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About Acquisition Management

Procurement Status:

This Web page provides information and a list of important points of contact for Acquisition Management employees in Headquarters, RTP, and Cincinnati, as well as procurement personnel in the Regions and field offices. In addition, we hope this handbook will help our clients get their work done. This is a reference book that not only delineates the important elements of the contracting process and points of contact, but also provides information on the regulations and policies applicable to EPA acquisitions. Contact the EPA OAM Internet Coordination Team if you have any questions about this document.

Procurement actions are listed under each of the Contracting Division Home Pages:
  • Headquarters Procurement Operations Division (Washington, D.C.)
  • Superfund/RCRA Procurement Operations Division (Washington, D.C.)
  • Research Triangle Park, NC Procurement Operations Division
  • Cincinnati (Ohio) Procurement Operations Division
  • Regional Offices

    • For policy, training, and finance information, go to Policy Training and Oversight Division (PTOD).


    Vision, Values and Strategic Goals

     

    CONTENTS

    I.INTRODUCTION

    II. IMMEDIATE OFFICE

    III. POLICY, TRAINING, AND OVERSIGHT DIVISION

    IV. HEADQUARTERS PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS DIVISION

    V. SUPERFUND/RCRA REGIONAL PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS DIVISION

    VI. RTP PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS DIVISION

    VII. CINCINNATI PROCUREMENT OPERATIONS DIVISION

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    XIII. EXTERNAL SUPPORT

    IX. REGULATIONS, MANUALS, AND GUIDANCE

    X. OAM COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND SUPPORT

    XI. CONTRACTING OFFICER WARRANTS CONTACTS

    XII. TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

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    I. OFFICE OF ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT

    INTRODUCTION

    The purpose of this handbook is to provide information and a list of important points of contact for Office of Acquisition Management (OAM) employees in Headquarters, RTP, and Cincinnati, as well as procurement personnel in the Regions and field offices. In addition, we hope this handbook will help our clients get their work done. This is a reference book that not only delineates the important elements of the contracting process and points of contact, but also provides information on the regulations and policies applicable to EPA acquisitions.

    We want to continue to improve this handbook and make it more useful to you. Please send any comments or suggestions specifically related to this handbook to Dan Levesque (202/564-4318/Internet E-mail Levesque.Dan@epamail.epa.gov). November, 2005

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    II. IMMEDIATE OFFICE

    The Office of Acquisition Management, under the supervision of the Director, is responsible for the policies, procedures, operations and support of the Agency's procurement and contracts management program, from contract planning through closeout. In addition, it is responsible for managing and formulating OAM’s budget; serving as the Procurement Executive for the Agency; performing special projects; and managing Office activities. The Competition Advocate is responsible for reviewing acquisition plans and justifying for other than full and open competition; reviewing and coordinating protest files; serving as liaison to the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization to ensure appropriate utilization of preferential procurement programs in Headquarters procurement operations, and providing advice to contract operations. The Information Technology Service Center is responsible for managing office system hardware and software including the Local Area Network (LAN); managing operational modules of the Integrated Contract Management System (ICMS), Small Purchase Electronic Data Interchange (SPEDI), and Contract Delivery Order Tracking System (CDOTS), and other automated procurement systems; preparing short-and long-term IT plans; and coordinating IT-related training.

    See the Immediate Office Organizational Chart (1 pp, 14K, About PDF)

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    III. Policy, Training and Oversight Division

    The Director oversees the three service centers within the Policy, Training and Oversight Division. The three service centers within the Policy, Training and Oversight Division include the following: the Acquisition Policy and Training Service Center, the Management Support Service Center and the Financial Analysis and Oversight Service Center.

    See the Policy, Training and Oversight Division Organizational Chart (1 pp, 14K, About PDF). The IO is also responsible for the Division's administrative and budgetary functions.

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    IV. Headquarters Procurement Operations Division

    The Director oversees the four service centers within the Headquarters Procurement Operations Division. See the Headquarters Procurement Operations Division Organizational Chart (1 pp, 14K, About PDF). The immediate office is also responsible for the Division's administrative and budgetary functions.

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    V. Superfund/RCRA Regional Procurement Operations Division

    The Director oversees four Service Centers within SRRPOD. See the Superfund/RCRA Regional Procurement Operations Division Organizational Chart (1 pp, 14K, About PDF). The Director is the Chief of the Contracting Office (CCO) and is responsible for those actions that require CCO approval. The Director's Office is also responsible for the Division's administrative, budgetary, and personnel functions. The Service Center Managers are responsible for simplified acquisitions and the placement, management, and close-out of contracts in support of their Service Center's primary mission and assigned customers. Each Service Center Manager has cognizance over its assigned administrative, budgetary, and personnel functions.

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    VI. RTP Procurement Operations Division

    The Director oversees the three service centers within the Division and the Small Business Specialist. See the RTP Procurement Operations Division Organizational Chart (1 pp, 14K, About PDF). The immediate office is also responsible for the Division's administrative and budgetary functions.

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    VII. Cincinnati Procurement Operations Division

    The Director oversees three Service Centers within the Division and the Small Business Specialist. The Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Specialist maximizes contract opportunities for small and socioeconomically disadvantaged concerns. The Immediate Office is responsible for the Division's quality assurance program as well as all budgetary , personnel, and administrative functions including managing Freedom of Information Act requests. The Service Centers support the customers indicated for all requirements. See the See the Cincinnati Procurement Operations Division Organizational Chart (1 pp, 13K, About PDF).

