Department of the Interior Acquisition Policy Release (DIAPR) 2008-4

SUBJECT: Purchase Requests

1. Purpose:

This policy release establishes a Departmentwide requirement for the use of the purchase request form in either IDEAS or the Financial Business Management System (FBMS) when procuring for goods or services over the micro-purchase threshold, as defined in FAR 2.101.

2. Effective Date:

October 1, 2008

3. Expiration Date:

No expiration unless superseded or canceled.

4. Background and Explanation:

Department of the Interior (DOI) bureaus and offices involved in the acquisition process have different requirements regarding the use of purchase requests. DOI is attempting to standardize the acquisition process. DOI’s transition from one contract writing system (IDEAS) to another (PRISM) via FBMS will help achieve this standardization goal. A purchase request requirement is being initiated to standardize the process within DOI and to support internal controls as required by OMB Circular A-123.

5. Action Required:

Effective immediately, a purchase request must be prepared by the program\requisitioning office in the applicable contract writing system (IDEAS for those bureaus\offices not yet implemented on FBMS, and PRISM for those bureaus\offices having implemented FBMS) for actions resulting in the following:

• all new acquisition actions, regardless of funding (i.e., new purchase orders, delivery\task orders, blanket purchase agreements\calls, contracts);

• monetary changes to existing acquisition instruments (i.e., funding increases, accounting line changes, deobligations resulting from programmatic requirement shifts or reductions, etc.).

Purchase requests would not be necessary in the following situations:

• administrative changes (i.e., vendor address, COTRs, delivery addresses, etc.);

• deobligations resulting from the close out process

Purchase requests for deobligations should utilize text fields to describe the action until the systems currently in use can accommodate the deobligation purchase request process.

This DIAPR sets a minimum requirement for the use of purchase requests for DOI. Bureaus may issue more stringent policies on the use of purchase requests if they wish to do so.

6. Additional Information:

If you have questions about this matter, please contact Kate Oliver at (202) 208-3345.