PMC NEWS ON-LINE (Issue 2007, January 07, 2007)
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ACQUISITION NEWS FOR DOT

This is designed for electronic distribution to all DOT acquisition personnel.  Most of the information included will not be distributed in hard copy.

Please forward to other DOT acquisition personnel.

Check out our net site for the PMC News and other information at:  http://www.dot.gov/ost/m60/

ITEMS IN REVIEW

FREE PBSA TRAINING

FAI has recently awarded a contract for Stryker Associates to conduct 24 instances of the Performance Based Service Acquisition (PBSA) course in FY 2007.  The attached file contains a description of the course.  OAs are encouraged to begin identifying individuals within the program and procurement communities to participate as a team to attend one of the courses listed below.  Registration information and additional course dates and locations will be provided once confirmed by FAI.

Guidelines for participation:

Ø      A team must include 3-6 people.  Ideally, a team will have members from the program office and the procurement office.

Ø      No more than two teams in a given course per agency.

Ø      All courses will be held from 8:30am - 4:00pm Tuesdays through Thursdays.

Ø      See the attached list for course locations and dates.

For more information Contact Cassandra Wells on (202) 366-4960 or via e-mail at cassandra.wells@dot.gov

FREE GOVERNMENT GRANTS VS. CONTRACTS TRAINING

Free Lunch N Learn on Monday, January 29, 2007, on the differences between Government Contracts and Grants and where the Government will be headed in the future.  The presenter will be Ms. Debra Sonderman, Director-Office of Acquisition and Property Management Department of Interior.  Continuous Learning Points are available.

Target Audience:  Executives, grants and contract specialists

Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Location:  USDA Conference Room (USDA Cafeteria).  USDA South Building (Between 3^rd & Independence) at the Smithsonian METRO stop (in direction of Bureau of Engraving).  Enter through the rear of the South Building only.

How to Register:  Click on one of the below links for more information and to RSVP.

http://arx9968.tripod.com/lunchnlearnpmaserieswashingtondc/  or http://intranet.ncmahq.org/lunchnlearn/Lists/Links/AllItems.aspx PW and ID are “ncma”

For more information Contact Cassandra Wells on (202) 366-4960 or via e-mail at cassandra.wells@dot.gov

FACE

The Federal Acquisition Conference and Exposition (FACE) is back!  June 19-20, 2007, held at The Hotel Washington, located within two blocks from the Ronald Reagan Federal Building.  The theme for 2007 is Acquisition Frontiers: Blazing New Trails.

FACE 2007 will provide new sessions for the acquisition workforce community to include contracting and program professionals. FACE is a forum for federal acquisition professionals and policy makers to share their insights and experiences. FACE provides a full range of training on the latest acquisition issues and an opportunity to review exhibitors' products and services. FACE 2007 is designed to benefit the acquisition community as a whole-with something in each session for everyone.  Attend FACE and blaze into your career.

Registration for FACE 2007 opened on December 30, 2006.  Please visit www.fai.gov/face (click Register Now). 

IDA USTED AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ACQUISITION

The Ida Ustad Award for Excellence in Acquisition is an annual $5,000 award sponsored by the General Services Administration (GSA) recognizing an individual Government employee whose actions demonstrate or embody the concept of "contract specialist as business leader/advisor" and had a major impact on improving the acquisition process.  Nominations may be submitted January 3, 2007, through February 16, 2007, to the following web site:

  http://www.acqnet.gov/ida/2007award.html

In order to be eligible for this award, an applicant must be a Government employee in the 1102 series working for an agency subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation and must have high ethical standards.  The accomplishments for which the applicant is nominated must have taken place after February 1, 2005, but before February 1, 2007.  Anyone may nominate an applicant for this award.  However, the nomination must be approved by the applicant’s Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA).  The nomination requires the following information:

1.      A description of the nominee's original, innovative approach to an acquisition issue.

2.      A description of how the nominee's approach lowered prices and/or improved the quality of performance the Government receives from its contractors.

3.      A description of how the nominee has served as a business leader/advisor, focusing on both the customer and the market and bringing the two together effectively.

