A Contracting Officer (CO or KO) is a person who can bind the United States government to a contract that is greater than the Micro-Purchase threshold[1]. This is limited to the scope of authority delegated to the Contracting Officer by the head of the agency.
In the Department of Defense the acronym KO is used, instead of CO, not to be confused with Commanding Officer. The KO enters into, administers, or terminates contracts and makes related determinations and findings. The CO is a federal employee who is issued a Certificate of Appointment, Standard Form 1402.
Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR)