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FROM DONALD BAKER, JR, ACTING SENIOR PROCUREMENT EXECUTIVE (SPE)
As I enter my tenth month as Acting SPE, I am so humbled to be leading USDA's contracting operations. The work that we do for the American public is far-reaching, and the dedication of the individuals in our organization is impressive. Thank you all for the work you do each and every day!
This quarter, I am excited to announce new Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) initiatives and resources that are available for your use - including the USDA Contracting Coaching Corner, which offers free coaching for members of the contracting workforce. Coaches can provide critical support in helping solve problems and providing advice and guidance - so I hope you will utilize this resource! Additionally, we have deployed new IT tools (CPARS Dashboard, Contract File Upload Utility, and Contract Closeout Utility) which will allow you to manage your workload more efficiently. Last but not least, OCP is offering many training sessions in the near term to help you achieve 80 CLP’s by April 30th. Please read about these great training offerings and other new tools and templates that we have deployed throughout the newsletter.
Happy New (Calendar) Year! - Don
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SYSTEMS NEWS - New Tools!
*New* CPARS Dashboard Accessible via eAuth
View Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) compliance metrics and utilize detailed data to identify what is needed to complete outstanding CPAR records. This information is useful for Focal Points, Assessing Officials, Assessing Official Representatives, Reviewing Officials, Contracting Officers and CORs. For further information view the IAS announcement, quick reference guides, and attend the training on Thursday, January 18, 2024, at 11:00 AM ET.
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*New* Save time with the Contract File Upload Utility
Upload your entire contract working folder into IAS in seconds with a simple drag-and-drop. For further information view the IAS announcement, quick reference guide, and attend the training on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 1:00 PM ET.
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*New* Contract Closeout Utility
Building upon existing contract closeout automation, this utility provides a go-to resource for contracting officers and leadership to view various metrics (% closed, time to closure, $ outstanding) and manage closeouts. View expired contracts ready for closure, view payment and other data to support closeout decision making, notate status, and initiate closeout. More information found in this IAS spotlight and training recording beginning at the 23:00 mark.
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FY24 Small Business Goals and Procurement Forecasts
USDA has received its small business (SB) obligation goals from the Small Business Administration (SBA) for FY24 which includes a goal of 27.85% of contract dollars to Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs). In the near term, the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) will begin interfacing with each Mission Area to negotiate individual goals.
OCP requests continued support for entering planned procurements in the Procurement Forecast Tool, which was a contributing factor to exceeding all SB goals for FY23. After Mission Area personnel enter their planned procurements into the Tool, it will give Contracting Officers insight into new requirements. With that knowledge, Contracting Officers can begin market research to find the SBs and SDBs to provide the needed supply/service.
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Sustainable Acquisition Communications and Training Survey: Coming to Your Mailbox Soon!
ATTENTION! The USDA Pillars Program, a key initiative within OCP, is focusing on improving communications and training on sustainable acquisition within the USDA acquisition workforce. Through sustainable acquisition, USDA is promoting the purchasing of sustainable products and services with the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, promoting energy-efficiency and water conservation, reducing hazardous waste, and reducing adverse impacts on the environment and human health. As part of this effort to improve communications and training, OCP will be sending out a survey soon to the acquisition workforce to assess existing awareness, knowledge, and skill sets related to sustainable acquisition and identify which areas to focus on in the future.
Please be on the lookout for the survey in your mailbox in the coming weeks. Your input is valuable and will help tailor communications, guidance, tools, and training solutions that will be beneficial to the entire USDA acquisition workforce!
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USDA Acquisition Templates
USDA-wide acquisition templates are available on the Acquisition Workforce SharePoint site at Templates. The OCP Procurement Policy Division (PPD) has updated many templates to a 508-compliant version and is working toward 100% compliance this fiscal year. Please be sure to check the site regularly for updates.
