210-1.htm - Procurement and Property Management Reviews

United States Department of Agriculture
Research, Education, and Economics

ARS * CSREES * ERS * NASS
Policies and Procedures

*Title:*	Procurement and Property Management Reviews

*Number:*	210.1-ARS

*Date:*	5/25/1999

*Originating Office:*	Policy Branch, Procurement and Property Division, AFM/ARS

*This Replaces:*	ARS 210.1 dated 7/1/92

*Distribution:*	ARS Headquarters, Areas, and Locations

This P&P sets forth the requirement to conduct Procurement and Property Management Reviews (PPMR) on a regular basis, in accordance with AGAR 401.601(a).

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Policy
3. Exemptions
4. Procedures
5. Summary of Responsibilities

1. Introduction

It is the responsibility of REE's Head of the Contracting Activity Designee to ensure compliance in the conduct of procurement activities with all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures. In order to ensure this compliance, Procurement and Property Management Reviews (PPMR) are conducted periodically by the Policy Branch (PB) of the Procurement and Property Division (PPD).

The objective of this type of review is to: 1) Determine compliance with procurement and property statutes, regulations (i.e., FAR, AGAR, FPMR), and related USDA, REE, ARS policy issuances; 2) Determine where PPD can be of assistance in terms of clarifying policy/procedures; and 3) Identify positive/innovative techniques that can be shared with other procurement and property personnel throughout ARS.

2. Policy

In accordance with the authority set forth in the Agriculture Acquisition Regulations (AGAR) 401.601(a), ARS, PPD will conduct a PPMR of the property, procurement, and contracting functions in the Area Office's procurement office and PPD and Facilities Division (FD) on a rotating basis of a minimum of every 4 years.

The review will cover contracts, including construction and architectural-engineering (A-E) contracts, simplified acquisitions, blanket purchase agreements, purchase card and convenience check actions, and interviews with the procurement staff. The personal property review will cover personal property records and interviews with the current personal property staff. In addition, the management staffing and oversight functions of the Area's property and procurement offices, as well as the PPD and FD procurement offices, will also be reviewed.

3. Exemptions

The locations under each Area Office are exempt from this review. Regular reviews of the location procurement offices are the responsibility of the Procurement Assistance Officer (PAO) of that Area Office. Also, random reviews will be coordinated and accomplished under the Consolidated Assistance Review and Evaluation (CARE) Program.

4. Procedures

By July 1 of each year, PPD will issue a schedule of offices to be reviewed in the subsequent fiscal year. The schedule will be issued to Headquarters and all Area Offices.

Sixty days prior to the review, a pre-review memo will be sent to the Area Office, PPD, and FD to identify the date for the PPMR requesting the specific pre-review information needed. (See Exhibit 2, Pre-Review Data.) Also at this time, team members will be identified. Team members will consist of a minimum of at least one individual each from the PB and the Procurement and Property Branch (PPB) of PPD, and the Facilities Contracts Branch (FCB) of FD. A representative from one of the other Area Offices may be included on the review team.

Thirty days prior to the PPMR, the office to be reviewed will forward the required pre-review data to the PPMR Team Leader. Within 2 weeks, the Team Leader will identify the materials to be made available for review at the time of the PPMR.

On the first day of the PPMR, the PPMR Team will conduct entrance interviews with the Area Administrative Officer (AAO), PAO, and the Procurement and Property staffs to outline the objectives of the review, the responsibilities of the PPMR Team, and to answer any questions. For PPD and FD review, the Team will conduct the entrance interviews with the cognizant Director, Branch Chief, or Team Leader.

The PPMR Team will conduct the review in accordance with the PPMR checklists developed for each area of the review: contracts, simplified acquisition, purchase card and convenience check, property, management and oversight, and strategic plan initiatives. The checklists will be kept current and in accordance with FAR, AGAR, FAM, and FPMR. Using the respective checklists, each PPMR Team member will synopsize findings documenting:

compliance with statutes, regulations, and USDA, REE, ARS policy documents,
areas where PPD can be of assistance in terms of clarifying policy/procedures, and
positive/innovative techniques being used in the field that can be shared.

The Chief of the PB, PPD, or Team Leader will conduct the exit conference with the AAO and procurement and property staffs, outlining the major findings and discussing recommendations and assistance available.

