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Office of Acquisition & Materiel Management

Policies and Regulations - Information Letter 90-99-1

90-99-1 Contracting Officer Certification

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Department of Veterans Affairs
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Materiel Management
Washington DC 20420



IL 90-99-1
October 14, 1998

Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management Information Letter

TO: Veterans Integrated Service Network Directors; Directors, VA Medical Center Activities, Domiciliary, Outpatient Clinics, Medical and Regional Office Centers, and Regional Offices; Directors, Denver Acquisition and Logistics Center, Austin Automation Center, Records Management Center, VBA Benefits Delivery Centers, and VA Health Administration Center; Director, National Cemetery System; and, the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the National Acquisition Center
ATTN: Head of the Contracting Activity
SUBJECT: Contracting Officer Certification
  1. The Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management will be reissuing all intermediate and senior level Veterans Health Administration (VHA) contracting officer certificates to include language that will allow these individuals to award contracts in support of the specific facility and/or Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) in which the contracting officer is located.   Although the contracting officer may award contracts to support the facility and/or VISN in which he/she is located, we request Heads of the Contracting Activities (HCA) to notify the Acquisition Resources Service (95) when a contracting officer transfers to another facility within the VISN and provide updated qualification information. This is for database tracking purposes.   If a contracting officer transfers to another VISN, a separate request from the HCA for an intermediate and/or senior certificate and qualification statement must be submitted for approval.
  2. The following statement will be included on intermediate and senior level contracting officer certificates:
    "The authority of the contracting officer to award contracts at the (Intermediate or Senior) level is limited specifically to meet the needs of the facility and/or VISN (insert the facility and/or VISN number)."
  3. Contracting officers may negotiate competitive blanket purchase agreements against Federal Supply Schedule contracts to meet their facility or VISN needs and may also consolidate their requirements with other Government agencies (OGAs) within their VISN or allow these OGAs to use their contracts provided the contracts is written to include such requirements.   Contracting officers may also continue to award nursing home contracts as previously done.   If two or more VISNs wish to do a consolidated contract, the HCA must send a request to the Acquisition Resources Service (95) for review and approval, along with the name and credentials of the contracting officer recommended to award the contract.   If approved, the contracting officer will receive a procurement specific warrant to award such an action.
  4. In addition, the Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management will be reissuing all intermediate and senior level Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) contracting officer certificates to include language that will allow these individuals to award contracts in support of the specific VBA Service Delivery Networks (SDN) in which the contracting officer is located.   If the contracting officer transfers to another SDN within VBA, a request from the VBA HCA for an intermediate or senior certificate with the qualification statement must be submitted to the Acquisition Resources Service (95).   Contracting officers may negotiate competitive blanket purchase agreements against Federal Supply Schedule contracts to meet their SDN's needs and may also consolidate their requirements with other Government agencies (OGAs) within their SDN or allow these OGAs to use their contracts provided the contracts are written to include such requirements.   If two or more SDNs wish to do a consolidated contract, the HCA must send a request to the Acquisition Resources Service (95) for review and approval, along with the name and credentials of the contracting officer recommended to award the contract.   If approved, the contracting officer will receive a procurement specific warrant to award such an action.
  5. The following statement will be included on intermediate and senior level contracting officer certificates:
    "The authority of the contracting officer to award contracts at the (Intermediate or Senior) level is limited specifically to meet the needs of SDN (insert the SDN number)."
  6. The Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management will also be reissuing all intermediate and senior level National Cemetery Service (NCS) contracting officer certificates to include language that will allow these individuals to award contracts in support of the specific needs of NCS.   Contracting officers may negotiate competitive blanket purchase agreements against Federal Supply Schedule contracts to meet NCS needs.
  7. The following statement will be included on intermediate and senior level contracting officer certificates:
    "The contracting officer may award contracts at the (Intermediate or Senior) level specifically to meet the needs of the National Cemetery System, Arlington National Cemetery, state cemeteries, and post cemeteries."
  8. All intermediate and senior level contracting officer certifications for contracting officers within the National Acquisition Center, Acquisition Operations and Analysis Service and Denver Acquisition and Logistics Center will contain the following statement:
    "The contracting officer may award contracts, up to and including, national contracts at the (Intermediate or Senior) level to meet the needs of its customers."
  9. For further information contact Mr. Frank Trotta at (202) 273-6041.   Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.



/s/David S. Derr
Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Acquisitions

Distribution: RPC 7029