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    VIII. EXTERNAL SUPPORT

    The following areas are important to the conduct of procurement and contract management operations:

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    IX. REGULATIONS, MANUALS, AND GUIDANCE

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    X. OFFICE OF ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND SUPPORT

    Systems managed by OAM are discussed below, both "National" systems (used EPA-wide) and "Local" systems (used by a specific office - HQ, RTP, or Cincinnati). No attempt has been made to address local ADP systems used by the Regional contracting offices.

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    XI. CONTRACTING OFFICER WARRANTS

    Chapter 8 of the Contracts Management Manual provides detailed guidance on the levels of contracting officers' warrants, how to request a warrant, and who in OAM is responsible for issuing warrants. For non-OAM employees the following generally applies:

    - Micropurchase warrants for purchase card holders are issued by the Manager of the Management Support Service Center.

    - Warrants for On-Scene Coordinators are issued by the Director of the Superfund, and RCRA, Regional Procurement Operations Division.

    - Level I and II warrants for program office personnel are issued by the Director of the OAM Division that provides acquisition support to the AAship or Program Office.

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    XII. TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

    The COR Mentor Course [FAI On-Line]

    The Acquisition Workforce Provisions (SEC. 4307) of the Clinger-Cohen Act, sometimes referred to as "The Maloney Bill," require the Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to establish policies for the education and training of the Federal Acquisition workforce. The acquisition workforce includes not only contracting officers (CO), but also contracting officer representatives (CORs), i.e., those who manage our contracts, such as project officers, work assignment managers, delivery or task order project officers. The Act tasks the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) with:

    1.   identifying critical competencies, knowledge, skills, and duties performed by the acquisition workforce, and

    2.   developing instructional material covering these critical areas.

    As a result of this mandate, FAI developed the Internet-based "COR Mentor" course. This course consists of 18 self-paced duties which provide an overview of basic COR duties such as administering Government Property, monitoring performance, payment, and so forth. For each duty students are presented with an executive summary, a procedure map that delineates the steps involved in performing that duty, reference material, and, if applicable, a practical exercise or samples. FAI estimates it will take approximately 24 seat-hours to complete the course.

    Users may find several advantages to the online course, including:

    Timeliness:   Online training is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

    Accessibility:   Online training is accessible on the Internet any where in the world. The course may be taken on more than one computer, such as a computer at the office and one at home.

    Flexibility:  Online training allows learners to set their own pace, "test out" of portions of courses where they already have knowledge or stop and resume as many times as desired.

    Students may enroll in the COR Mentor by following the registration procedures described at Exit Disclaimer http://www.fai/gov/

    Note :   Beginning in FY 2003, all new CORs must complete either the COR Mentor course or the COR Training course described on the next page. Once a COR has completed one of the courses, he/she does not need to take a Recertification for CORs course for three years from the COR Mentor or COR training course completion date.

    Training Offered by OAM's Acquisition Policy and Training Service Center:

    COR Training Course

    This three-day, EPA specific course provides hands-on practical application and problem-solving analysis of the concepts learned in the COR Mentor Course. The course is given in a facilitated, group exercise format and FAI on-line will provide new CORs with EPA-specific policies and procedures not covered in the FAI on-line COR Mentor Course.

    Contract Administration for Supervisors

    This optional one-day training helps supervisors understand the requisite duties and responsibilities of the Contracting Officers' Representatives (i.e., POs, WAMS, DO/TOPOs) as they pertain to the numerous Federal and EPA regulations and policy directives governing use of contractors. Course instruction parallels the subjects in the Recertification Course with a focus on problem prone areas (e.g., personal services, inherent governmental functions, recent GAO and OIG audit findings). OSC Warrant Training

    This mandatory four-day intensive training is directed toward those OSCs who need to acquire limited contracting officer warrants to operate independently in responding to emergency Superfund removals during non-business hours. The training is jointly taught by an experienced OSC with a Regional Contracting Officer, under the direction of a trained EPA acquisition instructor. The training utilizes the new OSC Tool Box Guide with discussions on topics ranging from OSC Superfund statutory authorities to individual contracting officer duties outlined in the new delegation of procurement authority. Completion of the COR Mentor or COR Training Course is a prerequisite for this course. Additionally, the Purchase Card Course should be scheduled in conjunction with this OSC training, as the Government purchase card is one of the OSC's tools. This course is coordinated by the OSWER Headquarters contact Tim Grier.

    Purchase Card Course for Cardholders and Approving Officials

    A mandatory one-day training course which prepares EPA employees to become Government purchase card holders for the acquisition of limited goods and services for their office in amounts not to exceed $3,000 per order or to be a purchase card approving official.

    Recertification Course for Contracting Officer Representatives

    This one-day refresher course is required for project officer CORs, work assignment CORs, delivery order CORs, task monitor CORs, and task order CORs three years after completion of the COR Mentor or COR Training course. The overall course objective is to present new policies and regulations in acquisition and to reinforce proper contract management practices. It also allows attendees to network with other CORs on various approaches to managing contracts and, if appropriate, implementing these ideas to improve contract management in their offices.

    Course cost
    At Headquarters, courses given by the Acquisition Training and Purchase Card Service Center are free. The requiring office must pay the travel and per diem for instructors to teach in RTP, Cincinnati, the regions, or regional and Headquarters field components.

    Arranging for on-site courses
    Presentations of a course for a specific program office, regional office, or laboratory, etc., may be arranged by responding to the training needs survey conducted by AT&PCSC every summer.

    OAM's Nationwide Acquisition Training Schedule is published on the Intranet at http://intranet.epa.gov/oamintra/training/index.htm. This site includes the schedule of courses and directions for registering.

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