Within 20 working days of the exit conference, the PPMR Team Leader will prepare the draft PPMR report. (See Exhibit 3 for report outline.) The draft PPMR report will be issued within 30 working days of the exit conference to the AAO, PPD Director, or FD Director. The draft report will list detailed findings, recommendations, and corrective actions necessary with specific due dates, where appropriate.

The AAO or Director will review the draft PPMR report, identify any areas that may not have been accurately captured, and address how findings will be corrected and recommendations initiated. The response to the draft report is due within 30 days of receipt.

Upon receipt of AAO or Director comments, the PPMR Team Leader will finalize the draft report. All team members should sign the report. The PB Chief, PPD, will approve/disapprove the report.

The PPMR Team Leader will transmit the final report to the AAO or Director, along with a request that monthly progress reports be submitted to the PB, until all corrective actions/recommendations are completed.

The AAO/PAO or Director will monitor the completion of corrective actions and recommendations and submit the monthly progress reports. Accomplishments are documented by the AAO/PAO and forwarded to the Team Leader for closure. A date and timeframe chart is located in Exhibit 1.

5. Summary of Responsibilities

Area Office, PPMR Team Member

Reviews and documents on-site findings in the areas of supply and service contracts, simplified acquisition, blanket purchase agreements, and purchase card and convenience check actions. Submits detailed documentation of findings to the PPMR Team Leader for incorporation into the PPMR draft report.

Policy Branch, PPD

Coordinates the scheduling and planning for the PPMR and leads the PPMR Team.
Conducts the PPMR for supply and service contracts, simplified acquisition, blanket purchase agreements, and purchase card and convenience check actions.
Provides all necessary assistance requested by the Area Office and the Headquarters procurement offices in PPD and FD.
Develops and keeps current the checklists for supply and service contracts, simplifiedacquisition, blanket purchase agreements, and purchase card and convenience check, in accordance with FAR, AGAR, and FAM.
Writes the supply and service contracts, simplified acquisition, blanket purchase agreements, and purchase card and convenience check sections of the PPMR report.
Prepares the consolidated PPMR report.

Procurement and Property Branch, PPD

Develops and keeps current the checklists for property in accordance with FPMR.
Conducts PPMR for personal property.
Writes the property section of the PPMR report.

Facilities Contracts Branch, FD

Develops and keeps current the checklists for construction and A-E contracts in accordance with FAR, and AGAR.
Conducts PPMR for A-E and construction contracts.
Writes the A-E and construction section of the PPMR report.

PAO's, PPD and FD Procurement Office Supervisors (Depending on the office being reviewed)

Assembles organization/workload information for pre-review data (Exhibit 2)
Participates in entrance/exit interviews and assures that all files are available for review by the PPMR Team.
Reviews the PPMR report and assures corrective actions are timely executed and accomplishments are submitted for closure.

AAO's, PPD Division Director, and FD Division Director (Depending on the office being reviewed)

Assures that required resources and personnel are made available for interview by the PPMR Team.
Coordinates participation of cognizant personnel for the entrance and exit interviews.
Assures that the draft PPMR report is reviewed by appropriate personnel and that comments are timely submitted.
Monitors recommendations and corrective actions to completion and submits monthly progress reports to Chief, PB.

Chief, PB, PPD or Designee.

Designates the procurement and property site to be reviewed.
Designates members of the PPMR Team.
Participates in the PPMR entrance and exit conference.
Writes the management section of the PPMR report.
Responsible for concurrence of the PPMR Team report.

Director, PPD.

Responsible for final issuance of the PPMR draft and final reports. (For PPD reviews, the Policy Branch Chief will be responsible for the draft and final issuance of the PPMR Report.)

