is the same date that the Instruction Change Notice transmitting the change was issued.