9.270-3 Policy.
(a) The product specialist (PS) shall coordinate with the design control activity and update the material master, ensuring the approved sources are current. Prior procurement history is not an indication of current source approval. The PS shall advise the contracting officer of changes to a supplier’s status. When the PS removes an approved source, the PS shall identify all open purchase requests and open contracts and notify the assigned contracting officers and contract administrators. Contracting officers shall amend solicitations to reflect the updated approved sources. If a contract action will result in delivery of an item from a source that is no longer approved, the contracting officer or contract administrator shall coordinate with the product specialist to determine if the ESA will accept the material. In the event the ESA will not accept the material, the contract action shall be terminated. The PS shall draft a letter with the rationale for removal for the contracting officer. The contracting officer shall coordinate with the COMPAD and issue the letter to the supplier.
Origin inspection is required. Certificate of conformance (COC) is not authorized, unless approved by the ESA. Incorporate all quality requirements into the contract when specified (e.g., first article test, production lot testing). Do not waive any quality requirement without referring to the PS.
When automated solicitations are used to solicit CSIs, offers must be manually evaluated and awarded.
All solicitations and contracts for CSI shall list the items in DFARS 252.209-7010 and shall include procurement note H04.
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H04 Sourcing for Critical Safety Items (SEP 2016)
The contractor procuring, modifying, repairing, or overhauling a critical safety item shall only use a source approved by the head of the design control activity.
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When multiple approved sources are identified, consider using acquisition strategies to help maintain more than one source, such as split awards or multiple awards. This minimizes ESA revalidation referrals required for CSIs whenever a source has not received an award for over 3 years.
Refer all offers of used, reconditioned, or remanufactured supplies; or unused former Government surplus property that are under consideration to the product specialist for evaluation (see 11.302(b)11.302 Policy.).
Prior to making award, obtain all approvals required on the DLA Form 13, Critical Safety Items and SPC Items Award Checklist, and retain in official contract file.
When award is made, notify the PS, who will determine if a quality assurance letter of instruction (QALI) is required. If award was made to a dealer or distributor, a QALI is mandatory; the QAS must have conducted a preaward review of traceability documentation in accordance with the approval/review requirements at 9.270-39.270-3 Policy. (S-91)9.270-3 Policy..
When a contractor changes a business arrangement with an approved source for the item being acquired, or in a manufacturing process or facility, the contracting officer shall coordinate with the PS and take corrective action as needed.
(S-90) Critical Application Items (CAIs) are items where failure could affect mission, performance, readiness, or safety. The PS may need to coordinate with the ESA and shall follow any applicable performance based agreement and DLAI 3200.4.
(S-91) Contracting officers shall use the table below to determine when preaward referral to the PS is required to ensure that a prospective contractor is technically acceptable.
REQUIREMENTS FOR PREAWARD REFERRAL TO PRODUCT SPECIALIST
| Type Of Offer | Criticality Of Item | Contracting Officer (CO) Can Award? | Requires Referral To Technical/ Quality? | Requires Approval From ESA? | Award Requires Approval One Level above CO? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approved source offering “exact product” | Noncritical or Critical Item Code (CIC) Blank | Yes | No | No | No |
| Approved source offering “exact product” | Critical Application Item (CAI) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Approved source offering “exact product” | Critical Safety Item (CSI) | Yes | No | No | Yes (Does not apply to fully automated awards if system only permits a fully automated award when an approved source is offering an exact product.) |
| Dealer/ Distributor (non-manufacturer) offering “exact product” | Noncritical or Critical Item Code (CIC) Blank | Yes (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation prior to award; or shall require offeror to retain documentation in accordance with procurement note C03 and provide it for review at time of Government source inspection, if applicable in accordance with 9.270-3(a), or during random or directed postaward audits.) | No | No | No |
| Dealer/ Distributor (non-manufacturer) offering “exact product” | Critical Application Item (CAI) | Yes (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation prior to award; or shall require offeror to retain documentation in accordance with procurement note C03 and provide it for review at time of Government source inspection, if applicable in accordance with 9.270-3(a), or during random or directed postaward audits.) | No | No | No |
| Dealer/ Distributor (non-manufacturer) offering “exact product” | Critical Safety Item (CSI) | Yes (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation prior to award.) | Yes (Product specialist will conduct preaward review of traceability documentation, on which quality assurance letter of instruction (QALI) will be based. Referral to product specialist is mandatory after award to finalize QALI. (See 9.270-3(a)). | No | Yes |
| Unapproved manufacturing source offering “exact product” | Noncritical or Critical Item Code (CIC) Blank | No (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation and refer offer to product specialist prior to award.) | Yes | Product Specialist must follow DLA Logistics Operations Division Desk Book and local procedures to determine if ESA referral is required. | No |
| Unapproved manufacturing source offering “exact product” | Critical Application Item (CAI) | No (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation and refer offer to product specialist prior to award.) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Unapproved manufacturing source offering “exact product” | Critical Safety Item (CSI) | No (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation and refer offer to product specialist prior to award.) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Any source offering “alternate product” | Noncritical or Critical Item Code (CIC) Blank | No | Yes | Product Specialist must follow DLA Logistics Operations Division Desk Book and local procedures to determine if ESA referral is required. | No |
| Any source offering “alternate product” | Critical Application Item (CAI) | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Any source offering “alternate product” | Critical Safety Item (CSI) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
(S-92) The DLA Aviation technical oversight office (TOO) is authorized to maintain and disseminate all information regarding exemptions/waivers from CSI policies and clauses. Part 10 was deleted IAW PROCLTR 15-13.The TOO will maintain this information and provide electronic access on their website.