U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20250
DEPARTMENTAL REGULATION
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Number: 5080-001 |
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SUBJECT: USDA and the AbilityOne Program: Increasing
Achievements and Setting Department Goals |
DATE: May
23, 2007 |
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OPI: |
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1 PURPOSE
This
regulation establishes the Department-wide goals for increasing the Department
of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) participation in the AbilityOne Program, and outlines
procedures, requirements, and performance measurements for meeting them. The AbilityOne Program is authorized by the
Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act, and was formerly known as the “JWOD” Program.
2
SPECIAL
INSTRUCTIONS
This
Directive is effective immediately, and supercedes the previous version,
Departmental Directive 4000-1, dated June 3, 2003.
3
BACKGROUND
The
mission of the AbilityOne Program is to provide employment opportunities for
people who are blind or have other severe disabilities in the manufacture and
delivery of products and services to the Federal Government. Through meaningful employment, the
AbilityOne Program is a cost-effective way to help people who are blind or have
other severe disabilities achieve greater independence, enabling many
individuals to reduce their dependence on Government support.
4 REFERENCES
Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (41 U.S.C.
46-48(c))
41
CFR 51 – Committee for Purchase from People Who are Blind or Severely
Disabled
Federal
Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 8.7, Acquisition from Nonprofit Agencies
Employing People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
5 POLICY
It
is USDA’s policy to support the AbilityOne Program to the maximum extent
practicable and to adhere to the goals and procedures outlined in this
Departmental Regulation (DR). These
goals provide for measurable growth and accomplishments in support of the
AbilityOne Program.
6 USDA ABILITYONE PROGRAM GOALS
USDA’s
AbilityOne Program goals are listed below.
These goals provide USDA’s direction for increasing participation in the
AbilityOne Program, and to provide much-needed jobs for people who are blind or
have severe disabilities.
Agencies will strive to increase their
AbilityOne Program acquisitions annually by at least ½ percent of the total
AbilityOne Program procurement dollar amount reported the previous fiscal
year. To meet this goal, attention must
be given to the products and services on the AbilityOne Program Procurement
List, as well as the addition of new products and services.
Agency AbilityOne Liaisons and
contracting officials should work with representatives from the AbilityOne
Program Central Nonprofit Agencies (NPA), NISH (serving people with severe
disabilities) and NIB (National Industries for the Blind), to identify suitable
products and services for addition to the Procurement List.
These additions and increased AbilityOne
Program products and services usage are important to creating meaningful
employment for individuals who might otherwise be unemployable.
Based
on total AbilityOne Program dollars spent the previous year, each Agency will
establish an annual baseline for measuring Goal 1. This total will represent dollars spent on products and services
found on the AbilityOne Program Procurement List, including office supplies.
Contracting officials and credit card holders
can access the Procurement List to find products and services, as well as a
list of approved AbilityOne Program product distributors through the USDA OSDBU
website at www.usda.gov/osdbu or
directly on the Committee’s website, www.abilityone.gov.
Promote USDA’s successes in the AbilityOne Program by supporting USDA’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebrations, and recognizing achievements by participating in the annual OSDBU sponsored USDA Small Business and AbilityOne Awards Program.
7 RESPONSIBILITIES
a USDA Member on the President’s
Committee for Purchase from People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled –
Committee Member.
At
USDA, the AbilityOne Program is led by the USDA Member on the President’s
Committee For Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled
(Committee). The Director of the OSDBU
is the USDA Committee Member. An OSDBU
staff member will serve as the USDA AbilityOne Program Liaison between the
Committee, NISH, NIB and USDA’s agencies.
b Under Secretaries, Assistant
Secretaries, and Agency Heads will take actions to meet the Agency
AbilityOne Program goals and to increase USDA’s participation in the AbilityOne
Program through contracting opportunities and program support.
Additionally,
Agency Heads will identify at least
one Agency AbilityOne Program Liaison(s), and submit the Liaison names and
contact information to the USDA AbilityOne Program Liaison annually, and update
as needed. The Agency AbilityOne
Program Liaison may be a program or acquisition staff member.
c Agency
AbilityOne Program Liaisons will:
(1)
Serve as
their agency’s AbilityOne Program expert, guiding efforts to meet the goals and
increase USDA’s participation in the AbilityOne Program through contracting
opportunities.
(2)
Notify the
USDA AbilityOne Program Liaison of all issues that may require the attention of
the USDA Committee Member. These issues
would include disputes or problems, in addition to the identification of new
products and services to the Procurement List.
(3)
Under the
direction of the USDA Committee Member (Director of OSDBU) and USDA AbilityOne
Program Liaison, attend meetings to discuss Program issues, agency performance,
successes, and other activities.
(4)
Work
together with other Agency AbilityOne Program Liaisons, and the USDA AbilityOne
Program Liaison to develop more efficient data collection techniques and report
formats.
d Deputy Administrators for Management
or equivalent, Heads of Contracting Activity or Designee, Contracting Officers,
and Purchase Cardholders will ensure that purchases comply with the
requirements of the FAR Part 8.7, the
JWOD Act, and this directive.
8 ABILITYONE
PROGRAM PERFORMANCE PLAN
As
requested, each Agency will submit an annual AbilityOne Program Performance
Plan to the OSDBU office. The plan will
address the goals, and include how the Agency supported USDA’s efforts to
increase participation in the AbilityOne Program.
The
Plan should include the previous year’s accomplishments by number and dollar
amount of contracts awarded, and if possible the number of jobs created,
increased or maintained for people who are blind or have severe
disabilities. Agencies should also
include in the AbilityOne Program Performance Plan, the mechanisms used to
obtain the information provided, such as from an approved AbilityOne Program
Distributor, NISH and/or NIB officials, the Federal Procurement Data
System-Next Generation, and other internal procurement dollar tracking systems.
Although
USDA contract officials and purchase card holders are encouraged to purchase
products not currently on the AbilityOne Program Procurement List from
AbilityOne Program participating non-profit agencies, these purchase totals
cannot be included as part of Goal 1 dollar achievements.
If an Agency elects to assist AbilityOne
Program non-profit agencies by purchasing items not on the Procurement List, a
report of the dollar totals, jobs created (if available), products purchased,
and the name of the non-profit agencies should be included in the annual
AbilityOne Program Performance Plan as an additional agency accomplishment.
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