Source: http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/other/gsar/501.htm
Timestamp: 2017-07-27 04:40:06
Document Index: 350522464

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 501', 'art 501', 'art 501', 'art 570', 'art 570', 'art 570', 'art 570', 'art 501', '§4307', 'art 18', 'art 501']

GSAM (GSAR) 501
Subpart 501.1— Purpose, Authority, Issuance
Subpart 501.4— Deviations from the FAR and GSAR
Part 501— General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation System
(a) General. The GSAR applies to contracts for supplies or services, including construction. (b) Acquisition of leasehold interests in real property. Part 570 establishes rules for the acquisition of leasehold interests in real property. Other provisions of 48 CFR Chapter 5 (GSAR) do not apply to leases of real property unless specifically cross-referenced in Part 570. (c) Relationship to statute. Some GSAR rules implement and interpret laws and other authorities affecting procurement. A GSAR rule specifically directed by statute has the force and effect of law. (d) GSAR/FAR Relationship. The GSAR may deviate from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) if authorized. If the GSAR does not implement the FAR, the FAR alone governs. 501.105 Issuance.
(d) GSA Home Page at http://www.gsa.gov. Click on either “Government Agencies” or on “Business and Industry,” then click on “Acquisition.” 501.105-2 Arrangement of regulations.
532.111(c) 3090-0080
532.905-71 3090-0080
537.110(a) 3090-0197
(a) Description. The General Services Administration Acquisition Management System consists of the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) and agency and Service non-regulatory acquisition guidance documents. (b) Format. For users’ convenience, the General Services Administration Acquisition Manual (GSAM) contains the GSAR and nonregulatory agency acquisition guidance. The GSAM adheres to GSAR numbering and drafting conventions. GSAR material is shaded. Non-shaded material is non-regulatory. The shading distinguishes regulatory material from material that applies internally to GSA. (c) Agency policy. Although GSAM requirements are not all regulatory, occasionally the requirements are mandatory for GSA personnel. The mandatory requirements reflect agency policy which must be followed to ensure uniformity or for other reasons. (d) Applicability. The GSAM applies to contracts for supplies or services, including construction. (e) Acquisition of leasehold interests in real property. Part 570 establishes requirements for the acquisition of leasehold interests in real property. Other provisions of the GSAM do not apply to leases of real property unless specifically cross-referenced in Part 570. (f) Availability. The GSAM is available on the GSA Home Page at http://www.gsa.gov. Click on either “Government Agencies” or on “Business and Industry,” then click on “Acquisition.” You may also link to the GSAM on Insite at http://insite.gsa.private. Click on “Business Hot Links,” then on “Acquisition.” 501.171 Other GSA publications.
(b) Acquisition letters expire on the date specified in the acquisition letter or when the acquisition letter’s contents are incorporated into the GSAM or FAR.
(c) The Office of Acquisition Policy (OAP) conducts a review of existing acquisition letters twice each year as part of GSA’s Regulatory Agenda to prioritize resources for incorporating active acquisition letters into the GSAM or FAR.
(d) OAP is responsible for maintaining a current list of active acquisition letters in the OAP Acquisition Policy Library.
(1) When policies and procedures contained in acquisition letters are effective until incorporated into the GSAM or FAR and the content is incorporated into the GSAM or FAR the acquisition letter will be moved from “active” status in the OAP Policy Library to “inactive” status.
(2) In cases where the policies and procedures are temporary, the AL will state the specific termination date in accordance with GSAM 501.171-2(h)(4). Once the termination date is reached, the AL will be moved from “active” status in the OAP Policy Library to “inactive” status.
(e) The Senior Procurement Executive and HCAs, or designees, may issue acquisition letters.
(f) The issuing official must coordinate each acquisition letter with appropriate offices including Acquisition Policy, Counsel, and the Inspector General. Any proposed policy or procedure that affects the operation of the small business program, must be coordinated with the Office of Small Business Utilization (E).
(g) The issuing activity must identify each acquisition letter with an assigned number. The number should begin with the issuing office correspondence symbol, followed by the last two digits of the calendar year when issued, then numbered consecutively beginning with 1. For example, FC-97-5 would be the fifth acquisition letter issued by FSS in fiscal year 1997).
(h) The body of an acquisition letter should contain the following paragraphs, as appropriate:
(6) Applicability (offices to which the acquisition letter applies).
