The Council of Defense and Space Industry Associations (CODSIA) provides a central channel of communications for improving industry-wide consideration of the many policies, regulations, implementation problems, procedures and questions involved in federal procurement actions. CODSIA was formed in 1964 by industry associations having common interests in the defense and space fields. The Department of Defense encouraged the establishment of this organization as a vehicle for obtaining broad industry reactions to new or revised procurement regulations, policies, and procedures. CODSIA acts as a central clearing house for consolidating its association members' positions regarding policies, regulations, directives and procedures that relate to the supplier-purchaser relationship between the federal government and industry. A decision by any member association to abstain from participation in a particular case is not necessarily an indication of dissent.


How CODSIA Operates

CODSIA acts as a central clearing house for consolidating its association members' positions regarding policies, regulations, directives and procedures that relate to the supplier-purchaser relationship between the federal government and industry. CODSIA also serves as a single point of contact for government officials who wish to tap into the expertise of CODSIA's association members.

CODSIA's areas of interest include government acquisition, contracting and management system requirements. For example, associations have developed coordinated CODSIA positions on estimating and accounting systems, contract clauses, contract cost principles, cost accounting regulations, defective pricing data, industrial security, management systems control, patents and technical data, and property acquisition and control. A CODSIA case is adopted when at least three member associations agree that Council coordination is desirable. Member associations may abstain from participation or may elect to present the viewpoints of their member companies independently. If a member association chooses, it can also sign on to a CODSIA letter and supplement with a separate letter. When an issue is adopted as a CODSIA case, a member association volunteer drafts a position paper representing the views that he or she believes are shared by the rest of the CODSIA membership. That draft is then circulated to CODSIA members for comment. When all comments have been received and reconciled, the position is reviewed, approved and signed by association officials who support the final position. The basic objective of the Council is to reflect the views of a large number of private companies via the associations those companies belong to. This goal requires preparation of a balanced industry position. A Project Officer manages each CODSIA case. 

Selected from among association staff representatives by the Operating Committee, he or she is responsible for helping the Task Group Chairman guide the project toward a successful and timely conclusion and for performing administrative functions for the Task Group. The Project Officer keeps the Operating Committee advised of the progress of the case and follows up to ascertain any government action taken as the result of recommendations made in the CODSIA position paper. The Project Officer and Task Group Chairman analyze any response to CODSIA papers made by the federal government and make recommendations to the Operating Committee on continuing CODSIA action. It is possible for the same person to be the Project Officer and the Task Group Chairman on a given case. CODSIA also assists, upon request, industry advisory groups concerned with acquisition and helps coordinate meetings between the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, and other executive agency officials and industry.