- sd-

W. G. HORNER
Deputy Administrator
Administrative and Financial Management

Exhibit 1

PROCEDURE DATE AND TIME FRAME CHART

Date and/or Time frame	Action to be completed
July 1 of each year	PPD will issue a schedule of reviews for that subsequent fiscal year, to Headquarters and all Area Offices.
60 calendar days prior to the review	Pre-review memo will be sent to the Area Office, PPD, or FD to identify the date for the PPMR and request the specific pre-review information needed. (See Exhibit 1, Pre-Review Data.)
60 calendar days prior to the review	PPMR Team members will be identified.
30 calendar days prior to the review	The office scheduled for reviewed shall forward the required pre- review data to the PPMR Team Leader.
2 weeks from receipt of Pre-Review Data	PPMR Team Leader will identify the materials to be made available for review, at the time of the PPMR.
The first day of the PPMR	The PPMR Team will conduct entrance interviews with the AAO, PAO, and the Procurement and Property staffs. (For PPD and FD reviews, the PPMR Team will conduct the entrance interviews with the cognizant Director and Branch Chief)
Approx. 3 days	The PPMR Team - conduct the review in accordance with the PPMR checklists and synopsize findings.
Last day of PPMR	PPMR Team will conduct the exit conference with the AAO and Procurement and Property Staffs. (For PPD and FD reviews, the PPMR Team will conduct the exit conference with the cognizant Director and Branch Chief)
20 working days after the exit conference	The PPMR Team Leader shall prepare the draft PPMR report. (See Exhibit 2 for report outline, and Exhibit 3 for a sample)
30 working days after the exit conference	The draft PPMR report will be issued to the AAO, PPD Director, or FD Director (depending of the office being reviewed).
As indicated in the Report (usually 4 to 6 weeks)	The AAO or Director will review the draft PPMR report, identify any areas that may not have been accurately captured, and address how findings will be corrected and recommendations initiated.
Date and/or Time frame	Action to be completed
4 weeks from receipt of comments	Upon receipt of AAO or Director comments, PPMR Team Leader will finalize the report. All Team Members should sign the report.
2 weeks from receipt of finalized report	The PPD, Policy Branch Chief, will approve/disapprove the report.
1 week from PB Chief approval	PPMR Team Leader will transmit the final report to the AAO (or Division Director), and track accomplishments.
As indicated in the report	The AAO/PAO (or Division Director/Branch Chief), will monitor the initiation of recommendations and completion of corrective actions. Documented accomplishments are forwarded to the PPMR Team Leader for closure.

Exhibit 2

PRE-REVIEW DATA

Data to be supplied by the Area Office to PPD 30 calendar days prior to the PPMR.

1.    Organizational chart listing of the Procurement and Property staffs. The list should include each individual's area of responsibility, series, grade, job title, and level of delegated contracting/small purchase authority.

2.    Individual workload reports which show a total (by number of actions and dollar amount) all procurement actions completed by each procurement official (i.e., awards, P.O.s, purchase card and convenience check actions, etc.).

3.    List of all contracts and modifications for the fiscal year under review. The list should include the contract number, contractor, description of requirement, location, and dollar amount. Total number of contracts and total dollar value for the fiscal is also necessary (From log books or automated logs).

4.    A list of all purchase orders processed during the fiscal year, including the following information: P.O. number, dollar value, and vendor. BPA actions should be shown separately with separate totals.

5.    A list of all purchase card and convenience check actions processed during the fiscal year, including the following information: tracking numbers, dollar value, and vendor. (This information is available from Data Query.)

    a.    Name of Area Agency Program Coordinator/Alternate with grade, series, and title
    b.    Name of Local Agency Program Coordinators/Alternates by grade, series, and title
    c.    Number of purchase card actions
    d.    Number of convenience checks issued

Two weeks prior to the PPMR, the PPD Review Team will identify specific contracts, purchase orders, BPA's, and purchase card and convenience check actions to be reviewed by the PPMR Team.

Exhibit 3

Procurement and Property Division
Procurement and Property Management Review
OUTLINE

I. INTRODUCTION
    A.    PPD Team
    B.    Area Office
            1.    Identify Staff
            2.    Summary of Procurement Actions
    C.    Percentage of the Review

II. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS PROCUREMENT

III. PROCUREMENT
    A.    Management - Overall, Reference Materials, Training, Automation
    B.    Contracts - Supplies/Services
    C.    Contracts - Construction
    D.    Simplified Acquisition
    E.    Blanket Purchase Agreements
    F.    Purchase Card/Convenience Check

IV. PERSONAL PROPERTY
    A.    Findings and Recommendations

         1.    Staffing
         2.    Reference Materials
         3.    Training
         4.    Office Automation of Property Records
         5.    Accountability
         6.    Property Records
         7.    Inventory Control
         8.    Suspense Report
         9.    Purchase Card/Convenience Check
        10.    Excess Property
        11.    Motor Vehicles
        12.    Summary of Property Findings

V. CURRENT FINDINGS AS COMPARED TO LAST PPMR

VI. EXHIBITS