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New Requirement: Use Technical Subject Matter Expertise When Procuring Sign Language, Interpreter & Captioning Services
As announced in Nov 20, 2023 Memo from USDA's Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO), every acquisition involving procurement of sign language, interpreter, or other services for employees who are deaf and hard of hearing must include participation from at least one employee who is deaf or hard of hearing.
It is in USDA’s interest that the acquisition of sign language interpreter services, computer assisted real-time translation, and other services that support employees who are deaf or hard of hearing consider the individual and tailored needs of employees who use those services. USDA can best achieve this goal by directly including employees who are deaf or hard of hearing in the procurement process of such services.
Points of contact and resources are available to support this requirement.
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Government Purchase Card (GPC) Updates and Reminders
Sales Tax Exemption for GPC. Please ensure you are being correctly charged for taxes when using the GPC. Supplies and services purchased using the GPC are paid directly by the Federal Government and are usually tax exempt. In accordance with legal precedents, there is not a blanket exemption for taxes - only state sales and use taxes are exempt. Please review the recent sales tax exemption bulletin and the Sales Tax Exemption Guide for additional information and links to the General Services Administration (GSA) state tax letters.
Budget Object Classification Code (BOCC) Errors. To assist with reducing Budget Object Classification Code (BOCC) errors with GPC transactions, employees are encouraged to use the search function in Access Online (AXOL) to select valid codes. FMMI maintains a table of valid BOCCs for GPC transactions which is updated in AXOL. See the Frequently Used BOCCs Guide for the most commonly used codes. If you still have questions on proper BOCC use for your transactions contact your local Budget Office.
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CERTIFICATION MAINTENANCE REMINDER: CONTINUOUS LEARNING POINTS (CLPs) DUE BY APRIL 30, 2024
ATTENTION! Acquisition workforce professionals with an active FAC-C, FAC-COR, or FAC-P/PM certification have three (3) months remaining (until April 30, 2024) to obtain the required continuous learning (CL) points to maintain their current certification(s). If you are short on CLPs, make a plan to attend upcoming training and/or seek other opportunities to obtain CLPs. Read about upcoming USDA training opportunities and CLP guidance/ frequently answered questions in the articles below.
Your Mission Area ACMD will continue to communicate additional CL opportunities, including USDA-sponsored events and other types of CL activities, as well as agency-specific guidance related to CL requirements. If you need further assistance, please contact your Mission Area ACMD.
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What will happen if I don't meet the required number of training hours?
Contracting Officers (COs) may have their warrants suspended or revoked until the CLP requirement is met. CORs may have their appointment suspended or rescinded until their CLP requirement is met. Program/Project Managers may be removed from the program or project.
USDA Contracting Coaching Corner Now Available!
Are you struggling with an upcoming procurement? Do you wish you could improve your performance with time management, decision-making, or career progression? For these and many more topics, USDA OCP has your back with the new Contracting Coaching Corner. Senior USDA contracting staff are now available to provide one-on-one coaching to support you in overcoming the obstacles standing between you and contracting excellence! Coaching sessions are FREE to all USDA acquisition workforce members and are easy to schedule – simply visit the Coaching Corner website and schedule your appointment using the “Book an Appointment” link on the page. Please contact Matthew Kopp if you have any questions about this exciting new service.
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Upcoming USDA Training Opportunities
USDA is committed to offering acquisition workforce training for optimal performance and CLPs needed for certification maintenance. Upcoming training opportunities include:
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Third Thursday Training (3T) - The Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) has a packed schedule for Third Thursday Trainings in FY24. The upcoming schedule, previous session materials and recordings can be found on the Third Thursday Training site. January’s session on the Quality Surveillance Plan (QASP) will be held on January 18th at 1 PM ET. Registration for this training is not required - simply join the training in Microsoft Teams Live at the scheduled date and time, using the link in the training announcement. Other planned sessions include market research, human-centered design, Amazon Business, and Suspension and Debarment. 3T sessions provide 1 to 1.5 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs).
