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Federal Register Notices
OFFICE
OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
OMB Circular
A-127, "Financial Management Systems"
AGENCY: Office
of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President
ACTION: Final
Revision
SUMMARY: The
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is adopting the interim final
revision to OMB Circular A-127, "Financial Management Systems," that
changes the process for acquiring software to meet core financial system
requirements by eliminating the restriction to only acquire the software
and related services from the FMSS Schedule, and to provide for software
testing that is independent of the procurement process. These changes
will result in the revision of Sections 8d and 9b, as well as adding
a new Section 9a(3) and 9c. These changes are shown below.
DATE: Effective
September 12, 1999.
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Holcombe, Federal Financial
Systems Branch, Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of
Management and Budget, (202) 395-3993. The revisions to the Circular
are available on the OMB Home Page at /OMB.
SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION: On July 1, 1999 (64 FR 35701), the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) issued an interim final revision to OMB
Circular A-127, "Financial Management Systems." The interim
final revision made changes to Sections 8d and 9b, as well as adding
a new Section 9a(3) and 9c to Circular A-127, in order to eliminate
the restriction to only acquire the software and related services
from the FMSS Schedule, and to provide for software testing that
is independent of the procurement process. No comments were received
in response to the interim final revision. Accordingly, OMB is adopting
in final form, without change, the interim final revision to Circular
A-127 which was published at 64 FR 35701 on July 1, 1999.
Issued in
Washington, DC, August 9,1999
/S/
Norwood J. Jackson, Jr.
Acting Controller
OMB
revises Circular A-127 as follows.
1.
Section 8d of the current Circular should be deleted in its entirety
and replaced with the following:
8d(1).
Use
of "Off-the-Shelf" Software. Agencies replacing
software to meet core financial system requirements are required
to use the GSA FMSS Multiple Award Schedule until its expiration
on September 30, 1999. As of October 1, 1999 agencies replacing
software to meet core financial system requirements are no longer
required to use the GSA FMSS Multiple Award Schedule; they must
use "off-the-shelf" software that has been tested and
certified through the JFMIP software certification process as meeting
JFMIP Core Financial Management System Requirements. Agencies may
purchase this software using the strategy and procurement vehicle
they believe will best enable them to meet their needs in a timely
and effective manner following the competition requirements associated
with the procurement vehicle being used to conduct the acquisition.
In addition,
agencies will notify JFMIP that a core financial management software
procurement is planned -- preferably prior to, or in the early phases
of, acquisition planning. JFMIP will electronically post a public
message to permit interested certified system vendors to market agencies.
The sole purpose of this message is to facilitate agency market research.
This message is not intended to, and shall not, serve as an invitation
for offerors to submit bids , proposals, or quotes.
OMB policy
pertaining to using "off-the-shelf" software is contained
in OMB Circular A-130 and must be followed when replacing financial
management systems.
8d(2).
Software
Certification Testing. "Off-the-shelf" software
will be tested to ensure that it meets core financial system requirements
as defined in the
Core Financial System Requirements document
published by JFMIP. JFMIP will coordinate the testing process and
issue software certifications. Information on the details of the
certification testing process and its results will be available
to any interested Federal agency for any certified software package.
2.
A new section 9a(3) is being added to the current Circular as follows:
9a.(3).
Notify
JFMIP on Plans to Acquire Core Financial System Software.
Agencies shall notify JFMIP on plans to acquire software supporting
core financial system functions.
3.
Section 9b of the current Circular is revised to read as follows:
2.
9b.
GSA Responsibilities. GSA is responsible for continuing
to support existing contracts under the FMSS Schedule until their
completion. GSA also will make procurement vehicles available to
agencies for acquiring software which has been certified according
to the processes in Section8d(2).
4.
A new Section 9c is being added and will read as follows:
9c.
JFMIP
Responsibilities. JFMIP will establish processes for testing "off-the-shelf" software
supporting core financial system requirements which include:
--
developing and administering the certification test.
--
notifying GSA when a software package successfully completes
the certification test.
--
providing interested parties with information on the core financial
system requirements and their related testing scenarios.
--
providing interested parties with details on the results of
the certification tests for certified software packages.
--
posting a public notice on planned core financial system procurements.