Request for Equitable Adjustment (REA)

Request for Equitable Adjustment (REA)

Drafts a litigation-ready REA asserting entitlement, quantifying cost and schedule impacts, and satisfying FAR certification requirements for submission to a federal contracting officer.

Prerequisites

1. Contract documents — base contract, modifications, PIID, applicable FAR clauses (esp. FAR 52.243-1 or FAR 52.243-4)
2. Change trigger documentation — government directive, modification order, or differing-conditions notice with precise dates
3. Cost records — timesheets, invoices, purchase orders, subcontract documents, cost ledgers
4. Schedule records — baseline CPM schedule, updates, delay logs, milestone tracking
5. Project correspondence — CO letters, emails, meeting minutes, daily logs contemporaneous with the change
6. Contractor identity — legal entity name, CAGE code, authorized signatory with delegation of authority

Output Structure

1. Header Block

2. Introduction & Legal Basis

• Cite entitlement clause (e.g., FAR 52.243-1 Changes—Fixed-Price; FAR 52.243-4 Changes; differing site conditions clause)
• State nature of change/event in one paragraph
• Assert contractor's position: change exceeds original scope or constitutes a compensable change

3. Factual Narrative (Chronological)

• Present events with dates referencing affected CLINs, SOW sections, or spec provisions
• Quote government directives verbatim where available
• Side-by-side: original requirement vs. changed/additional work
• For differing conditions: baseline assumptions (contract) vs. actual conditions encountered
• Cite exhibit numbers for each referenced document

4. Impact Analysis

Cost Impacts (FAR Part 31)

Schedule Impacts

• Demonstrate critical path effect using CPM or comparable methodology
• Quantify delay days per milestone and overall completion date
• Address acceleration costs if contractor maintained original schedule despite change

Performance Impacts

• Describe changes to technical specs, quality standards, or deliverables

5. Supporting Evidence Index

• Tab A — Contractual documents (contract, mods, specs, SOW)
• Tab B — Government communications (directives, emails, CO letters, meeting minutes)
• Tab C — Project records (daily logs, progress reports, inspection records)
• Tab D — Financial documentation (invoices, timesheets, POs, cost ledgers)
• Tab E — Expert analysis (engineering reports, schedule analysis, cost studies)
• Tab F — Legal authorities (ASBCA/CBCA decisions, COFC precedents, FAR citations) [VERIFY each citation before filing]

6. Requested Adjustment Summary

7. Certification (FAR 52.233-1)

For claims exceeding $100,000, include verbatim FAR 52.233-1(b) certification language [VERIFY current text]:

"I certify that the claim is made in good faith; that the supporting data are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief; that the amount requested accurately reflects the contract adjustment for which the contractor believes the government is liable; and that I am duly authorized to certify the claim on behalf of the contractor."

Signature block: Authorized representative name, title, date, contact — confirm signatory has documented delegation of authority.

Guidelines

• Notice — Confirm timely notice under applicable changes clause; address late-notice arguments preemptively
• Causation — Every cost/schedule element must trace to a specific government act or condition; no unsubstantiated lump sums
• Scope limitation — Changes must be within general contract scope (cardinal change doctrine bars out-of-scope recovery)
• Cost principles — All costs must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable under FAR Part 31; flag potentially unallowable costs
• Certification threshold — Claims >$100,000 require FAR 52.233-1 certification; false certification triggers False Claims Act exposure
• Preserve entitlement — State full position even when negotiating; frame concessions as facilitation, not waiver
• Contemporaneous docs — Boards and courts heavily favor records created at the time of change over after-the-fact reconstruction
• [VERIFY] all board/court citations (ASBCA, CBCA, COFC) before submission; confirm they remain good law