+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **            | **[Critical     | **[Observations]{.underline}**    |
| [Cornerstone/ | Success         |                                   |
| Element]{     | Factor(s)       |                                   |
| .underline}** | ]{.underline}** |                                   |
+===============+=================+===================================+
| **[O          | A.  Assuring    | Assess whether the current        |
| rganizational |     Appropriate | placement of the acquisition      |
| Alignment and |     Placement   | function meets the organization's |
| Leadership]{  |     of the      | needs, vis-à-vis acquiring needed |
| .underline}** |     Acquisition | goods and services, supporting    |
|               |     Function    | strategic decision making, and    |
| 1.  Aligning  |                 | ultimately contributing to the    |
|               |                 | region's and bureau's overall     |
|   Acquisition |                 | business performance. Consider:   |
|     with      |                 | Is the acquisition function       |
|     Bureau's/ |                 | fragmented? Is it in a position   |
|     Region's  |                 | where it can plan and provide     |
|     Missions  |                 | strategic support to the          |
|     and Needs |                 | bureau/region? Is it seen (and    |
|               |                 | used) as an administrative        |
|               |                 | support function rather than a    |
|               |                 | business partner in supporting    |
|               |                 | mission needs?                    |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
|               | B.  Organizing  | How a region organizes and        |
|               |     the         | manages its acquisition function  |
|               |     Acquisition | affects its ability to operate    |
|               |     Function to | strategically. Fragmented         |
|               |     Operate     | business units tend to reduce the |
|               |                 | quality and consistency of        |
|               |   Strategically | overall bureau or corporate       |
|               |                 | support. Consider: Does the       |
|               |                 | region make appropriate use of    |
|               |                 | technology and to reduce          |
|               |                 | fragmentation? Is the number of   |
|               |                 | contracting officer's             |
|               |                 | appointments in the region        |
|               |                 | appropriate? Does support to      |
|               |                 | field units overly extend the     |
|               |                 | regional office staff's workload? |
|               |                 |                                   |
|               |                 | Could goods and services be       |
|               |                 | acquired more efficiently through |
|               |                 | a more strategic or corporate     |
|               |                 | approach? Are acquisition-related |
|               |                 | performance plans and metrics     |
|               |                 | established, understood, and      |
|               |                 | realized in a consistent manner   |
|               |                 | within the region? Have there     |
|               |                 | been recent changes within the    |
|               |                 | bureau affecting the region's     |
|               |                 | acquisition function, e.g., new   |
|               |                 | requirements, budget, workforce,  |
|               |                 | technology? Does the acquisition  |
|               |                 | staff see itself as an active     |
|               |                 | contributor to regional and       |
|               |                 | bureau mission support?           |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
|               | C.  Clearly     | Agency management at each level   |
|               |     Defining    | of the organization is            |
|               |     and         | responsible for development of an |
|               |     Integrating | environment that encourages the   |
|               |     Roles and   | establishment of interaction and  |
|               |     R           | effective communication among     |
|               | esponsibilities | disciplines. Consider: Are there  |
|               |                 | organizational "stovepipes"       |
|               |                 | within the region and/or within   |
|               |                 | its acquisition function that     |
|               |                 | inhibit effective coordination    |
|               |                 | with customers/ stakeholders?     |
|               |                 | Does the acquisition function     |
|               |                 | clearly understand and articulate |
|               |                 | its role and potential in         |
|               |                 | supporting mission critical       |
|               |                 | functions to management, program  |
|               |                 | offices, and peers in finance,    |
|               |                 | human capital, IT, and other      |
|               |                 | disciplines? Are the acquisition  |
|               |                 | function's roles and              |
|               |                 | responsibilities clear and        |
|               |                 | understood by its                 |
|               |                 | customers/stakeholders, e.g.,     |
|               |                 | contracting officer's role in     |
|               |                 | selecting the proper contractual  |
|               |                 | instrument and procurement        |
|               |                 | approach? How active is the       |
|               |                 | acquisition function in advance   |
