03-05
Procurement
Information Circular
February 6, 2003
SOCIO-ECONOMIC GOALING PROCESS
PURPOSE: To provide guidance on the process used to establish Center specific
socio-economic goals.
BACKGROUND: Federal regulations (FAR 19.201) require federal
agencies to provide all small businesses with the maximum practicable
opportunity to participate in government contracting. To achieve this objective, Government-wide socio-economic goals
are established for federal agencies as percentages of their annual
expenditures. Each agency submits its
proposed goals to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for approval. The SBA approval process includes ensuring
that the aggregate Government-wide statutory goals are met. Center
specific socio-economic goals are developed to facilitate accomplishment of the
larger Agency goal. Further, contract specific goals facilitate the accomplishment
of the Center specific and ultimately Agency-wide socio-economic goals. These
goals ensure that the maximum practicable opportunities are provided for all
categories of small business concerns to participate in NASA’s missions and
programs.
Individual
contracting officers and contract specialists are primarily responsible for the
establishment of contract specific socio-economic goals, while the
establishment of Center specific goals involves interaction between the Center
procurement offices, Center management, Enterprise Small Business Coordinators
(Enterprises) and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Utilization (Code
K). In the spirit of embodying the
One-NASA philosophy, information regarding the process
used to establish Center specific socio-economic goals may be helpful to
contracting officers and contract specialists in the planning and establishment
of their individual contract goals.
GUIDANCE:
Code K is
responsible for issuance of a ‘Draft Goal Call Memorandum’ upon receipt
bi-annually of a request from SBA (but not later than July 15), for the
Agency’s proposed socio-economic goals for the next two fiscal years. This memorandum, which is sent to
Officials-in-Charge of Headquarters, Center Directors and the Director of the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), requests information regarding socio-economic
goal estimates for the next two fiscal years from each Center. Center responses are generally due not later
than August 30.
[NOTE: Typically, the issuance of the memorandum
and the assignment of a response due date is contingent upon receipt of
information from and any deadlines established by the SBA. However, since this process is time
critical, it is prudent to establish self-imposed deadlines, which may be more
aggressive than those established by the SBA.]
Center
procurement offices, typically through the small business specialists, work
with procurement and the program offices to develop the initial goal estimates.
These initial estimates are coordinated and approved by Center management and
forwarded to the Enterprises. The
Enterprises are responsible for the submission of the goal estimates to Code K
for review.
Code K reviews
the goal estimates and discusses the components with the Enterprises. If Code K determines that the goal estimates
are unacceptable, negotiations are conducted with the Enterprises. Representatives from the Center procurement
organizations should be integrally involved in this process. The purpose of
these negotiations is to develop acceptable goals based on historical data,
current budget and operating conditions, the state of the industrial base, and
anticipated procurement activity. All
negotiations should be completed by November 30. Based upon the results of the reviews and/or negotiations, the
proposed goals for the Agency are forwarded to the SBA for review, negotiation
(if necessary) and approval.
Final negotiated
Agency-wide goals will be provided to Officials-in-Charge of Headquarters,
Center Directors, the Director of the JPL and Center Procurement Officers or
designee within 75 days of the beginning of each fiscal year. If goals for the new fiscal year are not
available within 75 days, the initial Center goal estimates submitted by the
Enterprises for Code K review will be retained unless otherwise directed by the
Associate Deputy Administrator for Institutions and Asset Management (Code A).
EFFECTIVE
DATE: This PIC is effective as dated and shall
remain in effect until cancelled or superseded.
HEADQUARTERS
CONTACT: Yolande Harden, Code HK, (202) 358-1279,
e-mail: Yolande.B.Harden@nasa.gov.
R. Scott
Thompson
Director,
Contract Management Division