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Change Number: 2023-0201
Effective Date: 02/01/2023

1.603-3-91 Ordering officers.

1.603-3-91 Ordering officers.

(a)(l) This policy covers DLA ordering officers only.

(2) Contracting officers have the authority to appoint qualified DLA personnel as ordering officers for the purpose of placing orders under fixed-price indefinite delivery contracts (IDCs) or blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) awarded by DLA contracting officers for supplies or services. The contracting officer shall not appoint ordering officers for IDCs or BPAs that require negotiation of prices or any other contract terms. The contracting officer does not have authority to appoint ordering officers to execute modifications. (Refer to FAR 43.102(a)(1).)

(b) Include procurement note L23 in IDCs or BPAs when the contracting officer has assigned an ordering officer.

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L23 Ordering Officers (FEB 2018)

(1) The following Government employees have ordering officer authority for [ contracting officer insert contract or ordering vehicle number ]:

(2) Ordering officers must place orders within the express scope of this indefinite delivery contract or blanket purchase agreement.

(3) The contracting officer will notify you in writing when adding or terminating an ordering officer appointment prior to completion of this indefinite delivery contract or blanket purchase agreement.

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(c) Appointment of ordering officer.

(1) The contracting officer shall appoint a DLA ordering officer using the appointment letter in 53.900153.9001 Appointment of ordering officer. (a)53.9001 Appointment of ordering officer.. The contracting officer shall insert the IDC or BPA number and the name and contact information of the appointed ordering officer in procurement note L23 in the contract.

(i) The contracting officer shall present the appointment letter to the DLA ordering officer and provide instructions on authorities and responsibilities. The DLA ordering officer shall sign the appointment letter to signify receipt of instructions and understanding.

(ii) The contracting officer shall include the appointment letter, and training documents, as stated in 1.603-3-911.603-3-91 Ordering officers. (f)1.603-3-91 Ordering officers., in the contract file and send an electronic copy to the procuring organization warrant program manager.

(2) The procuring organization warrant program manager shall record the appointment in the Active Ordering Officer Warrant List and take appropriate actions to load authority in the contract writing system. For Enterprise Business System ordering officers, the procuring organization warrant program manager shall enter the ordering authority amount in the "Output Limit" field only. Do not enter data in the “Approval Limit” field.

(3) If an IDC or BPA has a contracting officer’s representative (COR) assigned, the contracting officer shall distribute a copy of the ordering officer’s appointment letters to the COR.

(4) The contracting officer shall notify contractors and other appropriate personnel in writing when an ordering officer’s appointment is terminated or a new ordering officer is appointed prior to completion of the IDC or BPA.

(d) Ordering officer official file.

(1) DLA ordering officers shall maintain an official ordering officer file for each IDC and BPA for which they are authorized as an ordering officer. The ordering officer shall include in each file, at a minimum, the appointment letter and a spreadsheet listing all orders issued by the ordering officer.

(2) DLA ordering officers shall provide to the contracting officer on a monthly basis the list of orders they have issued.

(e) Limitations. Ordering officers are not authorized to and shall not—

(1) Delegate their ordering authority.

(2) Place an order for supplies or services not expressly within the scope of the IDC or BPA.

(3) Take any action that could be considered an alteration of the terms and conditions of the IDC or BPA in any way, either directly or by implication.

(4) Take any action that could be considered a termination of the IDC or BPA in any way, either directly or by implication.

(5) Issue modifications to the IDC, BPA, or individual orders.

(6) Issue instructions to the contractor to start or stop work.

(7) Take any other action identified in their appointment letter as a limitation of their authority.

(f) Qualifications. The contracting officer shall only appoint DLA ordering officers who—

(1) Are DLA employees.

(2) Have completed, at a minimum, the following continuous learning courses through Defense Acquisition University ( https://www.dau.edu/ ):

(i) CLC005 Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

(ii) CLM049 Procurement Fraud Indicators.

(iii) DLA Annual Ethics Training or CLM003 Overview of Acquisition Ethics.

(g) Oversight.

(1) The contracting officer shall ensure ordering officers—

(i) Operate within the scope and limitations of authority delegated and FAR Subparts 3.1 and 3.2.

(ii) Maintain standards of conduct prescribed in DoD Directive 5500.07, Standards of Conduct, and DoD 5000.07-R, The Joint Ethics Regulation (JER), and FAR Subparts 3.1 and 3.2.

(iii) Do not engage in improper practices, such as splitting purchase transactions to avoid monetary limitations or delegating authority to others.

(iv) Establish and maintain an official ordering officer file for each IDC and BPA for which they are authorized as an ordering officer; which file shall include, at a minimum, the appointment letter and a spreadsheet listing all orders issued by the ordering officer.

((v) Submit correct and timely information for contracting action reporting purposes.

(vi) Comply with any additional requirements stated in their appointment letter or required by the IDC or BPA.

(2) The contracting officer or the procuring organization warrant program manager shall review a sample of orders issued by the ordering officer to ensure compliance with the authorities authorized in the appointment.

(i) The sample size shall be sufficient to ensure the ordering officer is satisfactorily performing ordering officer duties.

(ii) The review shall verify the ordering officer did not perform unauthorized actions as outlined in section 2a of the appointment letter.

(iii) The review shall verify the ordering officer properly performed the following actions:

(A) Ordered only supplies or services expressly within the scope of the IDC or BPA.

(B) Promptly notified the contracting officer when the ordering officer recommended increasing the quantity or dollar value or extending the ordering period to meet emergency requirements, if the contract terms and conditions permit.

(C) Established and maintained an official ordering officer file for each IDC and BPA for which they have ordering officer authority; including, at a minimum, the appointment letter and a spreadsheet listing all orders issued by the ordering officer.

(D) Complied with any additional requirements stated in their appointment letter or required by the IDC or BPA.

(iv) The contracting officer or the procuring organization warrant program manager shall conduct the review on an annual basis.

(v) The contracting officer or the procuring organization warrant program manager shall ensure copies of review findings are retained in the official ordering officer’s file.

(h) Termination.

(1) Appointing authorities may terminate ordering officer appointments at any time.

(2) The contracting officer shall normally terminate ordering officer authority promptly when—

(i) An ordering officer exceeds the delegated authority or fails to perform properly within the appointment authority; or

(ii) An ordering officer fails to complete assigned corrective actions noted during review.

(3) The contracting officer shall execute terminations in writing; except that ordering officer appointments are automatically terminated when the IDC or BPA ends or when the ordering officer leaves Government employment.

(4) Upon termination of the appointment, the contracting officer shall verify if the individual is an ordering officer on any other IDCs or BPAs. If they are not, the contracting officer shall contact the procuring organization warrant program manager, who shall take appropriate actions to remove the terminated ordering officer from the contract writing system.

(i) Disposition.

(1) Upon completion of the IDC or BPA, the ordering officer shall forward to the contracting officer any hard copy records maintained.

(2) If an appointment is terminated before the IDC or BPA completion, the ordering officer shall provide all records to the ordering officer’s successor and the contracting officer.

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