A new report from the Congressional Research Service says
it’s not “readily apparent” how the regional design
structure of the General Service Administration’s planned
Federal Acquisition Service would function.
The Federal Acquisition Service is intended to consolidate
the management and acquisition functions formerly provided
by GSA’s Federal Supply Service and Federal Technology
Service.
“While GSA’s plan sets forth detailed organizational
charts, some questions remain as to the actual
implementation of the agency’s reorganization,” according
to the CRS report.
It said that while GSA’s Federal Buildings Service will
continue to operate with 11 existing GSA regions, the
Federal Acquisition Service will be split into six zones
within the 11 regions, and that GSA officials “arguably”
need to clarify the reporting authorities and
responsibilities between the FAS commissioner and the
zones and regions.
In the August plan, the chief acquisition officer is no
longer designated to oversee FAS’s acquisition management
division as he was in the earlier draft proposal, which
raises a question as to his role in acquisition oversight
within FAS, noted the report.