(a) Policy. In accordance with a Determination and Findings issued by the Assistant Secretary of State for Administration, the requirement for advance notices in the Governmentwide point of entry (GPE) for the Department's foreign acquisitions awarded by overseas contracting activities is waived. GPE notices may be published for any acquisition where the contracting officer decides that publication would be in the Department's best interests.

(b) Procedures. Contracting officers at overseas contracting activities are not required to prepare an individual determination and findings to document their decision to waive the GPE notice requirements.

(c) Competition requirements. Nothing in this section waives the requirement to obtain competition as required by FAR part 6 and DOSAR (48 CFR) part 606. Competition, including the use of written solicitation, shall be obtained in all cases to the extent feasible. If there are known U.S. firms or firms with U.S. affiliations in local residence capable of supplying the required supplies or services, the contracting activity shall ensure that those firms are included in the source list for the acquisition.

(d) Policy exclusions. GPE waiver authority does not apply to local guard service contracts exceeding $250,000, or any contracts exceeding $5 million. Local guard service contracts that exceed $250,000 and other contracts that exceed $5 million shall be published in the GPE. Option year prices shall be included when computing the applicability of this threshold.

(a)

(1) Contracting officers at overseas posts shall submit notices of proposed contract actions to A/OPE for electronic transmittal to the GPE. Alternately, posts may obtain a user ID and password that allows direct registration and issuance of the notice in the GPE. Posts should contact A/OPE for assistance in obtaining the ID and password if they choose to directly input the notice information.

In addition to the information required at FAR 5.207, each notice of a proposed acquisition from only one responsible source shall include descriptions of the specific qualifications or capabilities required to perform the work and the information a potential source must submit.

(a) Contracting officers shall make information available on awards over $10 million to the Bureau of Legislative Affairs, upon request, in sufficient time for an announcement by 5:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on the day of the award. This requirement applies only to awards made by domestic contracting activities where performance will take place within the United States or its possessions.

The Procurement Executive is the agency head for the purposes of FAR 5.403.

The Procurement Executive is the agency head's designee for the purposes of FAR 5.404–1(a) and the agency head for the purposes of FAR 5.404–1(b).

(a) For paid advertisements in newspapers within the United States, the head of the contracting activity is the agency head's designee for the purposes of FAR 5.502(a). For acquisitions by overseas posts necessitating paid advertisements in newspapers outside the United States, the head of the contracting activity is the agency's head's designee for the purposes of FAR 5.502(a). When the head of the contracting activity is the contracting officer for the acquisition, no further approvals are necessary.