(i) The issuing office is responsible for distributing its acquisition letters to affected contracting activities and the Office of Acquisition Policy. In addition, copies should be distributed to–
(j) If an acquisition letter is distributed only electronically, then the issuing office may issue a notice to affected contracting activities, the Office of Acquisition Policy, and Associate General Counsel or Region Counsel in lieu of distributing paper copies. The notice must identify the subject, number, and location of the letter.
(k) Each issuing office must report on acquisition letters issued and canceled on a quarterly basis to the Office of Acquisition Policy. The Office of Acquisition Policy will issue a consolidated index of all acquisition letters issued or cancelled.
(c) Send a copy of each deviation to GSA’s SPE (MV).
(2) May be rescinded earlier by GSA’s SPE or by officials designated under paragraph (a) of this section without prejudice to any action taken previously. 501.404-70 Contract action.
Contract action. A contract action, for the purpose of determining whether an individual or class deviation is appropriate, has the same meaning as that used for reporting contract actions to Federal Procurement Data System–Next Generation (FPDS-NG). A contract action includes, but is not limited to, any of the following: (a) Initial letter contract.
Handle individual and class deviations to the nonregulatory (unshaded) part of the GSAM as stated in 501.403 and 501.404. Subpart 501.6—Career Development, Contracting Authority, and Responsibilities
“Bureau Certification Manager (BCM)”, means the GSA agency official, appointed by the respective HCA, who serves as a liaison between the contracting activity and the ACM, and ensures consistency in the federal certification and GSA warrant programs. The BCM provides guidance to the acquisition workforce on application preparation for the federal certification programs and contracting officer warrants. The BCM reviews and makes a recommendation on any Federal Acquisition Certification package submitted electronically in the Federal Acquisition Institute Training Application System (FAITAS) or warrant packages prior to submission to the Contracting Officer Warrant Board. This includes those applicants seeking to be certified under fulfillment or equivalencies. “Category Manager” means the individual(s) and/or agency(ies) responsible for areas of Governmentwide spend as described in OMB Memorandum Transforming the Marketplace: Simplifying Federal Procurement to Improve Performance, Drive Innovation, and Increase Savings dated December 4, 2014 which can be found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/procurement/memo/simplifying-federal-procurement-to-improve-performance-drive-innovation-increase-savings.pdf. “Contracting Officer Warrant Board (COWB)” means a group of senior-level acquisition employees within a contracting activity who receive, evaluate, and process requests for selection and nomination of contracting officers at the basic, simplified acquisition, intermediate, and senior levels.
“Contracting Officer Warrant Program (COWP)” establishes the criteria for the appointment and termination of GSA contracting officers. This ensures that GSA follows a standardized process for qualifying and appointing individuals as contracting officers based on the organization's needs for contracting authority. (b) Heads of Contracting Activities (HCAs) as defined in GSAM 502.101 are contracting officers by virtue of their position. Other contracting officers are appointed under FAR 1.603 and GSA’s contracting officer warrant program (See 501.603). The Administrator of GSA delegated Head of Contracting Activity (HCA) authority to the Senior Procurement Executive (SPE). The SPE is authorized to re-delegate the HCA authority and contracting authority to the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) and the Public Buildings Service (PBS), and to the Chief Administrative Services Officer (CASO). These officials serve within the limits of their delegated authority. (i) The SPE must be consulted prior to any re-delegation of HCA authority.
(c) FAITAS. The Clinger-Cohen Act (Public Law 104-106 §4307) mandated federal agencies to have a database containing education, experience, training and other data about their acquisition workforce. FAITAS is the official system of record for the federal civilian agency acquisition workforce (www.fai.gov) and is maintained by the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI). (1) The following members of GSA’s acquisition workforce and their supervisors must be registered in FAITAS:
(ii) All contracting officers, regardless of series, with the authority to obligate funds. (iii) Program and project managers.
(iv) Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs). (v) Any acquisition-related position identified by the Chief Acquisition Officer (CAO), the Senior Procurement Executive (SPE), the HCA, or equivalent.
(d) Federal Acquisition Certification (FAC) program. The FAC program is a government-wide, competency-based certification program for the acquisition workforce. The FAC program applies to contract specialists, program and project managers, and contracting officers’ representatives. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy established the training, education and experience requirements for the FAC program across all civilian agencies to align with the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA). The competencies, training, education and experience requirements may be found at www.fai.gov. (e) Maintaining FAC and contracting officer warrants. All FAC-certified members of the GSA acquisition workforce and those appointed as contracting officers are required to earn Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every two years from the date of issuance of the certification and/or warrant. The requirements for CLP achievement can be found under the Career Management tab of GSA’s Acquisition Portal (https://insite.gsa.gov/portal/category/534186). All CLPs must be in support of the competencies associated with the certification. (1) Failure to complete the required CLPs and obtain an approved Continuous Learning Achievement Request prior to the ending date of the continuous learning period will result in the expiration of the FAC certification.
