Office of Acquisition and Logistics (OAL)

Acquisition Policy Flash! 17-14

Strategic Sourcing Contracting Support

Purpose:  To provide a current listing of the procurement assignments to VA’s national contracting organizations, and to encourage VA’s contracting officers to utilize VA’s national contracting organizations — the Office of Acquisition and Logistics (OAL) Denver Acquisition and Logistics Center (DALC), and the OAL National Healthcare Acquisition Center (NAC), the Office of Acquisition Operations (OAO) Strategic Acquisition Center (SAC), the OAO Technology Acquisition Center (TAC), in satisfying their enterprise-level strategic sourcing requirements.

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Sections Referenced:  N/A

Effective Date:  Immediately

Background:  On March 28, 2013, the Principal Executive Director of the Office of Acquisitions, Logistics and Construction (OALC) of VA released a memo, “Strategic Sourcing Contracting Support.”  This memo established lead responsibility for various types of purchases among VA’s national contracting organizations-the NAC (which includes the DALC), SAC, and TAC.

Recommendation 5, of GAO report 16-810, entitled:  Veterans Affairs Contracting Improvements in Policies and Procedures Could Yield Cost Saving and Efficiency, dated September 16, 2016, noted:  “VA should assess whether additional policy or guidance is needed to clarify the roles of VA's national contracting organizations, beyond that provided in its March 2013 memorandum outlining the current structure.”

As a result of this recommendation a review of strategic sourcing responsibilities was conducted and the revised guidance is provided in the attached Table 1.

Applicability:  This information is applicable to all VA contracting officers.

Action Required:  VA’s contracting officers should support VA’s strategic sourcing program by utilizing the national contracting organizations of the NAC, DALC, SAC and TAC to the maximum extent practicable when they have requirements that are listed in the attached Table1, “Primary Contracting Activities for VA Strategic Sourcing Support.”

Additional Information:  Questions or concerns should be addressed to the Office of Acquisition and Logistics (003A), Procurement Policy and Warrant Management Service (003A2A) at (202) 632-5288 or va.procurement.policy@va.gov.

Table 1

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