(e) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)) shall make the determination as described in FAR 17.703(e). See Appendix GG for further delegation.

(1) The requiring activity is responsible for making the approval required by DFARS 217.770. A Government official who is of a grade not lower than O-6 or GS-15 and is assigned to the requiring activity makes the approval. The approval document shall address the elements listed in DFARS 217.770(a)-(c). The requiring activity obtains prior concurrence of the determination in accordance with paragraph (2) of this section.

(2) The following officials from the requiring activity’s responsible contracting office shall concur with the use of a non-DoD contract prior to public announcement of the requirement:

(i) For acquisitions valued at or above the simplified acquisition threshold, but less than $50 million, the head of the contracting activity (HCA). See Appendix GG for further delegation.

(ii) For acquisitions valued at or above $50 million but less than $250 million, the HCA. See Appendix GG for further delegation.

(iii) For acquisitions valued at or above $250 million, the HCA. See Appendix GG for further delegation.

(3) If the proposed acquisition meets the requirements for a written acquisition plan, the contracting officer should attach the approval to use a non-DoD contract to the acquisition plan for concurrent approval when routing the acquisition plan for coordination and approval.

(4) If the approving official approves the use of a non-DoD contract at the blanket purchase agreement level, the individual calls against the agreement do not require separate determinations.

(5) Contracting officers shall follow the reporting requirements in DFARS 204.6 to support the Army’s data collection and reporting requirements at DFARS 217.770(d).