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

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

Output Structure

1. Header Block

| Field | Content | |---|---| | Contract No. / PIID | [Number] | | Agency / Contracting Office | [Name] | | Contracting Officer | [Name, address, contact] | | Contractor | [Legal name, CAGE code] | | REA Reference No. | [Internal tracking number] | | Date | [Submission date] | | Subject | Request for Equitable Adjustment — [Contract No.] |

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)

| Cost Element | Basis | Amount | |---|---|---| | Direct Labor (category/hours) | Timesheets / rates | $ | | Materials | Invoices / quotes | $ | | Equipment | Rental records / rates | $ | | Subcontractor Costs | Subcontract docs | $ | | Overhead (rate × base) | Rate agreement / incurred | $ | | G&A (rate × base) | Rate agreement / incurred | $ | | Profit / Fee | Contract structure / FAR guidelines | $ | | Total Requested Adjustment | | $ |

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

| Component | Requested | |---|---| | Total Cost Adjustment | $ | | Time Extension (calendar days) | [N] days | | Revised Completion Date | [Date] | | Affected Milestones | [List] |

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