Office of Acquisition Management and Policy

Contingency Contracting: Department of Health and Human Services Contingency Contracting Cadre Charter

Authority
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Contingency Contracting Cadre is established by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Management and Policy (DASAMP), pursuant to authorities granted by the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (ASAM) to DASAMP in a July 14, 2006 memorandum entitled "Delegation of Acquisition Authorities".

Purpose
The HHS Contingency Contracting Cadre is developed to ensure the Department is prepared to respond to significantly increased procurement activity in preparation for, during, and following the occurrence of potential or actual emergencies. The cadre serves as a means of Departmental contracting support for the duration of a given incident and conducts pre-award, award, and post-award activities consistent with applicable Federal and Departmental statutes and regulations.

Membership
The HHS Contingency Contracting Cadre is comprised of experienced HHS contracting representatives. For each incident, activated members will be identified by the DASAMP. The Office of Acquisition Management and Policy (OAMP) will review and update membership no less than twice, annually. Operating Divisions' (OPDIV) Heads of Contracting Activities will proactively notify OAMP of adjustments to the cadre's membership, as respective OPDIV personnel changes warrant. Cadre members will notify OAMP directly regarding any changes in their availability to participate in the cadre.

Conditions of Performance
In accordance with the authorities outlined in the July 14, 2006 "Delegation of Acquisition Authorities" memorandum, the DASAMP may redirect cadre members' workload to support the preparation for, or response to, potential or actual emergencies. In addition, the cadre may be required to perform work in various locations in support of the Department's incident response including, but not limited to, a member's regular office, a member's home, the Secretary's Operations Center (or other location defined by the Department's incident command organization), or an alternate tele-working site.

In some instances, the Department may require available cadre members to report to the field in preparation for, during, or immediately following an incident. Such field assignments would typically be made at the request of the Department's incident command organization which, in most cases, will be the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness (OPHEP). OPHEP would be responsible for the logistical requirements such an assignment would necessitate including, but not limited to, work stations, computer and electronic communications equipment, food, shelter, transportation, etc.

Once activated, the assignment may entail working extended hours, evenings, and weekends. While activated, cadre members will be under the operational control of the Incident Commander. In instances when it applies, OPDIVs will be reimbursed for allowable expenses in accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

Training
Members of the HHS Contingency Contracting Cadre are strongly encouraged to complete several courses related to incident management, the Department's response efforts, and contingency contracting as follows:

HHS course(s): OPHEP Overview Course
Chief Acquisition Officer Council (CAOC) course(s): TBD
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) courses: IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800 (see http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp for course descriptions)

Assembly/Disbanding
From an operational standpoint and for each individual response effort, the DASAMP will activate and deactivate members of the cadre based upon information received from OPHEP, the HHS Secretary's Operations Center and other appropriate Departmental incident response organizations. Cadre membership, however, will remain intact.

Effective Date
This Charter is effective as of September 21, 2006.

//Signed//

Marc Weisman
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Management and Policy