0ffice of Acquisition and PropertyManagement

Departmentwide Legal Review Standards for Acquisition and Acquisition-related Actions



July 16, 2001

Department of the Interior Acquisition Policy Release (DIAPR) 2001-3

SUBJECT: Departmentwide Legal Review Standards For Acquisition and Acquisition-related Actions

1. Purpose:

This policy release establishes Departmentwide legal review standards for acquisition and acquisition-related actions based upon Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulation (DIAR) requirements and Department policy. The attached policy agreement between the Director, Office of Acquisition and Property Management and the Acting Deputy Solicitor is incorporated by reference in DIAR 1401.7001-2(a), Legal review by the Office of the Solicitor.

2. Effective Date:

This DIAPR is effective upon issuance.

3. Expiration Date:

The legal review standards will be reviewed and updated annually to implement related FAR and DIAR legal review requirements and Departmental policy.

4. Background and Explanation:

In the past, each Department of the Interior (DOI) head of contracting activity coordinated separate legal review agreements for contract-related actions with the Office of the Solicitor. The types of contract actions to be reviewed in accordance with the individual agreements were in addition to the standard requirements for legal review of concurrence specified in the FAR and DIAR.

Since 1997, a number of Interior bureaus have requested that the various legal review thresholds be standardized Departmentwide, and raised based on improved independent review processes within Interior contracting offices and significant changes to the Federal acquisition process resulting from enactment of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994, the Clinger-Cohen Act, and other acquisition reform statutes. The initiative to standardize review procedures and raise legal review threshold was unanimously adopted by the Interior Acquisition Managers' Partnership (AMP).

On May 12, 2001, the Acting Deputy solicitor concurred with the attached standardization proposal, formulated in consultation with the AMP and the Office of the Solicitor, and submitted by the Director, Office of Acquisition and Property Management. The legal review policy for acquisition and acquisition-related transactions contained in the memorandum's attachments is effective as of the issuance date of this DIAPR.

Requests for deviations to the attached standards may be made in accordance with DIAR 1401.402, Individual deviations, or 1401.404, Class deviations.

Please contact Patricia Corrigan of the office on 202-208-1960 if you have any questions regarding this policy release.

Debra E. Sonderman, Director
Office of Acquisition and Property Management