Only One Person Can Say Yes: Authority and Unauthorized Commitments

Published 2026 | TIKC NewsWire

A government customer you like and trust tells you, “Go ahead and start, we will sort the paperwork later.” You want to be helpful, so you do. Here is the trap: in federal contracting, only one person can actually bind the government, and that is the contracting officer, acting within their authority. A program manager, a technical lead, or a friendly official asking for extra work usually cannot commit the government to pay. Do the work on their say-so, and you may have no contract, no authority, and no guaranteed payment.

Only the contracting officer binds the government

The government speaks through its contracting officer. That person has written authority, often spelled out with a dollar limit, to obligate public money. Everyone else, no matter how senior or how involved in your day-to-day work, generally cannot. This surprises contractors who deal mostly with program staff, because those are the people they talk to every day. But being the customer’s point of contact is not the same as having authority to spend the government’s money.

The unauthorized commitment trap

When someone without authority directs you to do work or buy something and promises the government will cover it, that is an unauthorized commitment. The danger is real: you may perform work the government has no obligation to pay for. Getting paid then depends on a slow, uncertain fix called ratification, where an official with authority reviews the situation and decides whether to approve it after the fact. It sometimes works, but it is never guaranteed, and you have spent real money in the meantime.

Keep your dealings clean and on the record

Protecting yourself is about discipline with officials. Know who your contracting officer is and get direction that changes your work, cost, or schedule from them, in writing. Be polite but careful when other officials ask for favors or extra effort, and do not let an informal relationship pull you into work nobody with authority approved. Staying scrupulously clear about who can direct you is part of the same clean dealing that keeps your relationship with the government above suspicion.

The person who acts can be exposed

Unauthorized commitments are risky for the people involved on both sides. The government employee who directed work beyond their authority can face consequences, and inside your own company, an employee who commits the business based on a hallway conversation can create a mess that lands on them, a reminder that individual accountability runs in every direction. If you discover your company performed on an unauthorized commitment, the honest move is to raise it quickly and seek ratification, and where appropriate to disclose it, rather than bury it in an invoice.

What to do now

• Know your contracting officer. Identify who actually has authority to bind the government on your contract.
• Get changes in writing. Take direction that affects work, cost, or schedule only from the contracting officer, documented.
• Be careful with favors. Do not perform extra work on an informal request from someone without authority.
• Train your team. Make sure your people know not to commit the company on a verbal go-ahead.
• Fix it honestly. If an unauthorized commitment happened, raise it fast and seek ratification instead of hiding it.

Being helpful is a virtue, but in government work, help given on the wrong person’s word can go unpaid. Know who can bind the government, get your direction from them in writing, and you protect both the relationship and your right to be paid. Brick by brick.

FAQ

Who can bind the government to pay?

Generally only the contracting officer, acting within their written authority. Program managers and other officials usually cannot obligate government money.

What is an unauthorized commitment?

When someone without authority directs you to perform work or buy something and promises the government will pay. You may have no enforceable obligation behind it.

What is ratification?

A process where an official with authority reviews an unauthorized commitment and decides whether to approve it after the fact. It is possible but never guaranteed.

How do I protect my company?

Know your contracting officer, take direction affecting work, cost, or schedule only from them in writing, and never let staff commit the company on a verbal go-ahead.

Sources

Federal Acquisition Regulation. (2026). Subpart 1.6, Contracting Authority and Responsibilities, and 1.602-3, Ratification of unauthorized commitments.

U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2026). Principles of Federal Appropriations Law.

This article is general information, not legal advice.