Ordering Motor Vehicles/IMPORTANT INFORMATION

To:       Timothy E Calkins/OPS/USGS/DOI@USGS, Janet L Bishop/OPS/USGS/DOI@USGS, 
          Martha K Burbidge/OPS/USGS/DOI@USGS, Dianne E Putnam/NMD/USGS/DOI@USGS 
cc:       MaryLou D Pectol/GD/USGS/DOI@USGS, Cynthia L Matus/BRD/USGS/DOI@USGS, 
          Stephen E Hammond/WRD/USGS/DOI@USGS, Patricia P Dunham/NMD/USGS/DOI@USGS, 
          Carol Aten/BRD/USGS/DOI@USGS, 
(bcc:     Vicki Bass/WRD/USGS/DOI)
 
Subject:  Ordering Motor Vehicles/IMPORTANT INFORMATION

We need your help with disseminating the information below to all offices 
who order new vehicles from the General Services Administration Automotive 
Commodity Center.  We need to get the information out to field offices 
quickly as the requirement mentioned in this distribution has already been 
put into effect.  Please see the attached "Dear Valued Customer Letter" 
signed by Robert Blackstone of the GSA Automotive Division for additional 
background information.  The new procedures provided below are also 
provided in the attached WORD file "Ordering Motor Vehicles.doc. 

                                
U.S. Geological Survey 
Branch of Property Management 
**** IMPORTANT INFORMATION ***** 
Ordering Motor Vehicles 

                                                                        
11/03/00 


The General Services Administration (GSA) has imposed an additional 
requirement for the motor vehicle acquisition process.   The GSA has begun 
to offer  "Choice Programs" which give customers the option of selecting 
the manufacturer/contractor of the ordered vehicle as well as the 
type/body style of vehicle they want to purchase.  Giving the customer the 
choice of selecting a contractor has put the GSA in violation of a Federal 
Acquisition Regulation (FAR)  16.505(b), which requires fair opportunity 
to compete.  The requirement (stated below) is necessary to bring the GSA 
into compliance with this regulation. 

Effective October 1, 2000,  each Motor Vehicle Requisition (SF-178) for a 
new vehicle submitted to the Automotive Commodity Center for processing 
must contain a statement which indicates that  "A fair opportunity to 
compete was given to each contractor for the vehicle required to meet our 
agency's mission".     

Offices that need to purchase new vehicles must now consider price, 
optional equipment, delivery time, fuel economy, past performance and 
dealer/maintenance and location as a part of the rationale for selecting 
the contractor of choice.  After making an informed decision, the 
statement in the above paragraph can be typed into the "Remarks" section 
in block 5 of the SF-1781 along with the accounting and vehicle 
replacement information. 

The following web site will give customers access to pricing and the other 
considerations necessary to support their decision process:   

                 http://www.fss.gsa.gov/vehicles   

At this site, scroll down, click on "buying vehicles" and from this page 
select "Auto Choice". Then select "Choose and Compare Vehicle Prices".  
The Auto Choice page will ask new users to enter a 'user's name' and an 
'agency bureau code'.  The user name is always the first initial of the 
user's first name and the last name.  (For example: Pauline Scott is 
pscott.) The bureau Code is "1407."   Press "Click Here" button for new 
users. 

Requisitions submitted to GSA without a designated vehicle choice will be 
placed with the lowest priced contractor meeting the minimum requirements 
as identified on each requisition. 

If you have any questions about this requirement please contact Pauline 
Scott at (703) 648-7327 or via e-mail at pscott@usgs.gov or Denise Banks 
at the GSA Automotive Commodity Center directly on (703) 308-4576. 

Attachment:  Odering Motor Vehicles

Pauline P. Scott
(703) 648-7327  (Phone)
(703) 648-7527    (FAX)