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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ACQUISITION MANUAL (GSAM)
a. Successful program management delivers the right solutions at best value, on time and within budget. Acquisition planning is critical to successful program management. By improving our acquisition planning process and discipline we will improve the value delivered for the taxpayer’s dollar. Adequate planning at the time the requirement becomes known can eliminate problems at the time of award and during contract administration, thereby shortening procurement lead-time and improving customer satisfaction.
b. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 7 implements the statutory requirement for acquisition planning.
c. Although this order and the requirement for written acquisition plans apply to acquisitions that exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT) as defined at FAR section 2.101, FAR section 7.102 requires planning on all acquisitions. Each contracting activity is responsible for ensuring compliance with this requirement.
d. The FAR may be found online at http://www.acqnet.gov/far. The General Services Administration Acquisition Manual (GSAM) is available at http://www.gsa.gov under the Office of Governmentwide Policy's Acquisition Policy link.
a. Establishes additional coordination and concurrence requirements for acquisitions estimated to exceed the SAT.
b. Requires a comprehensive acquisition plan for an information technology (IT) services or supply action estimated to exceed $20 million, including options.
c. Clarifies that, with the advice and assistance of the contracting officer and, when appropriate, a planning team, the requiring office (see paragraph 6f) is responsible for preparing acquisition plans when GSA is the funding agency.
d. Draws more attention to the IT Capital Planning requirements of the Clinger-Cohen Act (40 U.S.C. 1422).
e. Requires more deliberation by acquisition planners prior to placing an order against a Federal Supply Schedule contract or a single or multiple award indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contract.
f. Authorizes the Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA) to delegate certain approval authorities to an appropriate level below the Assistant Commissioner or Assistant Regional Administrator after coordination with the Senior Procurement Executive (SPE).
a. Competition Advocate, per GSAM subpart 502.1, means the GSA Competition Advocate in the Office of Acquisition Policy or the contracting activity competition advocate with the duties and responsibilities outlined in FAR section 6.502.
b. Contracting Director means—
(1) Except for the Federal Supply Service (FSS), a Director of a Central Office or Regional Office Division responsible for performing contracting or contract administration.
(2) In FSS, a Director of a Contracting Division or FSS Bureau.
c. Head of Contracting Activity (HCA) means—
(1) For GSA Central Office Staff Offices—the Deputy Associate Administrator for Acquisition Policy (MV).
(2) For the Federal Technology Service (FTS), Federal Supply Service (FSS), or Public Buildings Service (PBS) Central Office functions—the respective service Commissioner.
(3) For Regional Offices—the respective Regional Administrators.
d. Planner, at GSA, means the person residing in the requiring office (see paragraph f below) that initiates, coordinates and prepares the written acquisition plan. The person may be in an individual program office or have responsibility for a number of such offices.
e. Planning team means a team of individuals formed to prepare the individual elements of a comprehensive acquisition plan. The team must be composed of representatives from contracting, budget, legal, appropriate technical offices (including requiring office or customer), and small business technical advisors. The team may include representatives from other areas as well. The planning team may be pre-selected or formed on an ad hoc basis.
f. Requiring Office or Requirement(s) Office means the internal GSA office that establishes and funds the agency need. If an organization outside GSA establishes and funds the need, then the requiring office will be the GSA office that is managing the acquisition for that outside organization.
g. Senior Procurement Executive (SPE) means the Deputy Associate Administrator for Acquisition Policy (MV).
h. Senior Program Official (SPO) means a person reporting to, and designated by, the HCA to have overall program responsibility for determining how the agency will meet its needs. The official should have a position of authority over the offices participating in the planning. Some examples are:
(1) Regions—the Assistant Regional Administrators for the Federal Technology Service, Public Buildings Service, and Federal Supply Service.
(2) Central Office—the Assistant Commissioners for the Federal Technology Service, Public Buildings Service, and Federal Supply Service.
a. New definitive contracts (including contracts for supplies, services, construction, repair and alteration, and deregulated utilities.)
b. Letter contracts.
c. An award exercising an un-priced or unevaluated option.
d. Task or delivery order against:
(1) Federal Supply Schedule contracts.
(2) Blanket purchase agreements (BPA).
