Part 502 - Definitions of Words and Terms

Subpart 502.1 - Definitions

502.101 Definitions.

Parent topic: General Services Administration Acquisition Manual

Subpart 502.1 - Definitions

502.101 Definitions.

“Acquisition Career Manager (ACM)” means the GSA agency official within the Office of Acquisition

Policy that has been appointed by the CAO, or designee, to lead the agency's acquisition career

management programs.

“Acquisition Career Navigator (ACN)” means an individual designated in writing by the Head of the

Contracting Activity to lead the implementation of acquisition career management functions

described in 501.601(b)(5). These officials serve within the limits of their delegated authority per

501.601. Acquisition Career Navigators are identified on the GSA Acquisition Portal at

https://insite.gsa.gov/acquisitionportal.

“Agency Advocate for Competition” means the Director, Office of General Services Acquisition

Policy, Integrity, and Workforce within the Office of Acquisition Policy.

“Agency labor advisor” means the Director of the General Services Acquisition Policy Division within

the Office of Acquisition Policy.

“Assigned counsel” means the attorney in the Office of General Counsel (including offices of

Regional Counsel) assigned to provide legal review or assistance.

Acquisition Subject Matter Expert (A-SME)” means a member of the acquisition workforce

designated in writing by the Head of the Contracting Activity who is knowledgeable in one or more

key acquisition areas, including small business, labor, sustainability, and cybersecurity, as described

in 501.601(b)(7). The A-SME should have expertise demonstrated by years of experience focused on

the subject matter, a credential or other specialized training. A-SMEs are identified on the GSA

Acquisition Portal at https://insite.gsa.gov/acquisitionportal.

“Acquisition Workforce (AWF)” means individuals who perform various acquisition-related functions

to support the accomplishment of an agency's mission. Acquisition, pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 403,

includes, among traditional contracting functions, requirements definition, measurement of contract

performance, and technical and management direction. Membership in the AWF may be on a fulltime, part-time, or occasional basis.

(a) Members of the AWF may include:

(1) Individuals who are substantially involved in defining, determining, and managing acquisition

requirements,
(2) Individuals involved in acquisition planning and strategy,

(3) Individuals who participate in the process of establishing the business relationship to obtain

needed goods and services (e.g., contracting process, those involved in the solicitation, evaluation

and award of acquisitions),

(4) Individuals who manage the process after business arrangements have been established to

ensure that the government's needs are met (e.g., testing and evaluating, managing and monitoring

the manufacturing and production activities, auditing, contract administration, performance

management and evaluation, etc.),

(5) Individuals who arrange disposal of any residual items after work is complete, (e.g., property

management/disposal),

(6) Individuals who support the business processes of the activities listed in this paragraph (e.g.,

subject matter experts and A-SMEs),

(7) Individuals who have the authority to enter into and administer leases on the Government’s

behalf,

(8) Individuals who directly manage those involved in any of the activities listed in this paragraph.

(b) At a minimum, the acquisition workforce of the agency, includes:

(1) All positions in the general schedule contracting series (GS-1102), realty series (GS-1170), and

other series, as identified by the Chief Acquisition Officer, Senior Procurement Executive or Head of

Contracting Activity.

(2) All contracting officers (CO) regardless of general schedule series with authority to obligate

funds above the micropurchase threshold.

(3) All positions in the general schedule purchasing series (GS-1105).

(4) Program and project managers, as identified by the Chief Acquisition Officer (CAO), the Senior

Procurement Executive, or HCA.

(5) All Contracting Officer's Representatives (CORs) or equivalent positions.

(6) Any significant acquisition-related positions identified by the CAO, Senior Procurement

Executive or Head of Contracting Activity, or equivalent, using the guidance provided in this

paragraph.

“Contracting Activity Advocate for Competition” means an individual designated in writing by the

Head of the Contracting Activity to execute the duties and responsibilities as prescribed by FAR

6.502. Advocates for competition are identified on the GSA Acquisition Portal at

https://insite.gsa.gov/acquisitionportal.

“Commercial supplier agreements” means terms and conditions customarily offered to the public by

vendors of supplies or services that meets the definition of “commercial products and commercial

services” set forth in FAR 2.101 and intended to create a binding legal obligation on the end user.

