AMP Meeting

Minutes

April 12-13, 2006

Attendees:

Nancy Adrian/BLM

Peter Markey/BIA

Melodee Stith/PAM

Wallace Adcox/MMS

Tom McConnell/NPS

Darren Hildebrand/GovWorks, NBC

Jackie Harris/OSM

Debra Glass/NBC

Scott Morton/USGS

Bob Ashworth/FWS

Karla Smiley/BOR

Frank Gisondi/OSDBU

Guests/Presenters:

Dee Emmerich/PAM

Pat Corrigan/PAM

Kate Oliver/PAM

Gayle Fischetti/PAM

Acquisition Workforce Working Group Members

Jennie Caissie/GovWorks, NBC

1.  Review of Agenda, Previous Meeting Minutes and Open Action Items:

    A.  OSDBU was added to the agenda

    B.  Brief discussion with workforce planning group on space leasing,
        Service First, COR manual.

    C.  March Conference Call Follow-up: Discussion on PBSA,
        certification information pulled from FPDS-NG and Scott
        addressed the PBSA Group of which he is the DOI representative.

    D.  Reminder: USGS is hosting the AMP website. It can be found at

[http://www.usgs.gov/contracts/AMP/AMP_index.html]{.underline}

2.  Review of Action Plan:

    A.  Human Capital: Workforce data collection will be addressed
        during this meeting.

    B.  Communication: Letter to senior leadership of Bureaus is being
        drafted, as well as the joint letter from PAM/HR discussing the
        OPM qualifications and new DOI acquisition training courses.
        There will need to be Union coordination on the 1102 and COR
        manual changes.

    C.  Warrant Manual: Working Group will discuss topics requiring
        clarification during this meeting.

    D.  COR Manual: Draft COR Manual will be addressed during this
        meeting.

    E.  AMP Charter: Still needs to be signed y BIA and GovWorks. Once
        all signatures on the document, it will be placed on the web and
        copies provided to the members.

3.  Status of DOI Initiatives:

    A.  Strategic Sourcing:

        i.  Council has been set up as a subgroup of MIT -- Members
            include, Tom Weimer/Chair, Nina Hatfield, the CIO, the CFO,
            Debra Sonderman and three MIT members.

        ii. Current Status:

-   Wireless -- evaluating proposals

-   Office Supplies -- Not yet out for bid

-   Relocation -- FWS will be handling the procurement

    i.  On the Horizon:

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-   Copiers/printing

-   Domestic delivery (FedEx etc)

    -   USGS to pursue enterprise contract on Crystal Reporting -- Can
        be DOI-wide -- Scott will forward information to AMP

    -   Melodee asked that if any Bureau has a DOI-wide contract, to let
        her know.

    A.  JWOD Awards: PAM sent out request for nominations for JWOD --
        still accepting nominations.

    B.  FAR Threshold Adjustments: Dee Emerich provided handout of
        matrix of FAR threshold adjustments -- has been approved by
        civilian side, expect final approval in about two months -- Dee
        will send electronic copy to AMP members. Currently working on
        FAR Part 18, which will include a consolidation of emergency
        contracting.

    C.  DOI Business Management Conference:

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-   Monday, May 22, noon through Thursday May 25, 11:30 am, Hunt Valley,
    Maryland -- just north of Baltimore

-   Agenda is on website: <http://www.usgs.gov/conferences/>

-   Workshops to include: acquisition, property, budget, FBMS

-   Registration fee: Full conference - \$300 or \$150 per day

-   AMP voted to not hold a separate AMP Meeting at conference

-   If bureaus want to hold a meeting on Thursday afternoon, contact Pat
    Dunham at USGS 703-648-5751 to make arrangements for a room, rather
    than the hotel.

4.  A123 -- Reporting& Monitoring (Pat Corrigan): Pat recommends that
    she make presentation at future AMP meetings to highlight various
    parts. She provided two handouts:

    -   OMB Circular A-123, Management Responsibility for Internal
        Control

    -   Framework for Assessing the Acquisition Function

        Discussion Points:

        -   Emphasized using Framework for reviews, rather than just
            looking at files

        -   Discussed specific incident of unpaid subs and no Miller Act
            bonds

        -   Congress question: how does a field unit get such a big
            warrant? Risk is increased in field because:

            Independence

            Fiduciary responsibility

            Reports to non-acquisition type

            Little/no Solicitor review

-   DOI policy change/clarification -- will be in COWS manual

-   Large at-risk warrants must be reviewed annually

-   If reviews cannot be accomplished -- warrants will be removed/cut

-   Review may be made at any time without notice

-   Recommends that field 1102's report to 1102 in Central Office

-   Factor cost of oversight into cost of warrants -- if oversight
    cannot be accomplished, don't issue warrant

-   DOI will review each bureau within the next 2 years. Review will
    include bureau headquarters and maybe one Regional Office. All
    Regional Offices will be interviewed by telephone. Reviews to begin
    with the bureaus that have headquarters in Denver and will begin
    within the next month or so.

