[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2723-2725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-1140]



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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

41 CFR Parts 201-20 and 201-24

[FIRMR Interim Rule 2, Supplement 1]
RIN 3090-AE 71


Amendment of FIRMR Provisions To Modify Requirements for 
Obtaining Delegations of Procurement Authority

AGENCY: Information Technology Service, GSA.


[[Page 2724]]

ACTION: Interim rule with request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This change to the Federal Information Resources Management 
Regulation (FIRMR) revises policies regarding delegations of 
procurement authority from GSA for the acquisition of Federal 
information processing (FIP) resources. In a FIRMR rule change issued 
October 24, 1994, GSA established three tiers of regulatory thresholds 
for information technology resources: $20 million, $10 million, and $5 
million based on the size of an agency's information technology budget 
and its management record. In letters to all Federal agencies dated 
June 19, 1995, GSA granted specific agency delegations of procurement 
authority of $100 million to each agency. This rule change codifies 
that higher delegation authority by establishing $100 million as the 
regulatory threshold for agency acquisitions of FIP resources. This 
change is made in continuation of a long term GSA trend to place 
greater authority in the hands of the operating agencies. The higher 
threshold will allow agencies to assume greater responsibility for 
their acquisitions while allowing GSA to focus on larger, more complex 
acquisitions. In addition to increasing the dollar amount of regulatory 
delegations thresholds, this interim rule strongly encourages agency 
Designated Senior Officials (DSO's) to redelegate a minimum of 25 
percent of GSA's exclusive procurement authority for FIP resources to 
qualified officials at other levels, and changes the approving 
authority for exceptions to the use of GSA's consolidated local 
telecommunications service.

DATES: This amendment is effective immediately upon publication. 
Comments will be considered in the final rule, but must be received on 
or before February 28, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Doris Farmer, GSA/MKR, FTS/Commercial (202) 501-0960 (v), Internet 
([email protected]), or (202) 501-0657 (tdd).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: (1) This interim rule enables GSA to focus 
on high dollar, high risk agency information technology acquisitions. 
It provides more authority to agencies, while continuing to require 
increased measures of accountability and outcomes. The increased 
authority allows agencies to further streamline their internal 
acquisition management and review functions. It also promotes 
improvements in early agency planning and analysis of business 
processes that may be improved through the use of information 
technology. (2) An explanation of the changes being made follows:
    (a) Subsection 201-20.305(a) is amended to encourage DSO's to 
redelegate a minimum of 25 percent of the monetary value of GSA's 
delegated procurement authority to other qualified agency officials at 
lower organizational levels where sufficient expertise exists. Such 
redelegations will further expedite FIP acquisitions and provide for a 
more efficient process. DSO's who elect not to redelegate at least 25 
percent, or who withdraw earlier delegations, must advise GSA in 
writing of the circumstances that will not allow redelegation and the 
management action being taken to allow such redelegation in the future. 
This change greatly increases the authority granted agencies in Interim 
Rule 2, which stated that agencies could only redelegate a maximum of 
50 percent of their delegated authority.
    (b) Subsection 201-20.305-1 is amended to establish a new 
regulatory delegation of procurement authority of $100 million for 
acquiring FIP resources without prior approval from GSA. This dollar 
threshold also applies to specific make and model requirements and 
requirements available from only one source.
    (c) Subsection 201-24.102(c)(2) is amended to inform agencies to 
submit requests for exceptions to the use of consolidated local 
telecommunications service directly to the Federal Telecommunications 
Service (TT) for review.
    (3) This rule was submitted to, and approved by, the Office of 
Management and Budget in accordance with Executive Order 12866, 
Regulatory Planning and Review.
    (4) The recordkeeping provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act do 
not apply because the FIRMR changes do not impose information 
collection requirements or collection of information from offerors, 
contractors, or members of the public which require the approval of OMB 
under 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

List of Subjects in 41 CFR Parts 201-20 and 201-24

    Archives and records, Computer technology, Federal information 
processing resources activities, Government procurement, Property 
management, Records management, and Telecommunications.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, GSA is amending 41 CFR 
Parts 201-20 and 201-24 as follows:

PART 201-20--ACQUISITION

    1. The authority citation for part 201-20 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 40 U.S.C. 486(c) and 751(f).

    2. Section 201-20.305 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(3) and 
(a)(5) as follows:


Sec. 201-20.305  Delegation of GSA's exclusive procurement authority.

* * * * *
    (3) The agency's DSO should redelegate, at a minimum, 25 percent of 
the monetary value of GSA's delegated exclusive authorities for FIP 
resources to qualified officials possessing the expertise to conduct 
and manage FIP acquisitions.
* * * * *
    (5) DSO's who elect not to redelegate at least 25 percent of the 
monetary value of the delegated authority, or who withdraw a 
delegation, shall advise GSA/MKA, 18th and F Streets, NW., Washington, 
DC 20405, in writing, of the circumstances involving such redelegations 
and their plan regarding redelegations within the agency.
* * * * *
    3. Section 201-20.305-1 is amended by revising paragraphs (a)(1) 
introductory text and (a)(3) introductory text, as follows:


Sec. 201-20.305-1  Regulatory delegations.

    (a) * * *
    (1) FIP equipment, software, services, and support services when 
the total estimated dollar value of all of the FIP resources to be 
acquired under the contract, including all optional items and all 
option periods, does not exceed $100 million, and if either paragraph 
(a)(1) (i), (ii) or (iii) of this section applies:
* * * * *
    (3) Use or acquisition of FIP resources from the following GSA 
contracting programs do not require delegations of procurement 
authority from GSA:
* * * * *

PART 201-24--GSA SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE

    1. The authority citation for part 201-24 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 40 U.S.C. 486(c) and 751(f).

    2. Section 201-24.102 is amended by revising paragraph (c)(2) as 
follows:


Sec. 201-24.102  Consolidated local telecommunications service.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (2) Agencies shall submit requests for exceptions to the use of 
consolidated 

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local telecommunications services to: GSA, Federal Telecommunications 
Service (TT), 1730 M Street, NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036.
* * * * *
    Dated: October 11, 1995.
Roger W. Johnson,
Administrator of General Services.
[FR Doc. 96-1140 Filed 1-26-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-25-M