|               |                 | planning of regional              |
|               |                 | requirements?                     |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **[O          | A.  Clear,      | Assess the acquisition function's |
| rganizational |     Strong, and | direct support from, and access   |
| Alignment and |     Ethical     | to regional leadership in         |
| Leadership]{  |     Executive   | mitigating risk and promoting     |
| .underline}** |     Leadership  | acquisition's role as a strategic |
|               |                 | business resource in              |
| 2             |                 | accomplishing mission             |
| .  Commitment |                 | requirements. Consider: Is the    |
|     from      |                 | acquisition function's expertise  |
|               |                 | fragmented through assignments    |
|    Leadership |                 | and responsibilities in a variety |
|               |                 | of non-related areas? Does        |
|               |                 | regional management set a tone    |
|               |                 | that recognizes the unique        |
|               |                 | contributions that the            |
|               |                 | acquisition function can make to  |
|               |                 | regional decision making? Are     |
|               |                 | assignments and duties properly   |
|               |                 | separated? (The collateral duty   |
|               |                 | environment may lend itself to a  |
|               |                 | higher degree of risk because     |
|               |                 | clear lines of                    |
|               |                 | responsibility/separation of      |
|               |                 | functions are obscured.) Does     |
|               |                 | regional management support       |
|               |                 | bureau-wide acquisition           |
|               |                 | initiatives? Does regional        |
|               |                 | management have a positive and    |
|               |                 | supportive attitude towards       |
|               |                 | internal controls to identify and |
|               |                 | mitigate risk? Are field level    |
|               |                 | acquisition activities reviewed   |
|               |                 | in accordance with Departmental   |
|               |                 | policy? Are corrective action     |
|               |                 | plans for field-level activities  |
|               |                 | developed, implemented, and       |
|               |                 | monitored?                        |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
|               | B.  Effective   | Management needs to effectively   |
|               |                 | communicate to employees the      |
|               |  Communications | bureau's/region's missions,       |
|               |     and         | values and expectations for the   |
|               |     Continuous  | acquisition function. Consider:   |
|               |     Improvement | Are meaningful metrics used to    |
|               |                 | measure the effectiveness of the  |
|               |                 | regional acquisition function     |
|               |                 | (including field level            |
|               |                 | activities) and to provide the    |
|               |                 | foundation for continuous         |
|               |                 | improvement? Does management      |
|               |                 | communicate its expectations for  |
|               |                 | the acquisition function? Does    |
|               |                 | regional leadership facilitate    |
|               |                 | and support clear lines of        |
|               |                 | communication among all parties?  |
|               |                 | Have regional personnel been      |
|               |                 | asked for their views on the      |
|               |                 | effectiveness of this             |
|               |                 | communication? Have stakeholders  |
|               |                 | been asked for their views on the |
|               |                 | effectiveness of the existing     |
|               |                 | acquisition process and areas     |
|               |                 | needing improvement? Are control  |
|               |                 | activities (i.e., the policies,   |
|               |                 | procedures and mechanisms in      |
|               |                 | place to address or mitigate risk |
|               |                 | and help ensure internal control  |
|               |                 | objectives are met ) an integral  |
|               |                 | part of the bureau's/region's     |
|               |                 | planning, implementation, review, |
|               |                 | and accountability activities to  |
|               |                 | ensure results and proper         |
|               |                 | stewardship of government         |
|               |                 | resources? Does the bureau and/or |
|               |                 | region continuously monitor       |
|               |                 | control activities for their      |
|               |                 | effectiveness at ensuring         |
|               |                 | acquisition objectives are met?   |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **[Policies   | A.  Partnering  | Federal Acquisition Regulation    |
| and           |     with        | (FAR) Subpart 7.102 requires      |
| Processes]{   |     Internal    | agencies to perform acquisition   |
| .underline}** |                 | planning and conduct market       |
|               |   Organizations | research for all acquisitions in  |
| 3.  Planning  |                 | order to promote and provide for: |
