The VA Environmental Affairs Program, housed within the Office of Acquisition and Logistics (OA&L), provides policy, guidance, training, outreach, and national recognition opportunities to assist VA's workforce in complying with environmental mandates and in being good environmental stewards. OA&L promotes VA's commitment to the environment through programs directed at preventing pollution; reducing waste; buying green products and services; conserving natural and cultural resources; and integrating environmental considerations into day-to-day operations and long-term planning processes. OA&L also works collaboratively with other VA organizations and Federal agencies to ensure Departmental compliance with applicable environmental requirements. To learn more about the VA Environmental Affairs Program, click here.
FAS is an electronic government (e-gov) initiative on the President’s Management Agenda that was established to make it easier for citizens and businesses to locate and bid on government assets for sale and to improve the promotion of government sales through a centralized, citizen-centered website and additional advertising. The mission of FAS is to create a secure, efficient and effective online e-marketplace that will serve as a single-point for the public to find and buy federal assets. Objectives of FAS include making it easier for citizens and businesses to find and buy government assets; increase agencies’ net proceeds from asset sales; decrease agencies’ expenses related to asset sales; accelerate asset sales time; leverage economies of scale and reach a broader customer base (results-oriented); and take advantage of market-driven ‘best in class’ practices and solutions. Currently, real and personal property sales information can be accessed through the FirstGov Government Sales and Auctions website (http://www.FirstGov.gov/shopping/shopping.shtml). The future vision for FAS is the establishment of Centers of Excellence (COEs) that will provide other agency sellers with sales support designed to reduce asset sales costs and cycle time as well as increase sales proceeds. The COEs will be selected based on existing ‘best in class’ solutions. Beginning in 2007, all federal agencies are expected to sell their unrequired assets through one or more of the COEs that best meet the agency’s needs. For additional information contact Virginia Boyett.
VA’s Homeless Clothing Program now know as “Operation New Hope” provides for the distribution of Federal Excess Personal Property, such as hats, parkas, footwear, socks, sleeping bags and other items to homeless veterans and homeless veteran programs. A compensated work therapy program (CWT) employing formerly homeless veterans has been established at the VA Medical Center in Lyons, N.J., to receive, warehouse and ship these goods to VA homeless programs across the country. For additional information contact Linnie Baker.
This program is required to comply with the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-168); the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act (Public Law 100-418, Section 5164), dated August 23, 1988, which amended the Metric Conversion Act of 1975; and Executive Order 12770, Metric Usage in Federal Government Programs, dated July 25, 1991. In addition, in January 1991, the Department of Commerce issued an addition to the Code of Federal Regulations entitled “Metric Conversion Policy for Federal Agencies,” 15 CFR 1170, which removes the voluntary aspect of the conversion process for Federal agencies and gives in detail the policy for that conversion. For additional information contact Jesse Beaman.
This site will provide a template Memorandum of Understanding (MOU's) between donor agencies and VA field facilities. It will also be used to clarify issues regarding disposition of vehicles at the end of life cycle, SF-97, Certificates of Origin and titles. For additional information contact Jesse Beaman.
All Federal government employees are directly responsible and accountable to high authority for the judicious acquisition, use, and proper disposal of Federal personal property. The government spends enormous amounts of money and time purchasing personal property, equipment, and supplies to successfully accomplish its many diverse missions. Personnel involved in the professional management of personal property are valued-added team players with their colleagues in Acquisition, Finance, and other Programs (i.e. Environmental, Transportation, etc). In the case of Federal Personal Property Management, the goods are assets; the services may include management of any aspect of the personal property life-cycle. Federal personal property can range from tiny scientific devices to missiles to consumable items like pencils. By law, these are all government assets and therefore accountability procedures must be implemented for these items. The challenge in Federal Personal Property Management is to account for each asset from the moment an item of personal property is acquired to the moment of its final disposition. For additional information contact Jim Teal.
The following self-evaluation guide can be used as both a training tool and an internal checklist for requirements of property management functions. The self-evaluation guide should be completed by the supervisor on an annual basis. Areas of deficiency that are noted should be corrected immediately. It is recommended that the completed self-evaluation guides be maintained for a period of two years. You can get the Personal Property Management self-evaluation guidehere.
RFID is a new emerging technology. The Office of Information and Technology established a council to focus on all applications concerning RFID within VA. The non-expendable supplies needed for effective asset management are tracked and monitored by the Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management, as such; OA&MM will be providing policy and directives regarding the implementation and use of this technology. For additional information contact Jesse Beaman.
Establishes Public Law, guidelines, methods, and general requirements for all Federal Agencies to use voluntary consensus standards (VSC) in lieu of government-unique standards except where inconsistent with law or otherwise impractical. Eliminates the necessity for development or maintenance of separate Government-unique standards, support government to government trade agreements, accreditation recognized internationally, which provides savings in manpower and money. A Standard is defined as a common and repeated use of rules, conditions, guidelines, or characters used for products or related processes and production methods, and related management systems practices.
Commercial Off The Shelf: A commercial item is one customarily used for non-Governmental purposes that has been or will be sold, leased, or licensed (or offered for sale, lease, or license) to the general public. An item that includes modifications customarily available in the commercial marketplace or minor modifications made to meet Federal Government requirements.
Overall goal of the Standard Developing Organizations is to: Eliminate the cost of Government developing its own standards, decrease the cost of goods provide incentives and opportunities to establish standards and promote and encourage efficiency and economic competition.
What is Voluntary, Consensus Standards?
Standards developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies, both domestic and international organizations which plan, develop, establish, or coordinate (VCS) using agreed upon procedures.
Why is our Agency involved?
Although the agencies involvement and compliance is due to Public Law, the agencies contribution of standards development can increase productivity and efficiency in Government and industry, and expand opportunities for international trade, conserve resources, improve health and safety, and protect the environment. For additional information contact Virginia Boyett.
Welcome to the dynamic world of modern logistics management, where advancements in technology and techniques are continually changing the materiel management environment within Department of Veterans Affairs. Warehousing and storage functions (stocking of supplies) are components of the VA logistics system. Today’s logistics management operations are far more complex than those of the past. Contemporary materiel management must incorporate an evolutionary flow-through concept to change the emphasis from inventories at the rest to supplies in motion. This concept requires emphatic changes in attitude and procedures to accommodate increased activity. For additional information contact Christopher Joseph.
The following self-evaluation guide can be used as both a training tool and an internal checklist for requirements of storage and distribution functions. The self-evaluation guide should be completed by the supervisor on an annual basis. Areas of deficiency that are noted should be corrected immediately. It is recommended that the completed self-evaluation guides be maintained for a period of two years. You can get the Storage and Distribution self-evaluation guide here.
The purpose of Value Engineering is to evaluate the basic functions of a facility or system and process and identifies alternative methods in achieving lower cost for (supply or services and construction contracts). It can be applied to hardware and software; development, production, and manufacturing; specifications, standards, contract requirements, and other acquisition program documentation; and facilities design. It is directed toward analyzing the functions of an item or process to determine "best value," or the best relationship between worth and cost. For additional information contact Virginia Boyett.
