U.S. General Services Administration

ACQUISITION SUPPORT 

SERVICES ORDERING GUIDE 

UNDER MAS SIN 541611

Updated May 2023

Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC)
U.S. General Services Administration

ACQUISITION SUPPORT SERVICES

“a powerful tool for agency acquisition

operations”

● Contractor Advice and Assistance for:

○Acquisition Planning

○Acquisition Document Development

○Proposal Evaluation

○ Contract Administration

○ Contract Close-Out

Caution: Watch for

1. Inherently Governmental

2. Conflict of Interest

Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC)

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U.S. General Services Administration

INHERENTLY GOVERNMENTAL

• ARE YOU ASKING A CONTACTOR TO....

• determine what supplies and/or services to buy

• participate as a voting member on a source selection

board/performance evaluation board?

• approve contract documents?

• award, administer or terminate contracts?

• determine price reasonableness?

Stop if you answered yes to any of these questions!

THESE SERVICES CANNOT BE SOLICITED under the GSA

Multiple Award Schedule

Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC)

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U.S. General Services Administration

Definitions

•"Inherently governmental function," as defined in

section 5 of the Federal Activities Inventory Reform

Act, Public Law 105-270, means a function that is so

intimately related to the public interest as to require

performance by Federal Government employees.

●“Critical function” means a function that is necessary

to the agency being able to effectively perform and

maintain control of its mission and operations. Typically,

critical functions are recurring and long-term in duration.

Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC)

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U.S. General Services Administration

Functions Closely Associated with

Inherently Governmental Services

• Acquisition Planning, such as market research, developing

government cost estimates, and drafting statements of work

• Source Selection, such as preparing technical evaluations,

serving as a technical advisor to a source selection board

and drafting price negotiations memoranda

• Contract Management, such as assisting in the evaluation

of a contractor’s performance and providing support for

assessing contract claims and preparing termination

settlement documents.

All of these functions are currently available on the GSA

Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), SIN 541611.

Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC)

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U.S. General Services Administration

There are services “closely

associated with Inherently

Governmental” on the

Professional Services

Schedule, under Management

Consulting Services

It’s ok for contractors to

perform these services ...

...but with caution!

Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC)

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U.S. General Services Administration

Steps You Can Take to Avoid

Becoming Inherently Governmental

• Take special care to retain sufficient management oversight over how

contractors are used to provide acquisition support services.

• Ensure that Federal employees have the technical skills and expertise

needed to maintain control of the agency mission and operations.

• Take steps to employ and train an adequate number of government

personnel to administer contracts, and manage and oversee contractor

performance.

• Ensure that government officials are performing adequate oversight of

contractors performing acquisition support services

• Make clear to other government organizations or to the public when

citizens are receiving services from contractors rather than federal

employees.

Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC)

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U.S. General Services Administration

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Has the offeror:

– participated in earlier work related to your program or activity?

– ever been privy to information that could influence government

decision making on the work being performed?

– or any of their personnel ever worked for you agency?

– worked with clients who would somehow be affected by your task

order?

Stop if you answered yes to any of these questions!

Before Proceeding, Make sure you ...

● Evaluate for potential conflict of interest

● Obtain legal counsel review

Professional Services and Human Capital Categories (PSHC)

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