Overview
FAR 7.102 mandates that agencies conduct acquisition planning and market research for all procurements to ensure government needs are met effectively, economically, and timely. The policy establishes a framework for prioritizing commercial solutions, maximizing competition, and leveraging existing contract vehicles before initiating new awards.
Key Rules
- Mandatory Planning: Agencies must perform acquisition planning and market research for every acquisition, regardless of size or scope.
- Commercial Preference: Agencies are required to prioritize the acquisition of commercial products and services or nondevelopmental items to the maximum extent practicable.
- Competition Standards: Planning must promote "full and open competition" or, where exceptions apply, maximize competition to the extent possible.
- Strategic Sourcing: Before awarding new contracts, agencies must evaluate the use of existing interagency or intra-agency contracts.
- Integrated Team Approach: Acquisition planning is not just a contracting function; it must integrate the efforts of all personnel responsible for significant aspects of the procurement (e.g., technical, legal, and financial stakeholders).
- Administrative Flexibility: Agencies with existing detailed planning systems that meet the general requirements of FAR 7.104 and 7.105 are not required to redesign their internal systems.
Practical Implications
- Justification Requirements: Contracting officers must document that they have considered commercial items and existing contract vehicles (like GSA Schedules or GWACs) before justifying a bespoke or new requirement.
- Front-End Integration: Program managers and technical leads are legally obligated to collaborate with procurement offices early in the process to ensure the selected contract type and competition strategy align with federal policy.