GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ACQUISITION MANUAL (GSAM)
FAR 11.002(b) and GSA Order ADM 8000.1C, GSA Metric Program, establish policy for using the metric system in procurements.
For actions that pertain to information systems or contractor managed government data, use the guidance identified under GSA’s office of the Senior Agency Information Security Officer publication CIO IT Security Procedural Guide 09–48. The guide can be accessed at http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/25690. The contracting officer shall coordinate with program officials or requiring activities to ensure that the solicitation includes the appropriate information security requirements. The information security requirements must be sufficiently detailed to enable contractors to fully understand the information security regulations, mandates, and requirements under the contract or task order.
(a) A brand name or equal purchase description must avoid specifying characteristics that do not materially affect the intended end use and which unnecessarily restrict competition.
(b) When the contracting officer uses a brand name or equal purchase description, best practice is to cite the known acceptable brand name products in current manufacture, rather than only a single brand name product. For example, cite the acceptable brand name products identified during market research.
(c) The contracting officer may require samples for “or equal” offers, but not for “brand name” offers.
(d) The contracting officer shall provide for full consideration and evaluation of “or equal” offers against the salient characteristics specified in the purchase description and shall not reject offers for minor differences in design, construction, or features that do not affect the suitability of the product for its intended use.
Subpart 511.2—Using and Maintaining Requirements Documents511.204 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.(a) Federal specifications. The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 552.211-72, Reference to Specifications in Drawings, in solicitations and contracts citing Federal or agency specifications that contain drawings.
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(b) Supply contracts that exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. (1) The contracting officer shall include the clause at 552.211-73, Marking, in solicitations and contracts for supplies when deliveries may be made to both civilian and military activities and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. (2) The contracting officer shall include the clause at 552.211-75, Preservation, Packaging, and Packing, in solicitations and contracts for supplies expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. The contracting officer may also include the clause in contracts estimated to be at or below the simplified acquisition threshold when appropriate. The contracting officer shall use Alternate I in solicitations and contracts for— (i) Federal Supply Schedule 70 and the Consolidated Products and Services Schedule containing information technology Special Item Numbers; or (ii) Federal Supply Schedules for recovery purchasing (see 538.7102). (3) The contracting officer shall insert a clause substantially the same as the clause at 552.211-76, Charges for Packaging, Packing, and Marking, in solicitations and contracts for supplies to be delivered to GSA distribution centers. (4) The contracting officer shall include the clause 552.211-85, Consistent Pack and Package Requirements, in solicitations and contracts for supplies when deliveries may be made to both civilian and military activities and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. (5) The contracting officer shall include the clause 552.211-86, Maximum Weight Per Shipping Container, in solicitations and contracts for supplies when deliveries may be made to both civilian and military activities and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. (6) The contracting officer shall include the clause 552.211-87, Export Packing, in solicitations and contracts for |
supplies when deliveries may be made to both civilian and military activities and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.
(7) The contracting officer shall include the clause 552.211-88, Vehicle Export Preparation, in solicitations and contracts for supplies when deliveries may be made to both civilian and military activities and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. |
(8) The contracting officer shall include the clause at 552.211-89, Non-Manufactured Wood Packaging Material for Export, in solicitations and contracts for supplies when deliveries may be made to both civilian and military activities overseas and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. (9) The contracting officer shall include the clause 552.211-90, Small Parts, in solicitations and contracts for supplies when deliveries may be made to both civilian and military activities and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. (10) The contracting officer shall include the clause 552.211-91, Vehicle Decals, Stickers, and Data Plates, in solicitations and contracts for supplies when deliveries may be made to both civilian and military activities and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. |
(11) The contracting officer shall include the clause 552.211-92, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) using Passive Tags, in solicitations and contracts for supplies when deliveries may be made to military activities and the contract amount is expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. (12) The contracting officer shall include the clause 552.211-93, Unique Item Identification (UID), in solicitations and contracts for supplies when deliveries may be made to military activities and a single item exceeds $5,000.00 in cost. (c) Supply contracts. The contracting officer shall include the clause at 552.211-77, Packing List, in solicitations and contracts for supplies, including purchases over the micropurchase threshold. Use Alternate I in solicitations and contracts for— (1) FSS Schedule 70 and the Consolidated Products and Services Schedule containing information technology Special Item Numbers; or (2) Federal Supply Schedules for recovery purchasing (see 538.7102). |
(a) Other than multiple award schedules. Preferred practice is to state time of delivery in solicitations and contracts as “required” time of delivery or shipment, expressed in specific periods from receipt by the contractor of a notice of award or an order.
