Agency Advocate for Competition means the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration.

Agency, Federal agency, or Executive agency, as used in the TAR, means the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is the principal fiscal advisor to the Secretary of DOT responsible for providing leadership, advice, and guidance in the development, implementation, and administration of DOT's budget, financial management, and performance management.

Chief Information Officer is the principal information technology (IT), cyber security, privacy, and records management advisor to the Secretary, and is the final authority on these matters within the Department.

Chief of the Contracting Office (COCO) means the individual(s) responsible for managing the contracting office(s) within an Operating Administration.

Contracting activity includes all the contracting offices within an Operating Administration and is the same as the term “procuring activity.”

Contracting officer means an individual authorized by virtue of their position or by appointment to perform the functions assigned by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Transportation Acquisition Regulation (TAR), and Transportation Acquisition Manual (TAM).

Department of Transportation (DOT) means, when referring to the various suborganizations and components of DOT, all of the Operating Administrations, as defined in the TAR/TAM, included within DOT.

Head of the agency or Agency head for Departmental procurement means the Deputy Secretary except for acquisition actions that, by the terms of a statute or delegation, must be done specifically by the Secretary of Transportation.

Head of the contracting activity (HCA) means the individual responsible for managing the contracting offices within an Operating Administration who is a member of the Senior Executive Service except for the HCA within the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS), which shall be an individual no lower than one level above the COCO. The term HCA is the same as the term “head of the procuring activity.”

Head of the Operating Administration (HOA) means the individual appointed by the President to manage the DOT operating administration.

Operating Administration (OA) means the following components of DOT—

(1) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (FAA is exempt from FAR, TAR, and TAM pursuant to the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1996 (Pub. L. 104–50));

(2) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA);

(3) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA);

(4) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA);

(5) Federal Transit Administration (FTA);

(6) Maritime Administration (MARAD);

(7) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA);

(8) Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST);

(9) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA);

(10) Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS); and

(11) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST–R).

Small Business Specialist (SBS) means the individual appointed by each HCA to assist the Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization in carrying out the purpose of the Small Business Act.

Senior Procurement Executive (SPE) means the Director of the Office of the Senior Procurement Executive.

The following abbreviations or acronyms may be used throughout the TAR and the agency's associated internal policies and procedures in the TAM—