34.003 Responsibilities
Source: FAR 34.003 on acquisition.gov
Agencies must establish and document clear procedures, decision points, and responsible officials for major system acquisitions to ensure effective oversight and compliance with A-109.
Overview
FAR 34.003 outlines the responsibilities of federal agencies in managing major system acquisitions. It requires agency heads or their designees to establish written procedures in accordance with OMB Circular A-109, ensuring a structured approach to major system procurement. These procedures must clearly identify key decision points and designate the officials responsible for making critical acquisition decisions. The section also defines what constitutes a major system acquisition—programs that are essential to agency missions, require significant resources, and demand special management attention. Agencies may set additional criteria for major acquisitions as guided by A-109.
Key Rules
- Written Procedures Requirement
- Agencies must develop and document procedures for implementing A-109 in major system acquisitions.
- Identification of Decision Points and Officials
- Procedures must specify key decision milestones and the agency officials responsible for each decision.
- Criteria for Major System Acquisition
- Major acquisitions are those critical to agency missions, resource-intensive, and requiring special management oversight. Agencies can add further criteria per A-109.
Responsibilities
- Contracting Officers: Ensure compliance with agency procedures for major system acquisitions.
- Contractors: Understand agency-specific processes and decision points for major acquisitions.
- Agencies: Develop, document, and implement procedures; identify decision points and responsible officials; define criteria for major acquisitions.
Practical Implications
- This section ensures that major system acquisitions are managed with clear oversight and accountability.
- It impacts how agencies structure their acquisition processes and how contractors interact with those processes.
- Common pitfalls include lack of clear procedures, undefined decision points, or failure to designate responsible officials, which can delay or jeopardize major acquisitions.
(a) As required by A-109, the agency head or designee shall establish written procedures for its implementation.
(b) The agency procedures shall identify the key decision points of each major system acquisition and the agency official(s) for making those decisions.
(c) Systems acquisitions normally designated as major are those programs that, as determined by the agency head, (1) are directed at and critical to fulfilling an agency mission need, (2) entail allocating relatively large resources for the particular agency, and (3) warrant special management attention, including specific agency-head decisions. The agency procedures may establish additional criteria, as specified in A-109, for designating major programs system acquisitions.