(b) Multiple award schedules.
(1) In multiple award schedule solicitations, preferred practice is to state delivery times as “desired.” Require offerors to indicate a definite number of days for delivery.
(2) In negotiations, the contracting officer should secure the best possible delivery time regardless of the “desired” delivery time(s) in the solicitation. For example, some offers comply with the Government’s desired delivery time, but others cite substantially shorter delivery times. In such cases, the contracting officer should negotiate with the former offerors to bring their offers in line with the latter. Contracting officers should negotiate variable delivery time offers (e.g., 30-90 days) to keep the timespan to a minimum. If the span applies to several items or several quantity breaks for one item, the contracting officer may segregate the items or item quantity breaks into smaller groups and assign more specific delivery times.
(c) Unusually short delivery times. A requisitioning office that requests an unusually short delivery time must provide satisfactory written justification. A sound justification is particularly important where the time specified is so short that it may limit competition and possibly result in higher prices. Examples of justifications include:
(1) Furniture is required to outfit quarters scheduled for occupancy on a specific date.
(2) Construction material is required to meet job progress schedules.
(3) Supplies are required at a port to meet scheduled ship departures.
(d) Early delivery. When the requisitioning office needs a portion of the total delivery early, the contracting officer should consider whether to—
(1) Require that portion by the early date and the balance later;
(2) Include the portion required early and the balance as separate items in the same solicitation; or
(3) Procure the two portions separately.
(e) Multiple delivery time requirements. If a solicitation contains a mix of items that require different delivery times, the contracting officer must specify the delivery periods separately. When practical, the contracting officer can group items with similar delivery time requirements according to delivery times in the solicitation.
511.404 Contract clauses.In supply contracts, the contracting officer shall use the clauses as specified in this section. (a) Shelf-life items. The contracting officer shall use the following clauses in solicitations and contracts that require delivery of shelf-life items within a specified number of months from the date of manufacture or production: (1) The contracting officer shall insert 552.211-79, Acceptable Age of Supplies, if the required shelf-life period is 12 months or less, and lengthy acceptance testing may be involved. For items having a limited shelf-life, substitute Alternate I when required by the director of the portfolio concerned. (2) The contracting officer shall insert 552.211-80, Age on Delivery, if the required shelf-life period is more than 12 months, or when source inspection can be performed within a short time period. (b) Stock replenishment contracts. The contracting officer shall insert 552.211-81, Time of Shipment, in solicitations and stock replenishment contracts that do not include the Availability for Inspection, Testing, and Shipment/Delivery clause at 552.211-83 and require shipment within 45 calendar days after receipt of the order. If shipment is required in more than 45 days, the contracting officer shall use Alternate I. (c) Indeterminate testing time. The contracting officer shall insert 552.211-83, Availability for Inspection, Testing, and Shipment/Delivery, in solicitations and contracts that provide for source inspection by Government personnel and that require lengthy testing for which time frames cannot be determined in advance. If the contract is for stock items, the contracting officer shall use Alternate I. (d) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 552.211-94, Time of Delivery, in solicitations and contracts for supplies for the Stock Program when neither of the FAR delivery clauses (FAR 52.211-8 or 52.211-9) is suitable. |