(a) Delegations. Pursuant to § 2.24(a)(6) of this chapter, and with due deference for delegations to other Departmental Administration officials, the following delegations of authority are made by the Assistant Secretary for Administration to the Director, Office of Contracting and Procurement:

(1) Exercise full Departmentwide contracting and procurement authority.

(2) Promulgate policies, standards, techniques, and procedures, and represent the Department, in the following:

(i) Acquisition, including, but not limited to, the procurement of supplies, services, equipment, and construction.

(ii) Socioeconomic programs relating to contracting.

(iii) Selection, standardization, and simplification of program delivery processes utilizing contracts.

(iv) Acquisition and leasing of real and personal property.

(v) Implementation of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4601, et seq.).

(vi) Implementation of the policies and procedures set forth in OMB Circular No. A-76, Performance of Commercial Activities.

(3) Exercise the following special authorities:

(i) The Director, Office of Contracting and Procurement, is designated as the Departmental Debarring Officer and authorized to perform the functions of 48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4 related to procurement activities, except for commodity acquisitions on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (7 CFR part 1407), with authority to redelegate suspension and debarment authority for contracts awarded under the School Lunch and Surplus Removal Programs (42 U.S.C. 1755 and 7 U.S.C. 612c).

(ii) Promulgate regulations for the management of contracting and procurement for information technology and telecommunication equipment, software, services, maintenance and related supplies.

(iii) Represent the Department in working with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the General Services Administration, OMB, and other organizations or agencies on matters related to assigned responsibilities.

(iv) Conduct liaison with the Office of Federal Register (1 CFR part 16) including the making of required certifications pursuant to 1 CFR part 18.

(4) Exercise authority under the Department's Chief Acquisition Officer (the Assistant Secretary for Administration) to integrate and unify the management process for the Department's major system acquisitions and to monitor implementation of the policies and practices set forth in OMB Circular No. A-109, Major Systems Acquisitions, with the exception that major system acquisitions for information technology shall be under the cognizance of the Chief Information Officer. This delegation includes the authority to:

(i) Ensure that OMB Circular No. A-109 is effectively implemented in the Department and that the management objectives of the Circular are realized.

(ii) Review the program management of each major system acquisition, excluding information technology.

(iii) Designate the program manager for each major system acquisition, excluding information technology.

(iv) Designate any Departmental acquisition, excluding information technology, as a major system acquisition under OMB Circular No. A-109.

(5) Pursuant to Executive Order 12931, “Federal Procurement Reform,” and 41 U.S.C. 1702(c), serve as the Senior Procurement Executive for the Department with responsibility for the following:

(i) Prescribing and publishing Departmental acquisition policies, advisories, regulations, and procedures.

(ii) Taking any necessary actions consistent with policies, regulations, and procedures, with respect to purchases, contracts, leases, agreements, and other transactions.

(iii) Appointing contracting officers.

(iv) Establishing clear lines and limitations of contracting authority through written delegations of authority.

(v) Approving any Departmental and component agency procurement systems and processes.

(vi) Managing and enhancing career development of the Department's acquisition workforce.

(vii) Participating in the development of Governmentwide procurement policies, regulations and standards, and determining specific areas where Governmentwide performance standards should be established and applied.

(viii) Developing unique Departmental standards as required.

(ix) Overseeing the development of procurement goals, guidelines, and innovation.

(x) Measuring and evaluating procurement office performance against stated goals.

(xi) Advising the Assistant Secretary for Administration whether procurement goals are being achieved.

(xii) Prescribing standards for agency Senior Contracting Officials.

(xiii) Redelegating, suspending, or revoking, as appropriate, the authority in paragraph (a)(5)(i) of this section to agency Senior Contracting Officials or other qualified agency officials with no power of further redelegation.

(xiv) Redelegating, suspending, or revoking, as appropriate, the authorities in paragraphs (a)(5)(ii), (iii), (iv), (vi), and (vii) of this section to agency Senior Contracting Officials or other qualified agency officials with the power of further redelegation.

(6) Represent the Department in establishing standards for acquisition transactions within the electronic data interchange environment.

(7) Designate the Departmental Task Order Ombudsman pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 253j.

(8) Serve as Departmental Remedy Coordination Official pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 255 to determine whether payment to any contractor should be reduced or suspended based on substantial evidence that the request of the contractor for advance, partial, or progress payment is based on fraud.

(9) Review and approve exemptions for USDA contracts, subcontracts, grants, agreements, and loans from the requirements of the Clean Air Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 7401, et seq.), the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251, et seq.), and Executive Order 11738, “Providing for Administration of the Clean Air Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act With Respect to Federal Contracts, Grants, or Loans,” 3 CFR, 1971-1975 Comp., p. 799, when he or she determines that the paramount interest of the United States so requires as provided in these acts and Executive Order and the regulations of the EPA (2 CFR 1532.1140).

(10) Issue regulations and directives to implement or supplement the Federal Acquisition Regulations (48 CFR chapter 1 and 4).

(12) Pursuant to the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (Act), as amended (41 U.S.C. 401, et seq.), designate the Department's Advocate for Competition with the responsibility for section 20 of the Act (41 U.S.C. 418), including:

(i) Reviewing the procurement activities of the Department.

(ii) Developing new initiatives to increase full and open competition.

(iii) Developing goals and plans and recommending actions to increase competition.

(iv) Challenging conditions unnecessarily restricting competition in the acquisition of supplies and services.

(v) Promoting the acquisition of commercial items.

(vi) Designating an Advocate for Competition for each procuring activity within the Department.

(13) In coordination with the Chief Financial Officer, implement the debarment authorities in section 14211 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2209j), in connection with procurement activities.

(14) Provide services, including procurement of supplies, services, and equipment, with authority to take actions required by law or regulation to perform such services for:

(i) The Secretary of Agriculture.

(ii) The general officers of the Department, except the Inspector General.

(iii) Any other offices or agencies of the Department as may be agreed, including as a Working Capital Fund activity.

(b) [Reserved]

[83 FR 61316, Nov. 29, 2018]