(a) Fund sufficiency. A requisition or purchase request signed by an authorized individual is evidence that sufficient money for the purchase is available in the fund cited. (b) GSA revolving funds. A requisition for indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts requiring a guaranteed minimum quantity must specify enough funds to pay for the guaranteed minimum. (c) GSA funds, other than revolving funds. (1) The requisitioning activity must certify that additional funds are available before contract or purchase order award if the purchase exceeds the dollar amount on the requisition by 10 percent or $50, whichever is greater.
(2) If a requisition is not used, e.g., lease of real property, the contracting officer must ensure funds are available before awarding the contract.
(d) Other Federal agencies’ funds. A GSA buying activity must not exceed a fund limitation on a customer agency’s purchase request unless authorized by supply support agreements. If a purchase request indicates insufficient funds to cover all costs, the customer agency must provide additional funds. Regardless of which Central Office or Regional buying activity will make the acquisition, the office initially receiving the requirement requests the additional funds. 501.602-3 Ratification of unauthorized commitments.
(a) Authority to ratify. Under FAR 1.602-3, the contracting officer may ratify unauthorized contractual commitments if the HCA approves the ratification action. An HCA may not redelegate approval authority. (b) Criminal investigation. Generally, the Government is not bound by commitments made by persons with no contracting authority. Unauthorized commitments may violate laws or regulations. They constitute serious employee misconduct and may warrant disciplinary action. If unauthorized commitments involve any type of misconduct that might be punishable as a criminal offense, either the contracting officer or the employee’s supervisor must report the matter immediately to the Office of the Inspector General with a request for a complete investigation. (c) Documentation required for ratification. The individual who made the unauthorized commitment gives the contracting director all records and documents about the commitment and a complete written statement of facts, including all the following: (1) Why normal acquisition procedures were not followed.
(d) Documentation waivers. Under exceptional circumstances, a contracting director may waive the requirement that the individual who made the unauthorized commitment must initiate and document the request for ratification. In such a case, the individual who does initiate the request for ratification must provide a written determination stating that an unauthorized commitment was made and identifying the individual who made it. For example, an exceptional circumstance may occur when the person who made the unauthorized commitment is no longer available to attest to the circumstances. (e) Processing a ratification. (1) The contracting officer must process the request for ratification. Prepare a summary statement of facts addressing the limitations in FAR 1.602-3(c) and recommend whether or not the procurement should be ratified. Include a recommendation for other disposition if you advise against ratification.
(iii) Concurrence of assigned legal counsel (except when the contracting officer recommends payment based on quantum merit or quantum valebant).
(iv) If applicable, recommendation for payment on a quantum merit or quantum valebant basis (see 501.602-3(f)). (v) Recommendation for corrective action to prevent recurrence.
(f) Payment based on quantum merit or quantum valebant. (1) If ratification is not permissible due to legal improprieties, the contracting officer may recommend that payment be made under either:
(3) The contracting officer must obtain the approval of assigned counsel before making any payment on a quantum merit or quantum valebant basis.
(g) HCA action. The HCA either: (1) Approves the ratification request in writing and sends the approval to the contracting officer for issuance of the necessary contractual documents.
(h) Files. The HCA maintains a separate file containing a copy of each request to ratify an unauthorized contractual commitment and the response. The HCA must make this file available for review by the Senior Procurement Executive and the Inspector General. 501.603 Selection, appointment, and termination of appointment for contracting officers.
(a) Definitions. “Contracting experience” means personal and substantial involvement in purchasing, renting, leasing, or otherwise obtaining goods or services from federal and nonfederal sources and includes any of the following functions: preparing and issuing purchase orders, including issuing requests for quotations or solicitations, evaluating bids or proposals, selecting sources, price/cost analysis, participating in price negotiations, and contract award and administration.
