2451-2456, title 10, U.S.C. chapter 145), managed by the General Services Administration, for the purpose of coordinating civilian and military standardization functions to avoid unnecessary duplication. Within the program, procedures and controls govern the development, coordination, approval, issuance, indexing, management, and maintenance of product descriptions in the Federal series (Federal specifications, Federal standards, and CID's) that define commercial products and products that have high potential for common Federal agency use. Subpart 101-29.3-Responsibilities § 101-29.301 General Services Administration. § 101–29.301-1 Policies and procedures. The Administrator of General Services is responsible for establishing policies and procedures, in coordination with the other agencies, for the preparation, coordination, approval, issuance, and maintenance of product descriptions in the Federal series of specifications, standards, and CID's. § 101-29.301-2 Federal Standardization Handbook. The Assistant Administrator for Federal Supply and Services will issue and maintain on a current basis a "Federal Standardization Handbook." The Federal Standardization Handbook sets forth operating procedures and applicable definitions used in the development of Federal product descriptions under the Assigned Agency Plan described therein. Federal agencies shall adhere to the provisions of the handbook in the development and coordination of Federal product descriptions. § 101-29.301-3 Availability of Federal product descriptions. The Assistant Administrator for Federal Supply and Services will promulgate and maintain on a current basis the "Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions." The Index lists Federal product descriptions which have been printed and distributed, including those which are mandatory for use, and identifies the sources from which these documents may be obtained. Supplements to the Index indicate the dates on which the use of new Federal product descriptions become mandatory. The Department of Defense aslo lists Federal product descriptions in the "Department of Defense Index of Specifications and Standards.” § 101-29.301-4 Periodic review of Federal product descriptions. The Assistant Administrator for Federal Supply and Services is responsible for establishing a program for periodically reviewing Federal product descriptions to determine whether revision, cancellation or reauthorization (validation) is appropriate. The frequency of the review shall be based on the degree of change in the technology of the product covered by the description and shall be conducted at least once every 5 years. § 101-29.302 Other Federal agencies. Heads of other Federal agencies are responsible for adhering to the policies and procedures established by GSA for management and control of Federal product descriptions and for the use of these documents in acquisition as applicable. § 101-29.303 All Federal executive agencies. (a) Federal executive agencies shall evaluate the effectiveness of their Federal product descriptions by: (1) Establishing a system for obtaining user critiques of products acquired using those descriptions; and (2) Establish a method whereby the preparing activity can locate and communicate with the users. (b) The system shall encourage users to communicate with acquisition organizations regarding: (1) The user's essential requirements; (2) Product suitability for use in the user's environment; (3) Product failures and deficiences; (4) The needs of the logistics system; and (5) Suggestions for corrective actions. (c) Acquisition organizations shall designate a central point in each agency to evaluate and respond to user critiques and take corrective action on reasonable complaints and suggestions. (d) At the time of the periodic review, the responsible preparing activity shall consider available user evaluations, the results of market research and analysis, and all reported deviations from the product description. Information, such as the following shall be examined in the review proc ess: (1) Whether the product description is still needed in its present form and scope or whether a more simplified one can be used; (2) The existence of voluntary standards or other Government product descriptions that may better reflect current requirements; (3) The need to convert Federal and agency specifications covering commercial or commercial-type products to CID's; and (4) The currency and applicability of reference documents included in the product description. Subpart 101-29.4-Mandatory Use of Federal Product Descriptions § 101-29.401 Federal product_descriptions listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions. (a) Federal product descriptions shall be used by all Federal agencies in the procurement of supplies and services covered by such descriptions, except as provided in § 101–29.402 and § 101-29.403. (b) The order of preference in selecting Federal product descriptions for acquisition shall be: (1) Any Federal product description adopting