|               |                 | (1) acquisition of commercial     |
| Strategically |                 | items to the extent suitable; and |
|               |                 | (2) full and open competition to  |
|               |                 | the maximum extent practicable.   |
|               |                 | Section 7.102(b) states that:     |
|               |                 | This planning shall integrate the |
|               |                 | efforts of all personnel          |
|               |                 | responsible for significant       |
|               |                 | aspects of the acquisition. The   |
|               |                 | purpose of this planning is to    |
|               |                 | ensure that the Government meets  |
|               |                 | its needs in the most effective,  |
|               |                 | economical, and timely manner. In |
|               |                 | this section you assess the       |
|               |                 | strength of the acquisition       |
|               |                 | function's engagement with        |
|               |                 | stakeholders from various         |
|               |                 | disciplines, e.g., finance,       |
|               |                 | legal, program offices, and other |
|               |                 | appropriate participants in       |
|               |                 | identifying needs and planning    |
|               |                 | acquisitions in a timely manner   |
|               |                 | that allows for appropriate       |
|               |                 | competition and the acquisition   |
|               |                 | of commercial solutions. Are      |
|               |                 | roles and responsibilities        |
|               |                 | defined clearly? Does the         |
|               |                 | acquisition community provide     |
|               |                 | well informed business guidance   |
|               |                 | to project managers? Is           |
|               |                 | acquisition concentrating on      |
|               |                 | individual and possibly redundant |
|               |                 | transactions rather than taking a |
|               |                 | strategic approach to identifying |
|               |                 | repetitive requirements and       |
|               |                 | leveraging buying power?          |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
|               | B.  Assessing   | Successful acquisition strategies |
|               |     Internal    | require sufficient attention to   |
|               |                 | analyzing                         |
|               |    Requirements | agency/bureauwide/regional needs. |
|               |     and the     | Past acquisitions should be       |
|               |     Impact of   | reviewed to identify trends and   |
|               |     External    | opportunities for consolidating   |
|               |     Events      | similar acquisitions planned in   |
|               |                 | the coming year to leverage       |
|               |                 | buying power and reduce           |
|               |                 | administrative burdens.           |
|               |                 | Acquisition planning should take  |
|               |                 | into consideration the effects of |
|               |                 | the appropriations process on the |
|               |                 | timing and execution of major     |
|               |                 | contracts. Additionally,          |
|               |                 | contracting personnel must be     |
|               |                 | aware of agency/bureau strategic  |
|               |                 | plans, congressional mandates,    |
|               |                 | socioeconomic policy objectives,  |
|               |                 | and other factors. Acquisition    |
|               |                 | processes should also be          |
|               |                 | sufficiently flexible to address  |
|               |                 | unforeseen external events and    |
|               |                 | emergencies, e.g., fires,         |
|               |                 | hurricanes, etc. In this section, |
|               |                 | you assess the acquisition        |
|               |                 | function's success in monitoring  |
|               |                 | and effectively using transaction |
|               |                 | data, strategic planning, and     |
|               |                 | awareness of external factors and |
|               |                 | requirements and the ability to   |
|               |                 | work with them.                   |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **[Policies   | A.  Empowering  | Assess the function's use of      |
| and           |     C           | cross-functional teams with the   |
| Processes]{   | ross-Functional | right mix of knowledge, technical |
| .underline}** |     Teams       | expertise, and credibility to     |
|               |                 | help better define their needs    |
| 4.            |                 | and identify, select, and manage  |
|   Effectively |                 | providers of goods and services,  |
|     Managing  |                 | which in turn helps ensure that   |
|     the       |                 | users' needs are met at the       |
|               |                 | lowest cost to the organization.  |
|   Acquisition |                 | Teams generally include           |
|     Process   |                 | representatives from acquisition, |
|               |                 | internal users of goods and       |
|               |                 | services, and the budget or       |
|               |                 | finance office. They are          |
|               |                 | responsible for analyzing spend   |
|               |                 | data, identifying and             |
