Subject to the authority of the Secretary, the Chief Operating Officer of a PBO may exercise the authority of the Secretary to procure property and services in the performance of functions managed by the PBO. For the purposes of this section, the term “PBO” includes the Chief Operating Officer of the PBO and any employee of the PBO exercising procurement authority under the preceding sentence.
The Chief Operating Officer shall, to the extent practicable, maximize the use of performance-based servicing contracts, consistent with guidelines for such contracts published by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, to achieve cost savings and improve service.
The Chief Operating Officer shall, when appropriate and consistent with the purposes of the PBO, acquire services related to the functions set forth in section 1018(b)(2) of this title from any entity that has the capability and capacity to meet the requirements set by the PBO. The Chief Operating Officer is authorized to pay fees that are equivalent to those paid by other entities to an organization that provides services that meet the requirements of the PBO, as determined by the Chief Operating Officer.
The PBO may use a two-phase process for selecting a source for a procurement of property or services.
Each offeror for the procurement shall submit basic information, such as information on the offeror’s qualifications, the proposed conceptual approach, costs likely to be associated with the proposed conceptual approach, and past performance of the offeror, together with any additional information that is requested by the contracting officer.
The contracting officer shall select the offerors that are to be eligible to participate in the second phase of the process. The contracting officer shall limit the number of the selected offerors to the number of sources that the contracting officer determines is appropriate and in the best interests of the Federal Government.
The contracting officer shall conduct the second phase of the source selection process in accordance with sections 3306(a) to (e) and 3308, chapter 37, and section 4702 of title 41.
The procedures used for selecting a source for a procurement under this subsection shall be considered competitive procedures for all purposes.
Whenever the PBO anticipates that commercial products or commercial services will be offered for a procurement, the PBO may use (consistent with the special rules for commercial products and commercial services) the special simplified procedures for the procurement without regard to any dollar limitation otherwise applicable to the use of those procedures.
Paragraph (1) does not apply to a procurement of a commercial product or a commercial service.
A module may not be procured for a system under this subsection unless the module is useful independently of the other modules or useful in combination with another module previously procured for the system.
Award of the contract on a single-source basis to a contractor who was awarded a contract for a module previously procured for the system under competitive procedures or procedures authorized under subparagraph (B).
Not less than 30 days before issuing a solicitation for offers for a contract for a module for a system under procedures authorized under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (4), the PBO shall publish in the Commerce Business Daily a notice of the intent to use such procedures to enter into the contract.
Publication of a notice is not required under this paragraph with respect to a use of procedures authorized under paragraph (4) if the contractor referred to in that subparagraph (who is to be solicited to submit an offer) has previously provided a module for the system under a contract that contained cost, schedule, and performance goals and the contractor met those goals.
A notice published under subparagraph (A) with respect to a use of procedures described in paragraph (4) shall contain the information required under section 1708(c) of title 41, other than paragraph (4) of such section, and shall invite the submission of any assertion that the use of the procedures for the procurement involved is not in the best interest of the Federal Government together with information supporting the assertion.
The basis for an award of a contract under this subsection shall be documented. However, a justification pursuant to section 3304(e) of title 41 or section 637(h) of title 15 is not required.
The PBO may award a contract under any other simplified procedures prescribed by the PBO for the selection of sources for the procurement of modules for a system, after the first module, that are not to be procured under a contract awarded on a single-source basis.
As part of the consultation required under paragraph (1), the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy shall provide the PBO with guidance that is designed to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that the authority under this section is exercised by the PBO in a manner that is consistent with the exercise of the authority by the heads of the other performance-based organizations.
No department or agency of the Federal Government may purchase property or services under contracts entered into or administered by a PBO under this section unless the purchase is approved in advance by the senior procurement official of that department or agency who is responsible for purchasing by the department or agency.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to waive laws for the enforcement of civil rights or for the establishment and enforcement of labor standards that are applicable to contracts of the Federal Government.
The term “commercial product” has the meaning given the term in section 103 of title 41.
The term “commercial service” has the meaning given the term in section 103a of title 41.
The term “competitive procedures” has the meaning given the term in section 152 of title 41.
The term “single-source basis”, with respect to an award of a contract, means that the contract is awarded to a source after soliciting an offer or offers from, and negotiating with, only such source (although such source is not the only source in the marketplace capable of meeting the need) because such source is the most advantageous source for purposes of the award.
The term “special rules for commercial products and commercial services” means the regulations set forth in the Federal Acquisition Regulation pursuant to sections 1901 and 3305(a) of title 41.
The term “special simplified procedures” means the procedures applicable to purchases of property and services for amounts not greater than the simplified acquisition threshold that are set forth in the Federal Acquisition Regulation pursuant to sections 1901(a)(1) and 3305(a)(1) of title 41.