Appropriate Contract Type for Software Development

I am looking for published documentation for using a particular contract type based upon the type of work to be performed. I am familar with FAR part 16. I am particularly interested in the most appropriate (or conversely the least appropriate) contract type for software development work.

I see that 24 hours have gone by and no one has responded to your inquiry. That might be because the answer depends on information that you have not provided.

• What kind of "software development" work? "Software development" takes in a lot of territory. Writing a new program? Developing updates or fixes to an old program? What?

• Development for what? What kind of process or task do you want to develop software for? Processing invoices? Inserting a spacecraft into a planetary orbit?

• Is the contract for completion of a single job? If so, is it a big job or a little job? Or is the contract for a lot of little jobs?

• How volatile is the requirement? Is it likely to change during the course of development?

• How much uncertainty is there about development time/cost? Is the job common in nature, or uniquely challenging?

In order for anyone to be able to give you an intelligent answer to your question, you have to provide some background information.

Are you a newbie? I know that you have been around Wifcon for a while, but you have not posted a profile. Ordinarily, I would not respond to such an inquiry.

It was not my intention to zero-in on a particular contracting situation. I would like to know if there are other guidelines or references for selecting contract type besides those found in FAR Part 16 - in particular guidelines or references that match contract type to the type of work. For example, is there a reference that states if you are developing rocket software you should use a particular contract type and if you are developing invoicing software you should use this particular type of contract? I am intersested in the guideline. I will match my situation(s) to the guideline - not the other way around.

Please disregard my specific interest in an appropriate contract type for software development. I am looking for something more general.

I do not know of any such guidance.

I see that DFAR 235.006 provides some direction "...do not award a fixed price type contract for a development program..". However, I am not sure if this prohibition is only applicable to contracts over $25M.