FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2008
Contact: OMB Communications, 202-395-7254
New OFPP Guidance will Improve Management of Interagency Acquisitions
Washington, DC — Today, OMB’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) released guidance to strengthen interagency acquisition practices across the government. The guidance will help agencies mitigate risks and achieve the greatest value possible when using another agency’s contracts or acquisition services.
Interagency acquisitions enable agencies to save taxpayer resources and achieve administrative efficiencies. However, these benefits frequently go unrealized. “Requesting agencies” (agencies who meet their needs using other agencies’ contracts) and “servicing agencies” (agencies who manage contracts on behalf of other agencies) often fail to work out a clear understanding of their respective responsibilities. Unclear lines of responsibility lead to poor contracting practices, such as inadequate planning and weak contract management.
OFPP’s guidance provides a set of practical tools for improving results, including:
- a model interagency agreement to establish the terms and conditions that govern the relationship between requesting and servicing agencies and capture the information needed to properly support an interagency acquisition;
- a detailed checklist that requesting and servicing agencies can use to ensure they have fully and effectively defined their respective roles and responsibilities in the interagency agreement; and
- a list of internal controls to ensure use of an interagency acquisition is consistent with sound business considerations.
As of October 1, 2008, agencies must support their decisions to use interagency acquisitions with “best interest determinations.” Starting on November 3, 2008, agencies must either begin using the model interagency agreement or ensure that new agreements entered into after this date contain the model’s key elements.
“Agencies who manage interagency acquisitions and the agencies who rely on them share a fiduciary responsibility to use sound contracting and fiscal practices,” said OFPP Administrator Paul A. Denett. “OFPP’s guidance will help agencies get the best results possible from all interagency contract vehicles, including the Multiple Award Schedules, government-wide acquisition contracts, and multi-agency contracts.”
For a copy of OFPP’s guidance, Interagency Acquisitions, and memorandum to Chief Acquisition Officers and Senior Procurement Executives, go to www.omb.gov.###