(b) Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C). All employees in the GS-1102 series must be certified (FAC-C) at the appropriate level (Level I, II or III) in order to be considered for a contracting officer warrant. Effective October 1, 2014, contracting officers, regardless of their series, and other contracting professionals in the GS-1102 series must be certified at an appropriate level as of October 1, 2014. Any contracting professional issued a senior level warrant after October 1, 2014, must be Level III certified. (Refer to the Acquisition Workforce Community of Practice accessible through GSA’s Acquisition Portal (https://insite.gsa.gov/portal/category/534186).) (1) FAC-C Application Process:
(i) Applicants are responsible for preparing and submitting their FAC-C certification request in FAITAS for supervisor approval. The electronic application must include all supporting documentation such as transcripts, training certificates, resume, and any other supporting documents (Refer to the Acquisition Workforce Community of Practice accessible through GSA's Acquisition Portal (https://insite.gsa.gov/portal/category/534186).) (ii) The supervisor is responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of the application in FAITAS. After supervisory review, the certification request is routed electronically to the BCM in FAITAS. If the BCM recommends approval, the application is forwarded to the ACM, unless delegated, for final approval.
(iii) After the ACM or designee approves, the FAC-C certificate is generated through FAITAS. (2) FAC-C Certifications from other agencies.
(i) Department of Defense (DoD). GSA will recognize Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification issued by DOD activities as long as there is demonstrated proof that the CLP requirement was completed and maintained. Personnel with current DAWIA certifications must submit a request for FAC-C in FAITAS. (ii) Other civilian agencies. GSA will recognize FAC-C certification issued by another civilian agency, as long as the FAC-C is current in the FAITAS certification history and there is demonstrated proof that the CLP requirement was maintained. (3) FAC-C Waivers. The SPE may waive the requirement for obtaining FAC-C certifications prior to appointment as a contracting officer. Waivers will only be considered in compelling and well documented circumstances. This authority is non-delegable. FAC-C waivers are not transferable to other agencies. (c) Contracting Officer Warrant Program (COWP). GSA’s COWP is administered by the Office of Acquisition Policy. (1) Factors in determination of need for warranted contracting officers. The COWP ensures that a GSA organization has qualified individuals as contracting officers who meet the organization's needs for contracting authority. Factors considered in determining the number of contracting officers appropriate for a given organization include volume of actions, work complexity, and organizational structure. (2) Training, education and experience. The COWP ensures warrant applicants meet all federal and agency requirements for training, education and experience. (3) Responsibilities. (i) GSA’s SPE: (A) Establishes the policies, procedures, and requirements that govern COWP. (B) Approves/disapproves in writing, any deviations, waivers or exemptions from any of the COWP requirements.
(B) Monitor contracting officers’ performance. (C) Establish controls to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, procedures, and good management practice with respect to warrant use by Contracting Officers. (D) Determine the number of contracting officer warrants necessary for a particular work unit and the grade levels at which the warrant authority will be granted. (E) Appoint a BCM to oversee the FAC and warrant programs.
(G) Establish written procedures for the COWB to ensure the requirements of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)1.603 and this section 501.603 are met when appointing contracting officers. (H) Select and nominate through the COWB qualified candidates for appointment as contracting officers.
(4) Applicability. COWP applies to all contracting officers except those appointed under the Inspector General Act (Pub. L. 95-452). Contracting authority is not required to: (i) Sign training authorizations for public course offerings. (ii) Sign travel documents. (iii) Order printing and duplicating services from Government sources. (iv) Order supplies from GSA stock through GSA Advantage! or other electronic means. (v) Sign Government Bills of Lading.
(vi) Sign system-generated orders for motor vehicles or for requisitions under the Federal Acquisition Service Special Order Program. (vii) Authorize interagency transfers of funds. (viii) Use the Government telephone systems for commercial long distance and local service and/or approving payments for such services. (ix) Use the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) nationwide contract for express small package transportation services and/or approving payments for such services. (x) Certify receipt and acceptance of goods or services. (This does not apply to certified invoices under 513.370.) (xi) Submit a Standard Form 145, Telephone Service Request (TSR), to the FAS.
(5) Warrant levels. (i) COWP warrant levels are based on the dollar value of individual transactions. (ii) Individual transactions include the following:
Up to the Simplified Acquisition Threshold Up to the Simplified Lease Acquisition Threshold Intermediate
Up to and including $10,000,000 Up to and including $10,000,000 Senior
Above $10,000,000 Above $10,000,000 Note: GSA use of the Government purchase card for micro-purchases shall follow the instructions under GSA Order 4200.1A CFO.
(d) Change order authority. Contracting officers may authorize COR change order authority in accordance with the limitations in GSAM 543.202, Authority to issue change orders. (e) If the HCA determines that the considerations listed under GSAM 542.302 (c) warrant the establishment of a contract administration office, a contracting officer with an unlimited warrant may authorize contract administrative functions in accordance with GSAM 542.302 (d). 501.603-2 Selection.