|               |                 | prioritizing potential            |
|               |                 | opportunities for more detailed   |
|               |                 | review, defining internal needs   |
|               |                 | and requirements, and conducting  |
|               |                 | market research. This process is  |
|               |                 | vital to the capital planning and |
|               |                 | performance-based acquisition     |
|               |                 | processes.                        |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
|               | B.  Managing    | One of the 24 initiatives under   |
|               |     and         | the President's Management        |
|               |     Engaging    | Agenda's E-Gov program, the       |
|               |     Suppliers   |                                   |
|               |                 | Integrated Acquisition            |
|               |                 | Environment provides Government   |
|               |                 | contracting personnel with ample  |
|               |                 |                                   |
|               |                 | opportunity to conduct on-line    |
|               |                 | market research and monitor       |
|               |                 | suppliers through tools including |
|               |                 | the                               |
|               |                 |                                   |
|               |                 | Central Contractor Registration   |
|               |                 | (CCR); the Past Performance       |
|               |                 | Information Retrieval System      |
|               |                 |                                   |
|               |                 | (PPIRS); the Excluded Parties     |
|               |                 |                                   |
|               |                 | Lists System (EPLS); FedBizOpps;  |
|               |                 | and the On-line Representations   |
|               |                 | and Certifications Application    |
|               |                 | (ORCA). In this section you       |
|               |                 | assess the acquisition function's |
|               |                 | awareness and use of these tools  |
|               |                 | to identify suppliers and manage  |
|               |                 | supplier relationships thereby    |
|               |                 | encouraging competition, enhanced |
|               |                 | price analysis, contractor        |
|               |                 | quality and performance. In       |
|               |                 | addition, consideration must be   |
|               |                 | given to past performance         |
|               |                 | evaluation and reporting          |
|               |                 | processes, and processes in place |
|               |                 | for soliciting and evaluating     |
|               |                 | contractor feedback.              |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
|               | C.  Monitoring  | Assess the quality of acquisition |
|               |     and         | function's oversight processes.   |
|               |     Providing   | Consider: What tools, processes,  |
|               |     Oversight   | and controls does the function    |
|               |     to Achieve  | use to ensure effective oversight |
|               |     Desired     | of contractor performance and of  |
|               |     Outcomes    | employees making purchases? Are   |
|               |                 | the roles and responsibilities of |
|               |                 | those who perform contract        |
|               |                 | management and oversight clearly  |
|               |                 | defined?                          |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
|               | D.  Enabling    | Throughout the acquisition        |
|               |     Financial   | process, financial information    |
|               |                 | should be tracked and             |
|               |  Accountability | communicated in a way that        |
|               |                 | enables effective evaluation and  |
|               |                 | assessment of acquisition         |
|               |                 | activities. When financial data   |
|               |                 | are not useful, relevant, timely, |
|               |                 | or reliable, the acquisition      |
|               |                 | function - as well as other       |
|               |                 | functions across an               |
|               |                 | organization - are at risk of     |
|               |                 | inefficient or wasteful business  |
|               |                 | practices. IDEAS, FPDS-NG, and    |
|               |                 | the CCR were designed to and,     |
|               |                 | when properly used, can provide   |
|               |                 | acquisition staffs with access to |
|               |                 | critical financial and vendor     |
|               |                 | information. IDEAS has a          |
|               |                 | financial interface that          |
|               |                 | eliminates the need for           |
|               |                 | independent entry of the same     |
|               |                 | data by acquisition and financial |
|               |                 | staffs. In this section you       |
|               |                 | assess the acquisition function's |
|               |                 | access to, and most importantly,  |
|               |                 | use of financial information.     |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **[Policies   | A.  Using Sound | Assess the bureau's capital       |
| and           |     Capital     | planning processes and the        |
| Processes]{   |     Investment  | bureau's/regional acquisition     |
