§ 3402.101 - Definitions.

3402.101 Definitions.

As used in this chapter—

Chief

Acquisition Officer or CAO means the official responsible for monitoring the agency's acquisition activities, evaluating them based on applicable performance measurements, increasing the use

of

full and open competition in agency acquisitions, making acquisition decisions consistent with applicable laws, and establishing clear lines of authority, accountability, and responsibility for acquisition decision-making and developing and maintaining an acquisition career management program. Chief of

the Contracting Officeor COCO means an official serving in the contracting activity (Contracts and Acquisition Management (CAM) or FSA Acquisitions) as the manager of a group that awards and administers contracts for a principal office of the Department. See also definition of Head of the Contracting Activity or HCA

below. Contracting Officer's Representative or COR means the person representing the Federal government for the purpose of technical monitoring of contract performance. The COR is not authorized to issue any instructions or directions that effect any increases or decreases in the scope of work or that would result in the increase or decrease of the cost or price of a contract or a change in the delivery dates or performance period of a contract

in this section.

Department or ED means the United States Department of Education.

Head of the Contracting Activity or HCA means those officials within the Department who have responsibility for and manage an acquisition organization and usually hold unlimited procurement authority. The Executive Director, Federal Student Aid Acquisitions, is the HCA for FSA. The Director, Contracts and Acquisitions Management (CAM), is the HCA for all other Departmental program offices and all boards, commissions, and councils under the management control of the Department.

Performance-Based Organization or PBO is the office within the Department that is mandated by Public Law 105–244 to carry out Federal student assistance or aid programs and report to Congress on an annual basis. It may also be referred to as “Federal Student Aid.”

Requiring activity means the principal office charged with meeting or supporting a mission and delivering requirements. The requiring activity is responsible for obtaining funding or developing the program objectives. The requiring activity may also be the organizational unit that submits a written requirement or statement of need for services required by a contract.

Senior Procurement Executive or SPE means the single agency official appointed as such by the head of the agency and delegated broad responsibility for acquisition functions, including issuing agency acquisition policy and reporting on acquisitions agency-wide. The SPE also acts as the official one level above the contracting officer when the HCA is acting as a contracting officer.