(b) Nominations for appointment are submitted by the candidate's supervisor of record, in package form which must include the following:
(1) Completed and signed GSA Form 3410, Request for Appointment. The GSA Form 3410 must discuss the contracting activity’s specific need for the warrant. Justify the need in block 1 of the GSA Form 3410.
(2) Completed and signed GSA Form 3409, Personal Qualifications Statement for Appointment as a Contracting Officer, or a resume detailing the candidate's experience, education, and training relevant to the position.
(3) Verification of candidate's training. (4) Copies of candidate's training certificates, unofficial college transcripts and previous warrants (if previously warranted).
(5) A current warrant certificate from another HCA in GSA may be submitted instead of the items listed in paragraphs (b)(2) through (b)(4) of this section.
(c) Evaluation of candidates for contracting officer warrants. The COWB is responsible for evaluating a candidate's experience, training and education requirements prior to issuance of a Basic, Simplified Acquisition, Intermediate and Senior level warrant. Note: designated approving officials shall follow the instructions under GSA Order 4200.1A CFO in granting micro-purchase authority.
At least 1 year of current (within last 3 years) contracting experience with progressively broader assignments Simplified Acquisition
At least 2 years of current (within the last 5 years) contracting experience with progressively broader assignments Intermediate
*The COWB will consider the quality of past contracts and leases and the results of any independent review conducted by the contracting activity to verify the nominee's contracting experience as defined in 501.603-1(a) at the intermediate and senior level. (2) Training requirements. (i) Any contracting professional issued an unlimited warrant after October 1, 2014 must be Level III certified. (ii) Contracting officer candidates must complete the minimum training requirements. GSA has adopted the FAC-C curriculum established by the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI). (iii) Refer to the Acquisition Workforce Community of Practice accessible through GSA's Acquisition Portal (https://insite.gsa.gov/portal/category/534186) for the minimum training requirements for warrants. (iv) In addition to the warrant requirements, individuals may be required to complete additional training to strengthen the acquisition workforce.
(v) Contracting officers with multiple warrant authorities (e.g., with authority to dispose of and to acquire goods and services) must complete the mandatory training required for all warrant authorities at the applicable warrant level(s). (3) Educational requirements. (i) Applicants at pay grades 5 through 12. Applicants for permanent warrants above the simplified acquisition level, who are at grades 5 through 12, must have completed a four year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree or 24 semester hours in one of the designated fields as shown in paragraph (c)(3)(iii) of this section. (ii) Applicants at grades 13 and above. Applicants for permanent warrants above the simplified acquisition level, who are at grade 13 or above, must have completed a four year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the designated fields as shown in paragraph (c)(3)(iii) of this section. The SPE may waive these requirements. The applicant must demonstrate significant analytical and decision-making capabilities, an acceptable job performance record, and qualifying experience. (iii) The designated educational fields are:
(a) Certificate of Appointment. (1) The HCA appoints contracting officers at the Basic, Simplified Acquisition, Intermediate, or Senior level using Standard Form 1402, Certificate of Appointment.
(3) Suggested language for the Certificate of Appointment may be found on the Acquisition Workforce Community of Practice accessible through GSA's Acquisition Portal (https://insite.gsa.gov/portal/category/534186). (b) Types of appointments. Candidates are nominated for either an interim or permanent appointment. (1) Interim appointments. Interim appointments are for a specified period of time. Personnel who hold interim simplified acquisition warrants must complete all training required for a permanent warrant within 1 year of the interim appointment. Personnel who hold interim warrants above the simplified acquisition level must complete all training and formal education required for a permanent warrant within 3 years of the interim appointment. (2) Permanent appointments. A permanent appointment may be made when a candidate who meets all requirements for experience, education, and training at the time the appointment is made. (c) Transferability of Warrants. Warrants may not transfer across contracting activities. Contracting officers that transfer to a new contracting activity must re-apply for a warrant in FAITAS. (d) Authority to make purchases for domestic and national security emergencies. (1) A contracting officer, you may enter into contracts on behalf of a GSA organization different from the organization specified in their Certificate of Appointment in response to a contingency operation, defense or recovery from certain attacks, major disaster declarations as defined in FAR part 18 and other domestic or national security emergencies.