Commercial supplier agreements are particularly common in information technology acquisitions,

including acquisitions of commercial computer software and commercial technical data, but they
may apply to any product or service. The term applies–

(a) Regardless of the format or style of the document. For example, a commercial supplier

agreement may be styled as standard terms of sale or lease, Terms of Service (TOS), End User

License Agreement (EULA), or another similar legal instrument or agreement, and may be presented

as part of a proposal or quotation responding to a solicitation for a contract or order;

(b) Regardless of the media or delivery mechanism used. For example, a commercial supplier

agreement may be presented as one or more paper documents or may appear on a computer or

other electronic device screen during a purchase, software installation, other product delivery,

registration for a service, or another transaction.

“Contracting Director” means an individual designated in writing by the Head of the Contracting

Activity responsible for performing contracting functions as described in 501.601. Contracting

directors are identified on the GSA Acquisition Portal at https://insite.gsa.gov/acquisitionportal.

“Contracting Executive” means a civilian serving in a position in a grade above GS-15 under the

General Schedule (or in a comparable or higher position under another schedule) designated in

writing by an HCA with the authority to perform contracting functions as described in 501.601.

Contracting Executives can be found on the Acquisition Contacts and Offices page on the GSA

Acquisition Portal at https://insite.gsa.gov/acquisitionportal.

“Debarring official” or “suspending official” means the individual designated as GSA’s Suspension &

Debarment Official.

“GSA Information System” means an information system owned or operated by the U.S. General

Services Administration or by a contractor or other organization on behalf of the U.S. General

Services Administration including:

(1) “Cloud Information System” means information systems developed using cloud computing. Cloud

computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared

pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications) that can be

rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.

Cloud information systems include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS),

or Software as a Service (SaaS). Cloud information systems may connect to the GSA network.

(2) “External Information System” means information systems that reside in contractor facilities and

typically do not connect to the GSA network. External information systems may be government

owned and contractor operated or contractor owned and operated on behalf of GSA or the Federal

Government (when GSA is the managing agency).

(3) “Internal Information System” means information systems that reside on premise in GSA

facilities and may connect to the GSA network. Internal systems are operated on behalf of GSA or

the Federal Government (when GSA is the managing agency).

(4) “Low Impact Software as a Service (LiSaaS) System” means cloud applications that are

implemented for a limited duration, considered low impact and would cause limited harm to GSA.

(5) “Mobile Application” means a type of application software designed to run on a mobile device,

such as a smartphone or tablet computer.

“Head of the agency” means the official who has been delegated as the Head of the Contracting

Activity. Under Section 309 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, the GSA
Administrator authorized HCA’s to act as agency head to facilitate procurement of property and

services under Title III of the Act. If statute, regulations or policies (e.g., FAR 6.302-7) preclude such

action, agency head authority remains with the GSA Administrator.

“Head of the Contracting Activity (HCA)” means the official who has overall responsibility for

managing the contracting activity. These officials serve within the limits of their delegated authority

per 501.601. HCAs are identified on the GSA Acquisition Portal at

https://insite.gsa.gov/acquisitionportal.

(a) For GSA, the GSA Administrator has delegated the authority to the Senior Procurement

Executive (SPE).

(b) The SPE has redelegated the authority to the Chief Administrative Services Officer (CASO) and

the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) and the

Public Buildings Service (PBS). The CASO may not re-delegate the authority. The FAS and PBS

Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners may re-delegate the authority down one level.

(c) Redelegations made by FAS and PBS are identified on the GSA Acquisition Portal at

https://insite.gsa.gov/acquisitionportal.

(d) If statute, regulations or policies (e.g., FAR 6.302-7) preclude an agency head delegating

authority, HCA authority remains with the GSA Administrator.

“IN-Depth Feedback through Open Reporting Methods (INFORM)” means GSA’s enhanced debrief

and explanation communication procedures detailed in 515.370.

“Information System” means a discrete set of information resources organized for the collection,

processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, or disposition of information.

“Senior procurement executive” means the Deputy Chief Acquisition Officer.