2025-003 – Procurement, Suspension and Debarment Cluster: Research and development Sponsoring Agency: Department of Energy, Department of Education, Department of Defense and National Aeronautics and Space Administration Award Name: A New Approach to Discerning Transport of Gases in MOFs, Citizen Di...
2025-003 – Procurement, Suspension and Debarment Cluster: Research and development Sponsoring Agency: Department of Energy, Department of Education, Department of Defense and National Aeronautics and Space Administration Award Name: A New Approach to Discerning Transport of Gases in MOFs, Citizen Diplomacy I, High Fidelity 2D Noise Resilient Superconducting, The Compton Spectrometer and Imager COSI, and solar Polarization and Directivity XRay Experiment PAD Award Number: DE-SC0025524, P021A240012, W911NF-22-1-0258, 80GSFC21C0059, and 80NSSC22M0098 Assistance Listing Title: Office of Science Financial Assistance Program, Overseas Programs - Group Projects Abroad, Basic Scientific Research, Science Assistance Listing Number: 81.049. 84.021, 12.431, 43.RD, and 43.001 Award Year: 2024-2025 Pass-through entity: N/A To address the Suspension and Debarment finding, the campus will update its Procurement Policy and Procedures documentation. Vendor onboarding procedures will be updated to include the automated Visual Compliance (VC) process. VC continuously monitors and reports on vendor status to the University. The process will include an escalation process to the Supply Chain Management (SCM) Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) or delegate. No suppliers will be approved while in Debarred or Suspended status. If a change to a supplier’s debarment or suspension status is reported, the supplier will be flagged as not open for ordering. This provides near real-time updates to the procurement system to prevent new requisitions or new purchase orders from being created. The CPO or delegate must approve any exceptions to allow ordering from a suspended or debarred supplier. The Federal Funds Checklist and the Source Selection and Price Reasonableness Form (SSSPRF) will be updated to reflect the increased federal micro purchase thresholds. The updates will also eliminate duplicate signature requirements and clarify that SSPRF completion is not required when a competitive bidding process takes place. The campus will also provide targeted training and competence development. SCM will continue to emphasize and conduct training for all buyers and change order preparers focusing on federal procurement compliance. These employees are the procurement staff that process high-value federally funded purchases. Training will specifically cover Suspension and Debarment, Source Selection, and Price Reasonableness. This training will also address situations where purchases change from non-federal funds to federal funds, requiring that all documentation be provided prior to the change. The order of operations that documentation must be provided prior to issuing a purchase order or making changes to a purchase order will be emphasized. Implementation will occur through updates to procedures and targeted training. Procurement Policy and Procedures documentation will be completed before June 30, 2026. Targeted training and competence development will be provided to procurement buyers who process orders above the micro-purchase threshold on federally funded purchases on behalf of the University. Targeted training is anticipated to be completed by August 31, 2026. For inquiries regarding this finding, please contact Mike Murphy at mike.murphy@berkeley.edu.