What are the two main roles in public owner contract oversight?

What are the two main roles in public owner contract oversight?

• A. Contracting Officer and Contracting Officer's Representative
• B. Project Manager and Superintendent
• C. Architect and Engineer
• D. Contractor and Subcontractor

Answer: (A)

The key idea is identifying who oversees a public owner’s contract. In public procurement, oversight rests on two distinct roles: the Contracting Officer, who has the legal authority to award the contract, approve changes, and authorize payments within the contract terms; and the Contracting Officer’s Representative, who acts on the CO’s behalf to monitor performance, inspect work, verify compliance with specifications, and report back on progress and issues. This separation provides both legal control and technical oversight for the project. Other roles—such as on-site project managers or superintendents, design professionals, or the contractor and subcontractors—play important execution or design roles, but they aren’t the official public-owner oversight authorities.

The key idea is identifying who oversees a public owner’s contract. In public procurement, oversight rests on two distinct roles: the Contracting Officer, who has the legal authority to award the contract, approve changes, and authorize payments within the contract terms; and the Contracting Officer’s Representative, who acts on the CO’s behalf to monitor performance, inspect work, verify compliance with specifications, and report back on progress and issues. This separation provides both legal control and technical oversight for the project. Other roles—such as on-site project managers or superintendents, design professionals, or the contractor and subcontractors—play important execution or design roles, but they aren’t the official public-owner oversight authorities.