| .underline}** |     Strategies  | function's role in it.            |
|               |                 |                                   |
| 5.  Promoting |                 |                                   |
|               |                 |                                   |
|    Successful |                 |                                   |
|     Outcomes  |                 |                                   |
|     of Major  |                 |                                   |
|     Projects  |                 |                                   |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **[Human      | A.  Commitment  | Assess bureau/regional            |
| Capital]{     |     to Human    | management's commitment to        |
| .underline}** |     Capital     | valuing and investing in its      |
|               |     Management  | acquisition workforce. Consider:  |
| 6.  Valuing   |                 | Are Governmentwide acquisition    |
|     and       |                 | workforce training and education  |
|     Investing |                 | standards upheld within the       |
|     in the    |                 | bureau/region? Do                 |
|               |                 | acquisition-related performance   |
|   Acquisition |                 | standards and expectations        |
|     Workforce |                 | cascade throughout the            |
|               |                 | contracting activity? Are senior  |
|               |                 | bureau/regional leaders and       |
|               |                 | managers held accountable for     |
|               |                 | effectively managing the          |
|               |                 | acquisition workforce?            |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **[Human      | A.  Integration | Assess bureau/regional office     |
| Capital]{     |     and         | success in developing strategic   |
| .underline}** |     Alignment   | human capital plans that          |
|               |                 | incorporate the needs of the      |
| 7.  Strategic |                 | acquisition function. Consider,   |
|     Human     |                 | at the field and regional levels  |
|     Capital   |                 | do managers recruit, hire, and    |
|     Planning  |                 | manage their contracting support  |
|               |                 | in a unit-centric human capital   |
|               |                 | approach that does not allow for  |
|               |                 | consideration of how well the     |
|               |                 | unit's contracting function       |
|               |                 | supports Govermentwide            |
|               |                 | qualification requirements or     |
|               |                 | agency-/bureauwide goals or       |
|               |                 | strategies? Or does the region    |
|               |                 | develop or follow a corporate     |
|               |                 | approach to recruiting, hiring,   |
|               |                 | and managing its contracting      |
|               |                 | support?                          |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
|               | B.  Data-Driven | Assess the adequacy of data and   |
|               |     Human       | the effectiveness with which it   |
|               |     Capital     | is used in making human capital   |
|               |     Decisions   | decisions related to the          |
|               |                 | acquisition workforce. Consider:  |
|               |                 | Who is included in the            |
|               |                 | acquisition workforce? How does   |
|               |                 | the bureau/region track data on   |
|               |                 | its acquisition workforce? How    |
|               |                 | does the bureau/region determine  |
|               |                 | the appropriate size of its       |
|               |                 | acquisition workforce: What       |
|               |                 | training and professional         |
|               |                 | certifications have current       |
|               |                 | acquisition employees attained?   |
|               |                 | How does the bureau/region track  |
|               |                 | the acquisition staff's workload? |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **[Human      | A.  Targeted    | Assess the adequacy of the        |
| Capital]{     |     Investments | bureau's/region's investment in   |
| .underline}** |     in People   | and enhancing the value of their  |
|               |                 | acquisition staff. Investing in   |
| 8             |                 | training for the acquisition      |
| .  Acquiring, |                 | workforce is critical to ensuring |
|               |                 | adequate oversight of the         |
|   Developing, |                 | quality, cost, and timeliness of  |
|     and       |                 | goods and services delivered by   |
|     Retaining |                 | third parties. Consider: Does the |
|     Talent    |                 | bureau/region have a method for   |
|               |                 | determining the appropriate level |
|               |                 | of spending on training,          |
|               |                 | recruiting, and retention         |
|               |                 | efforts? Are individual training  |
|               |                 | plans established for all         |
|               |                 | employees? Is continuous learning |
|               |                 | emphasized? Do managers           |
|               |                 | consistently provide resources to |
|               |                 | support training and development  |
|               |                 | priorities for the acquisition    |
|               |                 | staff? Does the acquisition       |
|               |                 | function have a succession plan?  |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **[Human      | A.  Empowerment | Assess bureau/regional            |