(3) Single or multiple award indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contracts.
e. Establishing a Federal Supply Schedule program (such as Schedule 70), but not to individual contracts awarded under such a schedule.
f. Leaseshold interests in real property.
a. All acquisitions, regardless of dollar value, require acquisition planning. Acquisitions over the SAT must have a written acquisition plan before a solicitation is issued, unless the requirement for a written plan is waived (see paragraphs 8d and 11). Failure to do acquisition planning or concerns about funding availability are not justification for entering into a contract without full and open competition.
b. Contracting officers must submit an electronic copy of each written acquisition plan or summary of an oral plan to the Office of Acquisition Policy, Office of Governmentwide Policy at: acquisitionplans@gsa.gov within 7 days of its approval.
c. Written plans. (1) Comprehensive acquisition plan. This plan covers the acquisition process from the identification of the need or advance notice of need, through contract or order closeout. It is the most detailed plan and required for:
(a) IT acquisitions in excess of $20 million, including options.
(b) All other types of acquisitions in excess of $50 million, including options.
(c) Any dollar value acquisition that meets one or more of the following:
(i) Complex, critical to agency strategic objectives and mission, highly visible or politically sensitive.
(ii) An acquisition with which GSA has little or no experience that may result in a need for greater oversight or risk management.
(iii) Actions using significantly changed methods (e.g., methods of procurement such as lease versus purchase, or methods of performance such as contractor versus Government personnel).
(iv) New construction, or repair and alteration prospectus budget line items.
(v) Any acquisition that requires contract bundling (See FAR section 7.107).
(2) Limited acquisition plan. If the acquisition is in excess of the SAT1 including options, and does not meet any of the criteria for a comprehensive acquisition plan, a written limited acquisition plan is required. The plan covers the acquisition from purchase request or advance notice of need through contract award or order placement.
d. Oral plan. Even if the requirement for a written plan is waived, the planner must still obtain approval for the plan. The planner also must write a summary of the oral plan, including the name of the approver, and the nature of the urgency if that was the reason for the waiver. The summary must be included in any justification for using other than full and open competition required by FAR 6.302-2(c), or in the basis for using an exception to the fair opportunity process required by FAR 16.505(b)(4). The summary may be prepared after award if preparation before award would unreasonably delay the acquisition.
a. Senior Procurement Executive (SPE). The SPE has overall responsibility for the GSA acquisition system, including prescribing agency-wide procedures for acquisition planning. The SPE:
(1) Coordinates with the HCA when the HCA proposes to delegate approval authority under this order to a level lower than the SPO defined in paragraph 6h.
(2) Has the authority to waive the requirements of this order for IT supplies and services that exceed $20 million.
(3) Coordinates with the HCA on waivers described in paragraph 9b(2).
b. Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA). The HCA has overall responsibility for implementing and maintaining acquisition planning to ensure adherence to this order and GSAM 507.103(a). In addition, the HCA:
(1) May require higher-level review and approval or additional concurrences within their organization for either limited or comprehensive acquisition plans.
(2) May waive the requirements of this order, except for IT supplies and services that exceed $20 million, for programs and classes of contracts or orders if the HCA determines that the service or staff office already has a detailed system in place that addresses the elements of the written acquisition plan. All waivers must be coordinated in advance with the SPE.
(3) May issue guidance to identify types of acquisitions (programs, classes of contracts or orders) appropriate, within the requirements and thresholds of this order, for either limited or comprehensive acquisition plans.
(4) May re-delegate the authority to make the determination that bundling is necessary and justified in FAR 7.107(b). If the results of a market survey support a determination that bundling is necessary and justified, the contracting officer may approve the justification. If the contracting officer assisted in the market survey, the justification must be approved at least one level above the contracting officer.
(5) May authorize the development of standard outlines for use in programs or classes of contracts or orders that are repetitive and noncomplex.
(6) May delegate approval authority (paragraph 10) under this order to the SPO or may redelegate to a level lower than the SPO after coordination with the SPE.
(7) Determines, on either an individual contract, program, or class basis, appropriate coordinations and concurrences for acquisition plans when an organization outside GSA establishes and funds the need (see paragraph 9c(1)).
c. Planner. (1) Duties. The planner, with the advice and assistance of the contracting officer, is responsible for the preparation and maintenance of plans, and for obtaining and documenting all necessary concurrences and coordinations. For comprehensive acquisition plans, the planner must also have the advice and assistance of a planning team. If an organization outside GSA establishes and funds the need, the HCA determines appropriate coordinations and concurrences and the planner will reside in the GSA office that is managing the acquisition for that outside organization; if there is no such GSA office, then the contracting officer will perform the planner duties.