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USDA Acquisition Systems Training - OCP offers multiple courses throughout the year, such as Integrated Acquisition System (IAS) Overview, IAS Contracting, IAS Requisitioning, IAS Contract Monitoring, IAS Reporting Tool, Invoice Processing Platform (IPP), and more. Click the link above to view course offerings, dates, and registration instructions.
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USDA Program/Project Management (P/PM) Community of Practice (CoP) The USDA P/PM CoP is hosting five webinars this quarter including topics like benefits realization management (BRM), governance, mission needs statement, and work breakdown structure. The events are open to all USDA employees. Visit the P/PM CoP Events page for information on upcoming training sessions. CLPs are awarded. Contact your MASPM if you have any questions (List of MASPMs).
Please check these sites regularly for USDA-specific training opportunities!
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Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) Training Offerings
In addition to the many courses hosted and sponsored by USDA, there are a wide variety of courses available at no charge in FAI Cornerstone on Demand (CSOD). Visit FAI’s training page for a list of all the class offerings that have seats available. All the courses can be found in FAI CSOD and are listed on FAI.gov. As a reminder, seats are first come, first serve; there is no tuition cost to students or their agencies. If you register for a FAI course, please carefully review the cancellation/ withdrawal/ no show policies on pages 7-8 of the FAI Student Training Guidebook.
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Acquisition Certification- CLP Guidance and Frequently Answered Questions
FAI CSOD provides each member of the acquisition workforce (AW) with a Continuous Learning Individual Progress (CLIP) Dashboard that identifies the re-certification period and tracks all continuous learning completions during that period. Please check your CLIP Dashboard to ensure you have met all CL requirements for the current cycle. Below are two ways to earn CLPs:
Internal Training for CLP credit: All trainings completed internally within FAI CSOD through DAU or FAI offerings or another training provider, both online and instructor-led, will automatically apply the CLPs earned from those courses to your CLIP Dashboard.
External Continuous Learning Activity Request for CLP credit: Training activities for CLPs completed outside of FAI CSOD must be added to FAI CSOD through an External Continuous Learning Activity Request. The smallest increment allowed for a learning event/course to count toward the CL requirement is 0.5 hour. Plan to submit any external CL activity requests at least four weeks before the CL period ends on April 30, 2024.
Once the requisite CLPs have been completed, logged, approved, and the CLIP Dashboard indicates 100% for all certifications issued, you will be re-certified for the next two years from the date of the current expiration (4/30/202X). You cannot start earning CLPs for your next re-certification until May 1st of the new period (Example: May 1, 2024).
Employees who are currently certified can only re-certify at their current level. To get certified at a higher level, you must comply with the initial certification requirements for the higher level and submit a new request for that certification in FAI CSOD.
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USDA Contracting Best Practices
The OCP Internal Review Program is pleased to present you with the USDA Mission Area Contracting Best Practices SharePoint page! Click on this hyperlink, or you can also find it on the USDA Acquisition Workforce page under the “Initiatives and Innovation” link along with many other wonderful innovative ideas for your team to implement. Each year when Mission Areas provide their reviews to the Senior Procurement Executive, we identify their best practices to share with the other Mission Areas, so please take a moment to see what your teammates across USDA have been working on! There will also be new additions coming after the Mission Area reviews this spring.
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Reminder! The Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations (PTAI) has a New Look and has Moved
The Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations (PTAI), for government-wide innovative acquisition-related techniques and automations, is now available on the Acquisition Gateway. Bookmark the new PTAI location to access innovative practices and sample documents.
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Acquisition Workforce SharePoint Updates
Did you know that you can set alerts in Sharepoint to be notified when changes are made? Click on the ellipsis (3 dots) in the upper right corner, next to the number of members with owner/edit rights. Click the ellipses and “Not following”. Clicking the ellipses again, you’ll see the star filled and “Following”. If the upper right corner of the SharePoint page looks like this, you'll get alerts when changes are made to the site:
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