It is DoD policy that—

(a) Agencies shall obtain advice on major defense acquisition programs and pre-major defense acquisition programs from sources that are objective and unbiased; and

(b) Contracting officers generally should seek to resolve organizational conflicts of interest in a manner that will promote competition and preserve DoD access to the expertise and experience of qualified contractors. Accordingly, contracting officers should, to the extent feasible, employ organizational conflict of interest resolution strategies that do not unnecessarily restrict the pool of potential offerors in current or future acquisitions. Further, contracting activities shall not impose across-the-board restrictions or limitations on the use of particular resolution methods, except as may be required under 209.571-7 or as may be appropriate in particular acquisitions.

[75 FR 81913, Dec. 29, 2010]