What is the primary consideration when determining which requirements can be contracted?

The primary consideration when determining which requirements can be contracted revolves around the concept of inherent governmental functions. These functions are the essential responsibilities that the government must perform and cannot be delegated to outside contractors. This includes activities such as policy-making, decision-making, and other functions that are fundamentally governmental in nature.

Understanding which functions are inherently governmental is crucial because contracting these functions could pose risks, such as compromising the integrity of governmental processes, leading to accountability issues, or undermining public confidence. Therefore, the identification of inherent governmental functions serves as the foundational rule in the contracting process to ensure that essential governmental tasks remain under public control and responsibility.

Other factors, like cost-effectiveness, contractor availability, or contract duration, while relevant in the overall contracting strategy, do not take precedence when identifying whether a function can be ethically and legally contracted. The prioritization of maintaining the core responsibilities of government is what makes understanding inherent governmental functions paramount in this context.