COR (Contracting Officer's Representative)

The COR (Contracting Officer's Representative, sometimes called the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative or COTR) is the agency's day-to-day contact for contract execution. The CO has signing authority and handles contract modifications, disputes, and terminations. But the COR is the person who actually monitors what you're doing. They receive your deliverables, validate your work, attend your status meetings, and report to the CO if problems arise. For large contracts, the COR is indispensable; they're the customer. For small contracts, the COR might be the actual end-user of your services.

The important distinction: the COR has limited authority. They can't modify the contract terms or authorize extra work without CO approval. They can't waive compliance or performance requirements. But they have influence over the CO. If the COR reports that you're underperforming, the CO pays attention. If the COR says you're exceeding expectations, that matters too. The COR's assessment of your performance influences whether you get task order extensions, whether you're selected for future work, and even whether you get a good or poor CPARS rating at contract close.

For your relationship management, the COR is often more important than the CO. You'll interact with the COR far more frequently. Provide the COR with excellent communication, responsive support, and proactive problem-solving. If a deliverable has an issue, tell the COR before they discover it. If you foresee a schedule slip, notify the COR early so the agency can adjust their plans. CORs have tremendous workload; they're managing multiple contractors simultaneously. Making their life easier builds goodwill. Also understand the COR's constraints: they can't approve changes that exceed their technical review scope or that require contract modifications. If you need a scope change or additional funding, work with the COR to escalate to the CO through proper channels.