BOS Contractors Beware: Did the Contracting Officer Order the Work?

In base operating support (BOS) services contracts, end users and Contracting Officer’s Representatives can call in maintenance requests for the BOSS contractor to perform.  When these requests are within the scope of the contract, the contractor can usually proceed with the work.  However, if the request exceeds the scope of the contract, the contractor needs to be aware that if it proceeds without the Contracting Officer’s formal approval the contractor risks not receiving compensation for the out-of-scope work, as one contractor learned in a recent case before the Court of Federal Claims.