4.      A description of how the nominee demonstrated a commitment to professional development, both personally and organizationally.

5.      A description of how the nominee’s accomplishment (s) resulted in substantial small business participation or created significant subcontracting opportunities.

GSA will present the award in June 2007 at an awards ceremony.

E.R. “DICK” ALLEY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (the Committee) is soliciting nominations for the E.R. “Dick” Alley Career Achievement Award, the highest award given by the Committee.
 
The Alley Award was established in 1998 in honor and recognition of Dick Alley who provided more than 25 years of dedicated service to the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program as the Deputy Executive Director of the Committee staff.  The award is intended to recognize individuals who have provided extraordinary achievement and sustained effort in utilizing the Federal procurement system to create employment and training opportunities for people who are blind or have other severe disabilities under the JWOD Program.  No more than one award will be given each year.  
 
Nomination instructions and forms can be obtained from the Committee’s website at www.jwod.gov or by contacting Stephanie Lesko of the Committee staff at slesko@jwod.gov or (703) 603-2146.  For your convenience, a copy of the nomination form is also attached to this email.
 
NOTE:  Nomination submissions (including additional recommendations) must be received via electronic mail in an accessible file format (i.e., Word Perfect, Word, or ACCESSIBLE Adobe PDF, etc.) by February 1, 2007.  Signed hard-copy originals will be accepted only in conjunction with the appropriate electronic files.

GOVERNMENT-WIDE BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT (BPA) FOR COMMERCIAL CREDIT MONITORING SERVICES

GSA has issued a new Government-wide Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for commercial Credit Monitoring Services.  The use of these vehicles is strongly encouraged in the protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).  Loss due to certain types of personal information and data can lead to identity theft and financial loss.  To help protect individuals if their PII is lost or stolen, credit monitoring services may be utilized when the agency has determined that mitigation efforts are required to lessen the potential damage due to a data security breach.

Attached link http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/fy2007/m07-04.pdf provides additional information necessary to promote the use of these protections.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Denise P. Wright or (202) 366-4272 or via e-mail at denise.p.wright@dot.gov

CIVILIAN AGENCY ACQUISITION COUNCIL (CAAC) FAR CASE

FAR CASE 2006-029, Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Implementation – This FAR case implements Pub. L. 109-282, which provides for public access to information about Federal expenditures.  This law requires that the FAR be amended to compel contractors to report specific subcontract awards to a public database.   In addition, FFATA requires that a pilot program be established to test collection and retrieval of subcontract award data.  One of the goals is to ensure that subcontracts awarded and funded with Federal appropriated funds will be disclosed to the public in a single searchable website.

The Government-wide implementation of this Act through the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) is prescribed in statute.  Likewise, the requirement for agency compliance with statutory direction, as it relates to contract awards, will be fulfilled through the FAR.  If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please contact Denise P. Wright or (202) 366-4272 or via e-mail at denise.p.wright@dot.gov

DOT BOARD OF CONTRACT APPEALS

Effective January 6, 2007, the Department of Transportation (DOT) Board of Contract Appeals no longer exist.  The cases, Board judges, and other personnel have subsequently transferred to the new Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA) within the General Services Administration (GSA).   Section 847 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, Pub. L. 109-163, establishes the CBCA to hear and decide contract disputes involving executive agencies under the provisions of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 and regulations and rules issued under this Act.  With the establishment of the CBCA, civilian agency Boards, with certain exceptions, have been terminated including DOT's Board of Contract Appeals.  The CBCA is located at 1800 M Street, NW, 6^th Floor, Washington, DC 20036.

Pending General Counsel regulatory actions, the TAR and TAM are being revised to reflect the transfer of DOT’s Board of Contract Appeals to the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.

If you have any questions or concerns please direct them to Cassandra Wells at 202-366-4960, e-mail cassandra.wells@dot.gov or Denise P. Wright at 202-366-4272, e-mail denise.p.wright@dot.gov.

NEXT PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT COUNCIL (PMC) MEETING

The next PMC meeting is scheduled for February 14, 2007, at 2:00pm until 4:00pm in conference room 4438.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Delia Davis at 202-366-4271 or delia.davis@dot.gov