voluntary standards. (2) Commercial item descriptions. (3) Federal specifications and standards. § 101-29.402 Exceptions to mandatory use of Federal product descriptions. (a) Federal product descriptions do not need to be used under any of the following circumstances: (1) The purchase is required under a public exigency and a delay in obtaining agency requirements would be in volved in using the applicable description. (2) The total amount of the purchase is less than $10,000. (Multiple small purchases of the same item shall not be made for the purpose of avoiding the intent of this exception. Further, this exception in no way affects the requirements for the procurement of items available from GSA supply distribution facilities, Federal Supply Schedule contracts, GSA procurement programs, and certain procurement sources other than GSA that have been assigned supply responsibility for Federal agencies as provided in subparts 101-26.3, §10126.4, and § 101-26.5). (3) The items are purchased in foreign markets for use of overseas activities of agencies. (4) The products are adequately described in voluntary standards or in standards mandated by law. (5) The acquisition involves a onetime procurement. (6) A Federal product description is not currently available and is not expected to be available within a reasonable time of the scheduled acquisition action. (7) The product is available only from a single source or is produced to a single manufacturer's design. (8) The product is unique to a single system. (9) The product (excluding military clothing) is acquired for authorized resale. (b) If the purchase involves the following, Federal product descriptions do not need to be used except to the extent they are applicable, in whole or in part: (1) Items required in construction of facilities for new processes or new installations of equipment; (2) Items required for experiment, test, or research and development; or (3) Spare parts, components, or material required for operation, repair, or maintenance of existing equipment. § 101-29.403 Federal product description exceptions and tailoring. § 101-29.403-1 Authorization of exceptions. When the exceptions listed in §101– 29.402 do not apply and an applicable indexed product description is desired for use in procurement but does not meet an agency's essential needs, exceptions to the product description to effect procurement may be authorized as follows: (a) All exceptions to Federal telecommunications standards require prior approval by the Assistant Administrator for Information Resources Management, General Services Administration, Washington, DC 20405. (b) Preparing activities may designate specific product descriptions that require approval of exceptions by the preparing activity before use. (c) Exceptions to Federal product descriptions that do not require prior approval under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section may be authorized by the acquiring agency if: (1) Justifications for exceptions are subject to review before authorization and that such justification can be fully substantiated if post audit is required; (2) Notification of exception or recommendation for change to the Federal product description is sent promptly to the preparing activity and the General Services Administration (FCO), Washington, DC 20406. (A statement of the exception with a jus tification and, where applicable, rec ommendation for revision or amendment to the description) § 101-29.403-2 Agency responsibility relative to exceptions to Federal product descriptions. Each agency taking exceptions shall establish procedures whereby a designated official having substantial procurement responsibility shall be responsible for assuring that Federal product descriptions are used and provisions for exceptions are complied with. § 101-29.403-3 Tailoring of Federal product descriptions. Product descriptions prepared to define and impose performance characteristics, engineering disciplines, and manufacturing practices such as reliability, system safety, quality assurance, maintainability, configuration management, and the like shall be tailored in accordance with their specific application in acquisitions. Subpart 101-29.5-Use of and Optional Use of Federal Product Descriptions and Agency Product Descriptions § 101-29.501 Optional use of interim Federal specifications. Interim Federal specifications are for optional use. All agencies are urged to make maximum use of them and to submit suggested changes to the preparing activity for consideration in further development of the specifications for promulgation as Federal specifications or commercial item descriptions. Interim revisions or interim amendments to Federal specifications are for optional use as valid exceptions to the Federal specifications so revised or amended and must, therefore, be specifically identified by symbol and date in the invitation for bids or request for proposal. § 101-29.502 Use of Federal specifications and interim Federal specifications in Federal construction contracts. When material, equipment, or services covered by an available Federal specification or interim Federal specification are specified in connection with Federal construction, the Federal specification or interim Federal specification shall be made part of the specification for the construction contract, subject to provisions in §§ 101-29.402, 101-29.403, and 101-29.501. § 101-29.503 Agency product descriptions. When a Federal product description is not available, existing agency product descriptions should be used by all agencies consistent with each agency's procedures for establishing priority for use of such descriptions. 