Federal Procurement Policies and Considerations

The federal government's basic procurement or acquisition process involves an agency identifying the goods and services it needs, determining the most appropriate method for purchasing these items, and carrying out the acquisition. Although this process is simple in theory, any given procurement can be complex, involving a multitude of decisions and actions. A contracting officer may need to determine, for example, whether to use a federal supply schedule, what type of contract to use, whether simplified acquisition procedures may be used, or whether the procurement should be set aside for small businesses. This book describes the most common elements of the federal procurement process and resources that may be used in that process. Also discussed is the Buy American Act; government procurement in times of fiscal uncertainty; environmental considerations in federal procurement; The Berry Amendment; multiyear procurement (MYP) and block buy contracting in defense; and legal requirements for contract types.