Just Contracting Parties, or Partners as Well?

Government and contractor acquisition personnel are frequently directed by their superiors to trust one another and others with whom they have contracts. Unfortunately, relatively little thought may have been given to what trust consists of or what an act of trust must entail. This paper considers what is involved when one chooses to trust another person, under what circumstances trust may or may not be appropriate, and the consequences of trusting or not trusting. The paper concludes with brief suggestions concerning the ways in which trust might be incorporated into the source selection process.
Published in Acquisition Review Quarterly, p224-233, Summer 2002.