101-30.505 Assistance by Government suppli ers. Subpart 101-30.6-GSA Section of the 101-30.600 Scope of subpart. 101-30.601 Objective. 101-30.602 Authority for issuance. 101-30.603 GSA Supply Catalog. 101-30.603-1 [Reserved] 101-30.603-2 GSA Supply Catalog. 101-30.603-3-101-30.603-4 [Reserved] 101-30.603-5 Change bulletins. Subpart 101-30.7-Item Reduction 101-30.700 Scope of subpart 101-30.701-1 Item reduction study. 101-30.701-2 Item standardization code. 101-30.701-3 Preparing activity. 101-30.701-4 Standardization relationship. 101-30.702 Determining item reduction potential. 101-30.703 Program objectives. 101-30.704 Agency responsibilities. 101-30.704-1 General Services Administra tion. 101-30.704-2 Other agencies. 101-30.705 GSA assistance. Subparts 101-30.8-101-30.48 [Reserved] Subpart 101-30.49-Illustrations of Forms 101-30.4900 Scope of subpart. 101-30.4901 Standard forms. 101-30.4901-1303 Standard Form 1303, Request for Federal Cataloging/Supply Support Action. AUTHORITY: Sec. 205(c), 63 Stat. 390; 40 U.S.C. 486(c). § 101-30.000 Scope of part. This part provides for a Federal Catalog System by which items of supply under § 101-30.301 are uniformly named, described, classified, and assigned national stock numbers (NSN's) to aid in managing all logistical functions and operations from determination of requirements through disposal. This system provides a standard reference language or terminology to be used by personnel in managing these items of supply, a prerequisite for integrated item management under the Federal procurement system concept. [46 FR 35644, July 10, 1981] § 101-30.101-1 Civil agency item. Civil agency item means an item of supply in the supply system of one or more civilian agencies, which is repetitively procured, stocked, or otherwise managed (includes direct delivery requirements as well as items stocked for issue). [46 FR 35644, July 10, 1981] § 101-30.101-la Item of production. Item-of-production means those arti cles, equipment, materials, parts, pieces, or objects produced by a manufacturer which conform to the same engineering drawing, standard, or specification and receive the same quality control and inspection. [46 FR 35644, July 10, 1981] § 101-30.101-2 Item of supply. Item of supply means an item of production that is purchased, cataloged, and assigned a national stock number by the Government. The item of supply is determined by the requirements of each Government agency's supply system. The item of supply concept differentiates one item from another item in the Federal Catalog System. Each item of supply is expressed in and fixed by a national item identification number. An item of supply may be: (a) A single item of production; (b) Two or more items of production that are functionally interchangeable; (c) A more precise quality controlled item than the regular item of production, or (d) A modification of a regular item of production. [46 FR 35644, July 10, 1981] § 101-30.101-3 National stock number. The national stock number (NSN) is the identifying number assigned to each item of supply. The NSN consists of the 4-digit Federal Supply Classification (FSC) code and the 9-digit national item identification number (NIIN). The written, printed, or typed NSN configuration is 1234-00-567-8901. The following terms are elements of the 13-digit national stock number: (a) Federal Supply Classification (FSC) is a 4-digit number which groups similar items into classes. (b) National Codification Bureau (NCB) code is a 2-digit number designating the central cataloging office of the NATO or other friendly country which assigned the national item identification number (NIIN) and is used as the first two digits of the NIIN. (c) National item identification number (NIIN) is a 9-digit number composed of the NCB code number (2-digits) followed by 7 other nonsignificant digits. [41 FR 11308, Mar. 18, 1976] § 101-30.101-4 Federal item identification. Federal item identification means the approved item identification for the item of supply, plus the national stock number assigned to that item identification. It consists of four basic elements: The name of the item, the identifying characteristics, the Federal Supply Classification code, and the national item identification number. [41 FR 11308, Mar. 18, 1976] § 101-30.101-5 Cataloging. Cataloging means the process of uniformly identifying, describing, classifying, numbering, and publishing |