R9 White Mountain Supplement: 6300-2008-1
EFFECTIVE DATE: 04/08/2008
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed / 6300_zero_code
Page 1 of 4
FSM 6300 – Procurement management
Chapter 6300 – zero code
/ Forest Service MANUAL
white mountain nf (Region 9)
laconia, nh

fsM 6300 – PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT

chapteR 6300 – ZERO CODE

Supplement No.: R9 White Mtn 6300-2008-1

Effective Date: April 8, 2008

Duration: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.

Approved: Thomas G. wagner
Forest Supervisor / Date Approved: 04/08/2008

Posting Instructions: Supplements are numbered consecutively by title and calendar year. Post by document; remove the entire document and replace it with this supplement.Retain this transmittal as the first page(s) of this document. This the first supplement in this series.

New Document / R9 White Mtn 6300-2008-1 / 4 Pages
Superseded Document(s) (Supplement Number and Effective Date) / None

Digest:

6302 – OBJECTIVES: Define the policy for and responsibilities of personnel assigned the authority to review and approve requisitions.

6303 – POLICY: Defines the policy behind this supplement and specifies redelegation of the authority.

6304 – RESPONSIBILITY

6304.8 – Adds a new section describing the responsibilities of persons assigned the role as requisition approvers.

6302 – OBJECTIVES

Define the policy for and responsibilities of personnel assigned the authority to review and approve requisitions.

6303 – POLICY

All requisitions for the purchase of supplies, services and construction must be reviewed and approved by a responsible official delegated that authority prior to the requisition being executed by a person with procurement authority. This system provides an internal control and ensures that the “bona fide” need test is met. Annually, all job codes assigned to the forest will be delegated in writing by name to specific individuals by the Forest Supervisor. Delegations will be updated as needed in writing. Delegations shall be temporarily passed to persons “acting in lieu of” butonly in those cases where the original designee is absent from the Forest for a week or more. All temporary “acting” delegations must be documented in writing.

6304 – RESPONSIBILITY

6304.8 – Requisition Approvers

  1. Definitions:

a.Requisition Approver: A requisition approver is aForest Service employee who has been delegated the authority to review and approve requisitions against a specific job code(s).Unless a requisition approver also has authority under the Federal Acquisition Regulations (i.e. is a purchasing agent or a micro-purchase cardholder), they may not actually commit or obligate the Federal Government by placing a purchase order with a vendor.

b.Approval Roles: Specific approval roles are established for each individual delegated authority as a requisition approver. These roles limit and constrain an approver’s authority to a defined unit.

  1. Responsibility for Requisition Review and Approval:
  2. A requisition approver must ensure there is a “bona fide” need for the item or service requested.Consider the following prior to approving a requisition.
  3. Legitimate need for the goods or services requested.
  4. Item/service is authorized by law/regulation.
  5. Adequate funds are available to fund the acquisition.
  6. All requisitions sent to requisition approver for approval must be documented in writing (email, hand written or WMNF Simplified Requisition Form). If the requisition is approved, it is signed and forwarded to an individual authorized to complete the purchase in accordance with the various acquisition regulations (Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Agricultural Acquisition Regulations (AGAR), Forest ServiceAcquisition Regulations (FSAR) such as a PCMS cardholder, purchasing agent or contracting officer.
  7. In the event the purchase approver is also a PCMS cardholder, they may proceed directly to acquire the goods or services under the micro-purchase regulations if the four tests below are met. If these tests are not met, then the requisition must be passed on to another cardholder or purchasing agent for completion.
  8. They have approval authority for the job code.
  9. The requisition comes from their authorized unit.
  10. The requisition is not for their immediate benefit such as training or conference attendance.
  11. The order is not over their purchasing threshold (purchases may not be split to stay under the threshold).
  1. Approved Roles:
  2. Forest Supervisor/Deputy Forest Supervisor (includes Acting Forest Supervisor): All job codes assigned to the forest for which funds have been issued in the current Fiscal Year. Prior year funds require significant coordination with Budget & Finance and the Washington Office prior to approval.
  3. District Rangers (includes Acting District Ranger): All job codes assigned to subordinates on their unit may be approved by the District Ranger. Approval is for their assigned unit only. Acting’s must be designated in writing to exercise this authority.
  4. Staff Officers/ Resource Team Leaders: Approval authority is forest-wide in their authorized job codes. Acting’s must be designated in writing to exercise this authority.
  5. Assistant Rangers/Unit Project Managers: May authorize purchases in their assigned job codes for their unit only when they have been delegated funds in the annual work plan or approved acquisition plan. Acting’s must be delegated in writing to exercise this authority.
  6. PCMS Cardholders: Cardholders are authorized to make purchases with their assigned PCMS card without prior written approval only for job codes they are assigned and only for their assigned unit. Purchases must be within the transaction purchase limits (e.g. $2,500 purchase limit for goods and services, $2,000 for construction per transaction) and the monthly threshold purchase limit of the cardholder. No local printing is authorized. Purchases in any other job code or another unit require prior written approval.
  7. Budget Officer/Budget Analyst: The budget officer and budget analyst make requisition approvals only within the IAS system as a verification step in that process against the program work plan. Approval of the requisition is still needed by an individual with approval authority for that job code prior to submission into IAS. The BO/BA may not both approve the job code and make an IAS approval on the same requisition without Line Officer or Staff Officer counter signature.
  8. All Other Personnel: Personnel not assigned approval authority in a particular program or unit must get prior written approval from a person with approval authority (both program and unit),prior to submitting a requisition to either a purchase cardholder, IAS requisitioner or purchasing and contracting.
  1. Other Approval Limitations:
  2. Vehicles: Government vehicles assigned a Voyager Fuel Card gives the operator authority to acquire fuel and authorized goods and services for that vehicle.Fleet repair authorizations for vehicles are limited to $350 for Unit Fleet Managers. Purchases over $350 may only be approved by the Forest Fleet Manager, Technical Services Team Leader or Forest Supervisor.
  3. Technical Authority (TA) for IT and Telecomm: All personnel, regardless of approval authority, require written prior technical approval for IT and Telecomm items.TA is approved only by the IRM.Refer to