ASBCA Broadens Scope of Acceptable CDA Certification Signatures
In 1901, in rural County Galway, Ireland, my Irish-speaking great-grandparents made their mark (“+”) on the decennial census taken that year. Whether they did so from a lack of literacy, or simply resented the census taker, I will never know. Whatever their reasons, my great-grandparents’ marks were accepted by the (then) British government because there was sufficient contextual evidence (i.e., an annotation by the census taker) to verify that my great-grandparents authored the marks and intended to be bound by them. This arrangement apparently worked for everyone involved, as it was repeated in 1911. Late last month, over 109 years later, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (“ASBCA”), in Kamaludin Slyman CSC, ASBCA Nos. 62006, et al., Sept. 25, 2020, 2020 ASBCA LEXIS 213 at *1, adopted this approach when considering whether a contract claim was properly certified.
Contract Disputes Act Claim Certifications
The Contracting Disputes Act (“CDA”) requires contractors to certify government contracts claims of more than $100,000. This certification is required to be “executed by an individual authorized to bind the contractor with respect to the claim” and must state that:
- the claim is made in good faith;
- the supporting data are accurate and complete to the best of the contractor’s knowledge and belief;
- the amount requested accurately reflects the contract adjustment for which the contractor believes the federal government is liable; and
- the certifier is authorized to certify the claim on behalf of the contractor.
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