Determining Sources

How should I determine which sources to use? 

Determining sources to acquire property from should happen sequentially. According to 41CFR101 - 26 . 107, when obtaining supplies, reutilization of agency inventories is the top priority. 

41CFR101 - 26 . 107 [Revised Aug. 5, 1993] states the following when it comes to the priorities for use of supply: sources. Executive agencies shall satisfy requirements for supplies and services from or through the sources and publications listed below in descending order of priority: 

Supplies 

Services

General Property Information

The Personal Property Branch serves to assure the appropriate use of public property resources, obtain the maximum benefit from full utilization of public property resources throughout the life cycle, and appropriately and responsibly dispose of public property resources at NIH.

• Everyone is a Property Manager
• Government Property and Authorized Use
• The Personal Property Branch – Personal Property Management Overview
• The Personal Property Management Life Cycle

Everyone is a Property Manager

All NIH employees have duties and responsibilities in property management. The goal of property management is to make proper and full use of property resources. Meeting that goal affords NIH the opportunity to use public funds in support of its research mission rather than the acquisition of additional property.

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Government Property and Authorized Use

Government property belongs to the public, not the property user. Generally, government property is property purchased with NIH funds, property donated to NIH and/or property purchased with gift funds. You may only use NIH property for officially authorized purposes. As a rule, "officially authorized purposes" means used for official NIH mission related activities. You may use NIH property for NIH official activities in NIH facilities for official NIH activities, performed by NIH civil servants, at other locations, when authorized by management and properly documented.

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Property Management Overview

• Mission of Personal Property Management
  • Assure the appropriate use of Public Property resources
  • Obtain the maximum benefit from full utilization of Public Property resources throughout the life cycle
  • Appropriately and Responsibly Dispose of Public Property Resources
• How we meet our mission
  • Leading Personnel in Performance of the Agency's Property Management Activities
    • Institution and Implementation of Management Controls
      • Management Issuances
      • Physical Inventories
      • Boards of Survey (BOS)
      • Day to Day Oversight of Critical (Financially Related) Transactions
      • External Property Administration and Management Central Utilization and Disposal Function in Property Utilization Branch
    • Maintenance of Metric Information to Assure Completion of Goals
      • Loss Tracking
      • Overage Tracking
      • Compilation of Required Property Management Reports (Non-Federal Recipients, etc.)
    • Manage Property Management Record Systems
      • (Legacy) Property Management Information System (also a subsidiary ledger to the General Ledger)
      • NIH Business and Research Support System (NHBRSS)
      • NIH Industrial Property Management Information System (NIPMIS)
    • Leading Change in the Agency's Property Management Activities and Culture
      • Establish and Maintain IC Management Involvement and Attention to Property Management Issues
        • BOS Determining Authority
        • EO Inventory Reporting
        • Delegation of Property Accountability Officer Functions
      • Maintain Open Communications
      • Personal Property Management Committee
      • PMIS Configuration Control Board
      • Monthly "Common Issues" Meetings with OFM, OPM and CIT
    • Web Based Communication/Newsgroups/Email
    • Provide for Property Management Training
      • Implementation of Department's Automated Property Training
      • Development and maintenance of NIH Specific Training
      • Participation in Department efforts to Develop On-Line Training for Contract and Grant Property Management Activities
  • Provide Property Utilization and Disposition Services
    • Pickup property that is no longer required for its original purpose "agency inventory"
    • Make agency inventories of used property available to other NIH and HHS Activities in Lieu of New Procurement
    • When Appropriate and not required within HHS, Donate Excess Property to Schools, Non-Profit Research Institutions
    • Report Other Excess Property to GSA According to the Federal Property Management and Federal Management Regulations as well as Department and NIH Guidance.
    • Maintain Reported Property Throughout the Disposition Cycle
  • Provide Contract Property Administration Services
    • Contract Property System Analysis
    • Contract Property Reporting
    • Communication Liaison between Contracting Activities and Contractors for property matters
    • Disposal of Government Owned – Contractor Held property when no longer required for contract performance
  • Advise Contracting Officers on property related clauses, regulations

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Property Management Life Cycle

The personal property management life cycle includes:

1. Planning for property
2. Acquiring property
3. Managing property, and
4. Disposing of property

The content on this site is designed to assist in any area of the property management life cycle.

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Determining Requirements

Obtaining Property for Official Use and Not for Personal Convenience
In determining the requirements for your property need, you must consider federal regulations and obtaining property that is required for that need. All property that you obtain must be for official purposes and not obtaining personal convenience items to satisfy your desires.

What do the regulations say about the use of Government personal property and non-personal property for official use?
41CFR101 - 25. 100 [Revised as of July 1, 2003] states the following:
"Except in emergencies, Government personal property and non-personal services shall be used only for those purposes for which they were obtained or contracted for or other officially designated purposes. Emergency conditions are those threatening loss of life and property. As used in this section, non-personal services mean those contractual services, other than personal and professional services (as defined in 40 U.S.C. 472). This includes property and services on interagency loan as well as property leased by agencies. Agency heads shall ensure that the provisions of this Sec. 101-25.100 are enforced to restrict the use of Government property/services to officially designated activities."

What do the regulations say about restrictions on personal convenience items?
41CFR101-26.103-2 [Revised as of July 1, 2003] states the following:
"Government funds may be expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, or flowers (both artificial and real), or any other similar type items when such items are included in a plan for the decoration of Federal buildings approved by the agency responsible for the design and construction. Determinations as to the need for purchasing such items for use in space assigned to any agency are judgments reserved to the agency. Determinations with respect to public space such as corridors and lobbies are reserved to the agency responsible for operation of the building. Except as otherwise authorized by law, Government funds shall not be expended for pictures, objects of art, plants, flowers (both artificial and real), or any other similar type items intended solely for the personal convenience or to satisfy the personal desire of an official or employee. These items fall into the category of “luxury items’’ since they do not contribute to the fulfillment of missions normally assigned to Federal agencies."

Obtaining the Minimum Quantity & Quality of Property Essential to Your Mission at the Lowest Cost
In determining your need, you must consider the following factors including 1) minimum quantity/quality for the mission, and 2) essential specifications needed (whether generic or performance related) when it comes to the property and 3) the lowest cost of the property.

What do the regulations say about the policy for personal property, and minimum quantity and quality property requirements for your mission?
41CFR101-26.103-1 [Revised as of July 1, 2003] states the following:
"To obtain maximum benefit from Government funds available for procurement of personal property, each executive agency shall:

• Insure that personal property currently on hand is being utilized to the fullest extent practical and provide supporting justification prior to effecting new procurement for similar type property. (When the proposed procurement is for similar items from non-GSA sources, the provisions of Sec. 101-26.100-2 apply.)
• Procure the minimum quantity and quality of property which is required to support the mission of the agency and to satisfy the function for which the property is required.
• Limit procurement of different varieties, types, sizes, colors, etc., of required items to those essential in satisfying the functional end-use purpose. To this end the quantity, quality, and variety of personal property required to adequately perform the end-use function should be determined prior to initiation of procurement processes."

What do the regulations say about lowest cost?
41CFR101-26.100-1 [Revised as of July 1, 2003] states the following:
"GSA provides lines of similar items to meet particular end-use requirements under the GSA stock program, special order program (SOP) established source, and the Federal Supply Schedule program. Although these similar items may differ in terms of price, quality, and essential characteristics, they often can serve the same functional end-use procurement needs of the various ordering agencies. Therefore, in submitting requisitions or placing delivery orders for similar items obtainable from GSA sources, agencies shall utilize the source from which the lowest cost item can be obtained which will adequately serve the functional end-use purpose."