-   When completing the June A-123 reports, AMP members should take
    credit for "Partnership" for the alignment of the workforce through
    the writing of the COR and COWS manuals.

5.  FBMS FOP Proposal: The Feb 2006 draft proposal "Recommendations for
    Strengthening the FBMS Governance Structure" will be discussed at
    the May AMP meeting. Bob will request Chris/FOP Chair be on the
    call.

6.  Workforce Planning (Jackie Harris): Jackie presented a spreadsheet
    for tracking of Bureau data. Final format was agreed upon to which
    would capture pertinent information on the Acquisition Workforce.
    Karla will send the spreadsheet electronically to AMP members. AMP
    agreed to populate the template and return to Jackie Harris by May
    15th.

7.  National Fire Plan POC's: At the request of John Sherman, BLM, it
    was agreed that each bureau that had fire responsibilities would
    provide an update of the contracting points of contact directly to
    John by April 28, so he can update the fire website. Karla will
    forward John's request to the AMP members.

8.  OSDBU (Frank Gisondi and Bob Faithful)

-   Encourage Bureau and field buds to attend BUDS training at GovWorks
    in Herndon, Virginia, on June 12 through 14. Frank will send flyer
    to Karla who will send to AMP

-   Asks bureaus to assist with the OSDBU in Upper Marlboro, Maryland on
    April 20

-   SBA has a new scorecard program that they will introduce this year
    -- colors based on percentage of goals achieved -- still working out
    the details.

-   The issuance of task orders to certain Alaska/Native American firms
    is suspended while a review takes place. It is unclear as to the
    extent of the suspensions.

-   Encourages bureaus management to interact CEO-to-CEO with local
    Chambers of Commerce

-   Bureaus who have vacant bureau BUDS positions, must fill those
    positions quickly

-   Please speak/attend/support the small business fairs

9\. IACMC Update (Gail Fischetti)

-   DOI got 400 of the available 1600 slots for the free training.

-   Increases may happen with some classes. FAI has had many hurdles and
    DAU is supposed to be taking over.

-   Reminder that Bureau Training Coordinator (TC) is to be the only one
    contacting Gayle concerning courses.

-   For future classes:

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-   TC will keep registration forms/priorty lists

-   Gayle will ask for names from TC as she is given slots

-   Gayle will return forms to TC for those individuals not selected

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-   In May, Gail will survey training needs and locations for 2007

-   If someone misses 2 hours of a class, they will not gat a
    certificate.

-   Remember that some classes have pre-work

-   More on-line classes being developed, including new COR course.

-   Equivalency matrix should be out within two months.

-   Performance metrics are being developed on how we will track and
    monitor our performance

-   Level I courses (old) will no longer be supported/offered after
    September 2006. Level II ending by 2008. Must complete one stovepipe
    of training -- don't mix.

10\. COR Manual: COR Manual was reviewed and tentatively approved with
some final edits still to be made. Once edits are complete, it will be
routed for approval to PAM, HR, and he Union.

-   It was agreed that to be certified: By April 1, 2007, an individual
    must have completed a single 40 hour course within the previous two
    years. The course must be a comprehensive COR specific course.
    Classroom is preferred, but the new DAU on-line course is
    acceptable.

-   Maintenance training can be classroom or on-line and must be COR or
    acquisition related. Can be earned with CLP (points).

11\. COWS Manual: The working group will meet one more time and then
present a draft at the June AMP meeting.

-   In addition to the warrant level, the warrant certificate will also
    show the amount of the warrant authority with the warrant level as
    the maximum, i.e. you could have a Level II warrant with authority
    up to something less than \$10 million.

-   Grants and Cooperative Agreements will not fall under the warrant
    system. Space leasing is still up in the air - looking for some
    guidance from GSA.

-   Frequently Asked Questions: Each Bureau was asked to send FAQ's to
    the Working Group/Gayle for incorporation into guidance.

12\. Certification Process: NPS proposed hiring of a contractor to
assist with the FAC-C certification process. The AMP agreed with the
concept, but wants an estimate of costs. PS will research costs and
report back to the AMP.

13\. Educational requirements: Will be grandfathered for 1105's, 1102's,
and warranted non- 1105/1102's, under the following circumstances:

-   If in position on January 1/1/2000, and

-   No break in warrant (warrant remained active)

-   

14\. Next AMP meeting: AMP agreed to extend the June meeting to three
days versus two. The meeting will be held June 13, 14 and 15 in Denver,
with Monday and Friday as travel days. At least two days will be spent
on the COWS manual with the goal of completing it.