Office of Acquisition and Logistics (OAL)
Acquisition Flash! 22-14
Notification of VA Acquisition Manual (VAAM) Update Number 2022-14 to VAAM Part M808.
Purpose: The purpose of this Acquisition Flash is to notify the VA acquisition workforce of the issuance of VAAM Part M808 to include procedures for utilizing category management principles in acquisitions.
Effective Date: February 9, 2022
VAAR/VAAM Parts Impacted: VAAM M808
Background: On March 20, 2019, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum, M-19-13, to provide guidance to all Federal agencies on the use of category management, which OMB defined as “the business practice of buying common goods and services as an enterprise to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiency, and to deliver more value and savings from the Government’s acquisition programs.”
To implement category management, OMB requires agencies to carry out a set of tailored management actions and to provide updates on these management actions to evaluate their progress in bringing common spending under management (SUM). The expected result is more effectively managed contract spending through a balance of Government-wide, agency-wide, and local contracts; reduced unnecessary contract duplication and cost avoidance; and continued achievement of small business goals and other socio-economic requirements.
On December 2, 2021, OMB issued a follow-up memorandum, M-22-03, which further refined the category management goals of M-19-13 to better support small businesses and implement the President’s commitment to increase spending to small-disadvantaged businesses.
Applicability: This Acquisition Flash applies to all VA acquisition workforce members.
Action Required: The VA acquisition workforce shall review the procedures in the published VAAM Part M808.
Additional Information: Direct any questions or comments to the Procurement Guidance and Instruction Service (PGIS) via email at VAPGISMailbox@va.gov.