(2) The Office of the Chief Acquisition Officer (OCAO) or HCA may grant higher contracting authority during emergencies for Basic, Simplified and Intermediate warrants (See Office of Federal Procurement Policy Memorandum, Emergency Acquisition Guide, dated January 14, 2011 http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/procurement_guides/emergency_acquisitions_guide.pdf. (3) The OCAO or HCA may appoint contracting officers with authority limited to entering into contracts required to respond to domestic or national security emergencies. This will provide GSA a cadre of emergency contracting officers who can instantly respond to emergencies if necessary. For warrants issued as a direct result of an emergency, the OCAO or HCA must have reasonable assurance that the employee is eligible to be warranted if the nature of the emergency precludes submission of otherwise necessary required documentation for the warrant (see 501.603-3(b)). (e) Record Maintenance and Disposal. (1) HCAs are required to keep and maintain comprehensive files containing relevant information on all appointed contracting officers until such time as all warrant data is fully maintained in FAITAS as determined by the ACM.
(2) Transfers to another agency. (3) Is reassigned to another office within GSA.
Information on fulfillment and equivalencies for required FAC-C training can be found at https://insite.gsa.gov/portal/category/534186. 501.604 Contracting Officer's Representative (COR).
The FAC-COR's role is to develop proper requirements and ensure during contract administration the contractors meet the commitments of their contracts, including the timeliness and delivery of quality goods and services as required by the contract. Information on the FAC-COR certification requirements can be found at http://fai.gov/drupal/certification/fac-cor. (a) Applicability. Any GSA employee assigned to perform COR duties, regardless of series, must obtain FAC-COR certification, except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. CORs must be certified at the appropriate level no later than six months from the date of their appointment. (b) FAC-COR waivers. The SPE may waive the requirement for obtaining the FAC-COR certifications prior to appointment as a COR. Waivers will only be considered in compelling and well documented circumstances. This authority is non-delegable. FAC-COR waivers are not transferable to other agencies. (c) Reciprocity of certifications. As described in OMB memorandum, “Revisions to the Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officers' Representatives,” of September 6, 2011, (http://www.fai.gov), individuals certified as Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Levels I or II or Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM) Mid-Level/Journeyman are considered to have met the FAC-COR requirements for Level II. Individuals certified as FAC-C Level III or FAC-P/PM Senior/Expert are considered to have met the FAC-COR requirements for Level III. These individuals must submit their FAC certificates and continuous learning documents to their BCMs for FAC-COR certification in accordance with the procedures shown in the Acquisition Workforce Community of Practice accessible through GSA's Acquisition Portal (https://insite.gsa.gov/portal/category/534186). (d) HCAs or their designees, typically BCMs, must do all of the following:
(1) Manage and monitor their FAC-COR programs. (2) Coordinate with the agency ACM to grant certifications. (3) Evaluate candidate proficiencies and determine course equivalencies for certification, in accordance with FAI's required COR competencies.
(e) FAC-COR application process. Applicants are responsible for preparing an application package for submission electronically through FAITAS (www.fai.gov) to his or her supervisor. The application package must include the application form and copies of relevant training certificates. The supervisor is responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of the application package in FAITAS. After supervisory review, the certification request is routed electronically to the BCM. If the BCM recommends approval, the application is routed to the ACM for final approval. After the ACM approves, the FAC-COR certificate is generated through FAITAS. (f) Contracting officer’s responsibilities. (1) In appointing CORs under GSAM 542.2, the contracting officer must take into consideration the appropriate FAC-COR Level needed to protect the government's interest. The contracting officer must consider the risk associated with the acquisition, including contract type, in order to determine the appropriate level of FAC-COR coverage.
(g) Other executive agency FAC-COR. GSA will recognize COR certifications issued by other executive agencies as long as they appear in the FAITAS certification record and are compliant with current FAC-COR requirements, including continuous learning. (h) FAITAS. CORs must be registered in FAITAS, the official system of records for all civilian agency FAC programs (www.fai.gov). CORs are responsible for submitting all training and continuous learning activities into FAITAS. 501.670 Category Managers.
(a) Category managers are responsible for identifying inefficient purchasing behavior and crafting smarter buying strategies within specific areas of spend as described in Government-wide Category Management, Guidance Document issued by the Office of Management Budget, available at https://hallways.cap.gsa.gov/information/Gov-wide_CM_Guidance_V1.pdf. (b) Transactional data. Category managers should use transactional data collected via clauses 552.216-75 and 552.238-74 Alternate I in conjunction with commercial market benchmarks to identify potential areas for improvement in contracting methods, pricing, and terms or conditions. Subpart 501.7—Determinations and Findings