Please...contractors love change orders. Every change order asked for by the government equals additional $$$$$$$$$$$ for the contractor. I have never seen a contractor say “no” to a proposed change and I have never seen one perform a change for free unless the change is being made to correct mistakes of their own doing.
Last time I checked, the gov’t was in charge. If they can’t get it right the first time, why should business subsidize their ineptitude?
I would be very careful about making a case based on GS employee competence....
Strawman. What you said is correct, but that’s not my point.
Yes, the contractor will take the money for the change order or design change, but at what cost to the program?
Then the contractor gets their ass handed to them when the project is overbudget, late or overweight. Well, who made it overbudget? The gov’t. They changed the design and are the ones writing the checks.
Eventually, the project gets cancelled and the blame is smeared onto the “Evil contractor”.
Presidential helicopter program anyone? The Navy kept adding more and more requirements to the initial design that they approved and eventually the damn thing got too heavy and costly and was subsequently cancelled.
What’s needed are people that will tell the gov’t or contractor management “No” when they need to be told “No” and people that will listen.
We need contractors that won’t just nod their heads and say, “yeah, we can do that.” because they don’t want to upset the “customer” or lose the contract.
Don’t attribute to malfeasance what you can attribute to mere incompetence. And that goes for both parties, contractors and gov’t.
FRegards