Risk Management and Compliance Service
Overview
The primary mission of the Risk Management and Compliance Service (RMCS) is to enhance VA’s acquisition and mission success by strengthening acquisition internal controls and competencies through expert oversight, risk assessment, and knowledge management.
Vision: To foster a culture of acquisition integrity and compliance within VA acquisition programs and agencies, so that all Veterans receive quality services and products.
Services
- Procurement Oversight Program reviews, assessments, monitoring and reporting: (A-123, Made in America (MIA)/Trade Agreements Act (TAA), Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting Systems (CPARS) and Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Novation, and VA acquisition internal controls
- Suspension and Debarment recommendations
- Protest Services [VA Staff Only]
- Task-Order Ombudsman Services
- Labor Advisor monitoring and resolutions
- Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Office of Inspector General (OIG) recommendations, tracking, and monitoring
- Knowledge Management sharing and communications of RMCS findings/data
- VA Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) monitoring and reporting
Advocates for Competition and the Task-Order and Delivery-Order Ombudsman
Advocates for Competition and the Task– Order Ombudsman are dedicated to ensuring full and open competition as a part of the Federal contracting process. Within the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Advocates for Competition are at the Agency and contracting activity levels. The Task Order Ombudsman is at the Agency level.
Responsibilities:
Advocates for Competition are responsible for (see FAR subpart 6.5):
- Promoting full and open competition;
- Promoting the acquisition of commercial items;
- Challenging requirements that are not stated in terms of functions to be performed, performance required or essential physical characteristics;
Challenging barriers to the acquisition of commercial items and full and open competition such as unnecessarily restrictive statements of work, unnecessarily detailed specifications, and unnecessarily burdensome contract clauses. .
Task-Order and Delivery-Order Ombudsman is responsible for (see FAR 16.505(b)(8)):
- Reviewing complaints from contractors under multiple-award indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts to ensure they are afforded a fair opportunity to be considered, consistent with the procedures in the contract.
To submit a complaint to the Task-Order and Delivery-Order Ombudsman regarding the fair opportunity process related to a task or delivery order, please send a full description of your complaint along with relevant order information, such as task or delivery order number, IDIQ contract number, solicitation number, and name of contracting officer to AcquisitionRMCS@va.gov. Contracting officers will be notified of any complaints submitted to the Task-Order and Delivery-Order Ombudsman.
The Associate Executive Director, Office of Procurement Policy, Systems and Oversight is designated as the Agency Advocate for Competition (see VAAR 806.501) and the Task-Order and Delivery-Order Ombudsman (see VAAR 816.505).
Task-Order and Delivery-Order Ombudsman
Staci Ramrakha (Acting)
Associate Executive Director
Procurement Policy, Systems and Oversight
Agency Advocate for Competition
Staci Ramrakha (Acting)
Associate Executive Director
Procurement Policy, Systems and Oversight
Contracting Activity level Advocates for Competition
Construction and Facilities Management
Zebulon Fox
Associate Executive Director
Office of Facilities Acquisition
National Cemetery Administration
Ronald Hirtle
Director
Contracting Service
National Acquisition Center
Joy M. Smith
Supervisory Contract Specialist
Technology Acquisition Center
Jason Bullen
Procurement and Resources Specialist
Strategic Acquisition Center – Fredericksburg, VA
Adam Spacht
Director
Compliance Service
Strategic Acquisition Center – Frederick, MD
Efrain Fernandez
Director
Veterans Benefits Administration
Alyssa M. Dark
Acting Chief
Acquisition Division
Office of Administration and Facilities
Veterans Health Administration – Regional Procurement Office East
Gerald Jacobs
Executive Director
Veterans Health Administration – Regional Procurement Office Central
Daryl Berg
Executive Director
Veterans Health Administration – Regional Procurement Office West
Curtis Jordan
Executive Director
Suspension & Debarment
The Suspension and Debarment (S&D) Committee, within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), reviews all procurement related referrals for suspension and debarment actions governed by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 9.4 and VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Subpart 809.4, and 38 United States Code (U.S.C.) §§ 8127(g) and 8129(b) of the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006. The S&D Committee develops recommendation packages for consideration of administrative actions by the Suspending and Debarring Official (SDO).
VA employees:
VA employees shall submit referrals to the S&D Committee at https://sd-prod-eas.prod.eas.va.gov/. Referrals are submitted by executing the “Initiate a referral” tab, filling out the web form, and attaching supporting documentation. Referrals must not include confidential, sensitive or protected information such as Social Security account numbers. Supporting documentation must be sanitized and any sensitive, confidential, or protected information must be redacted.
Non-VA employees:
All referrals must use the S&D Referral Form and be sent via email to the S&D Committee. Referrals must not include confidential, sensitive, or protected information such as Social Security account numbers. Supporting documentation must be sanitized and any sensitive, confidential, or protected information must be redacted.
- FAR 9.406-2 – Causes for debarment
- FAR 9.407-2 – Causes for suspension
- VAAR 809.4 – Debarment, Suspension, and Ineligibility
- Acquisition Policy Flash! 21-28, Preference for Offerors that employ Veterans on a Full-time Basis
- 38 U.S.C. § 8127(g) – Small business concerns owned and controlled by Veterans: contracting goals and preferences
- 38 U.S.C. § 8129(b) – Preference for offerors employing Veterans
- Small Business Administration, Office of Hearings and Appeals
- 13 CFR 125 – Business Credit and Assistance, Government Contracting Programs
- VA Office of Inspector General Hotline
- Interagency Suspension and Debarment Committee (ISDC)
- System for Award Management (SAM)
S&D Committee
SDO – Mr. Joseph P. Maletta, Office of Acquisition and Logistics