| Capital]{     |     and         | management's success in getting   |
| .underline}** |                 | acquisition employees at all      |
|               |   Inclusiveness | levels of the organization        |
| 9.  Creating  |                 | involved in the planning process  |
|     Res       |                 | to develop mission goals and      |
| ults-Oriented |                 | objectives from a front-line      |
|     O         |                 | perspective. Consider: Does       |
| rganizational |                 | management seek ideas from the    |
|     Cultures  |                 | acquisition workforce? Do         |
|               |                 | employees feel a sense of         |
|               |                 | ownership about policies and      |
|               |                 | procedures? Do managers involve   |
|               |                 | employees when planning and       |
|               |                 | sharing acquisition performance   |
|               |                 | information? Has the              |
|               |                 | bureau/region established a       |
|               |                 | communication strategy to create  |
|               |                 | shared expectations about the     |
|               |                 | acquisition function and to       |
|               |                 | report progress?                  |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
|               | B.  Unit and    | Assess whether acquisition        |
|               |     Individual  | employee performance plan metrics |
|               |     Performance | are clear and consistent, and     |
|               |     Linked to   | provide a "line of sight" between |
|               |                 | individual activities,            |
|               |  Organizational | organizational requirements,      |
|               |     Goals       | e.g., A-123 compliance,           |
|               |                 | Government/agency/bureau          |
|               |                 | management initiatives, and       |
|               |                 | organizational results. For       |
|               |                 | example, do senior management     |
|               |                 | performance requirements cascade  |
|               |                 | to employee performance plans in  |
|               |                 | a clear and consistent manner?    |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **[Knowledge  | A.  Tracking    | There is a wealth of acquisition  |
| and           |     Acquisition | data available to contracting     |
| Information   |     Data;       | personnel from a variety of       |
| Management]{  |     Translating | sources                           |
| .underline}** |     Financial   |                                   |
|               |     Data into   | (e.g., FPDS-NG, IDEAS, FFS,       |
| 10            |     Meaningful  | etc.). Some of the data provided  |
| . Identifying |     Formats;    | from these sources identify what  |
|     Data and  |     and         | the bureau/region buys, how much  |
|               |     Analyzing   | it buys, and the procurement      |
|    Technology |     Goods and   | methods used. The data can be     |
|     that      |     Services    |                                   |
|     Support   |     Spending    | used for the following:           |
|               |                 |                                   |
|   Acquisition |                 | • Elimination of redundancies     |
|               |                 |                                   |
|    Management |                 | • Identification of strategic     |
|     Decisions |                 | sourcing opportunities            |
|               |                 |                                   |
|               |                 | • Internal control monitoring     |
|               |                 | purposes                          |
|               |                 |                                   |
|               |                 | • Highlighting areas where        |
|               |                 | additional/supplementary training |
|               |                 | is necessary                      |
|               |                 |                                   |
|               |                 | • Workload management (office to  |
|               |                 | agencywide)                       |
|               |                 |                                   |
|               |                 | Assess how accurately transaction |
|               |                 | data are reported and the         |
|               |                 | effectiveness with which they are |
|               |                 | used.                             |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+
| **[Knowledge  | A.  Ensuring    | Assess the bureau's/region's      |
| and           |     Effective   | administration and monitoring of  |
| Information   |     General and | its acquisition related data      |
| Management]{  |     Application | systems, as required by OMB       |
| .underline}** |     Controls,   | Circular A-123. Consider: Is      |
|               |     and Data    | acquisition system support        |
| 11.           |     Stewardship | provided as a collateral duty?    |
|  Safeguarding |                 | Are systems and data routinely    |
|     the       |                 | monitored for quality and         |
|     Integrity |                 | reliability? Are corrective       |
|     of        |                 | actions taken in a timely manner  |
|               |                 | when areas of weakness are        |
|    Operations |                 | identified? Are system access     |
|     and Data  |                 | rights closely monitored? Are     |
|               |                 | redundant data and/or systems     |
|               |                 | used?                             |
+---------------+-----------------+-----------------------------------+