(2) The planner must:
(a) Comply with the requirements at GSAM 507.103(a).
(b) Coordinate with the Small Business Technical Advisor (SBTA). When substantial bundling is contemplated (see FAR 7.107(e)), coordination with the Office of Small Business Utilization is also required.
(c) Coordinate with local representatives of the Chief Financial Office/Budget Officer. (Not required for establishing a Federal Supply Schedule program.)
(d) Coordinate with local representatives of the Chief Information Officer if the action involves IT services or supplies for use by GSA to ensure compliance with the requirements of GSA Order CIO 2135.1, GSA Information Technology (IT) Capital Planning and Investment Control. (Not required for establishing a Federal Supply Schedule program.)
(e) Obtain concurrence of contracting director. For limited acquisition plans, concurrence is required only when the requirement is received in the last month of the fiscal year and award is anticipated before the end of the current fiscal year.
(f) Obtain concurrence of contracting officer.
(g) Coordinate with the Office of General Counsel (for comprehensive acquisition plans).
(3) The planner must review the plan at least annually as well as update the plan for major changes, both before and after contract award, obtaining new coordinations, concurrences, and approval. Examples of major changes are those that affect competition or the ability of small businesses to effectively compete, significant changes to the acquisition strategy, budget, milestones, contract administration, or scope of the contract.
Note 1. May be delegated to the SPO. May be delegated to an appropriate level below the SPO after coordination with the SPE.
Note 2. Unless designated at a higher level by the HCA.
Note 3. When GSA is not the funding agency, the contracting director may approve.
Note 4. When GSA is not the funding agency, the contracting officer may approve.
a. When the requirement for a written acquisition plan is waived, an oral acquisition plan is still required. See paragraph 8d for oral plan requirements.
b. Except for HCA authority under paragraph 9b, only the following may be waived:
Note 1. For acquisitions funded by other agencies this also applies. In either case, the HCA may designate a higher level than the contracting director.
Note 2. Does not apply to acquisitions of IT supplies and services over $20 million, including options.
Note 3. If the acquisition plan calls for an exception to the fair opportunity process required by FAR 16.505(b)(1), only the SPO may waive.
Note 4. Except for acquisitions of IT supplies and services over $20 million, including options.
a. FAR Part 7 prescribes the content of the comprehensive acquisition plan. The plan shall cover each item in FAR section 7.105 (and 7.106 and 7.107 if applicable). Where a particular element is not applicable, state so. See also paragraph 12c.
b. Limited Acquisition Plans. The following is prescribed:
(1) Acquisition background and objectives, including a statement of need, applicable conditions, cost, capability or performance, and delivery or performance-period requirements. (See FAR 7.105(a)(1)–(5).
(2) Plan of action, including sources, competition, source selection procedures, contracting considerations, budgeting and funding, product or service descriptions, environmental and energy conservation objectives, contract administration, acquisition milestones, and individuals preparing the plan. (See FAR 7.105(b)(1)–(6), (16), (18), (20) and (21)).
c. In addition, GSA prescribes the following for both limited and comprehensive acquisition plans:
(1) For performance based contracting methods when using a services contract, as defined at FAR section 37.101. The plan must include:
(a) A discussion of the performance based contracting elements that will be used and whether these will be sufficient to report the award as performance based in the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS).
(b) Identification of the office (and individual(s) if known at the time of acquisition planning) responsible for quality assurance surveillance (e.g., monitoring the contractor’s compliance with the quality assurance plan).
(c) If performance based contracting methods will not be used, discuss the rationale for why such methods are not suitable (not required if GSA is not the funding agency).
(2) The basis for the Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition, if applicable and reference the following:
(a) Justification document.
(b) Synopsis requirements or the exception to synopsis that applies.
(c) Approving official (see FAR section 6.304).
(d) Date of approval.
(3) For orders proposing an exception to fair opportunity procedures required by FAR 16.505(b)(2), state the basis for the exception and reference the contracting officer’s justification required by FAR 16.505(b)(4).
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