1-8. GPC Delegations of Authority and Appointment Letters
The different types of delegation of authority appointments identified in this section and Table 1-3 are available to CHs as needed. Each authority has unique policies, procedures, training, and oversight requirements. CHs must have the appropriate designation in their JAM appointment in order to use the corresponding purchasing authority. These appointments can only be granted to individuals who have completed training commensurate with their delegated authority.
Table 1-3: GPC Delegation of Authority and Limits
| # | Authority Type | Delegation Authority | Delegation Not to Exceed Limit (Note 1) | Scope of Authority Limits | Warrant Issued | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Micro-Purchase CH | FAR 1.603-3(b) FAR 13.201 DFARS 201.603-3(b) | $10,000 | Grants authority to make authorized GPC purchases valued below the MPT using simplified acquisition procedures. (See FAR 2.101 “micro-purchase” definition.) Includes FedMall Market Place transactions. CHs who only have this designation do not have the authority to place orders against any contract, including GSA federal supply schedule (FSS) orders using GSA Advantage and orders against FedMall contracts. CHs who will place orders against any contract also require the Contract Ordering Official CH designation in their appointment. | ||
| 2 | Micro-Purchase Convenience Check Writer | FAR 1.603-3(b) FAR 13.201 DFARS 201.603-3(b) | $5,000 (Note 2) | Grants authority to make authorized convenience check purchases valued below the MPT using simplified acquisition procedures. (See FAR 2.101 “micro-purchase” definition.) | ||
| 3 | Higher Education Micro-Purchase CH | FAR 1.603-3(b) FAR 13.201 DFARS 201.603-3(b) Class Deviation 2018-O0018 | $10,000 but HCA determination can result in higher value (unlimited) | Grants authority to make authorized open market micro-purchases using the GPC up to any applicable “Higher Education” MPT. (See MPT definition at FAR 2.101 & Class Deviation 2018-O0018.) This authority is generally limited to $10,000, but FAR 2.101 MPT definition allows for higher threshold after appropriate HCA determination. Note: CHs who will place orders against any contract, including GSA FSS orders or orders against FedMall contracts, the Contract Ordering Official CH designation in the appointment. Not for use to make payments against approved SF 182s. | ||
| 4 | Micro-Purchase ETO Cardholder and/or Check Writer | FAR 1.603-3(b) FAR 13.201 FAR 13.201(g) DFARS 201.603-3(b) | ETO CH $20,000 Inside U.S. $35,000 Outside U.S. ETO Check- Writer $10,000 Inside U.S. $17,500 Outside U.S. (Note 2) | Grants authority to make authorized open market micro-purchases using the GPC up to the applicable “Contingency” MPT. (See MPT definition at FAR 2.101.) If intent to authorize CH to place orders against any contract, including GSA FSS orders or orders against FedMall contracts, a Contract Ordering Official CH designation is also required. ETO Checkwriter limits are one half of ETO MPTs. | ||
| 5 | Warranted ETO Contracting CH | FAR 1.603-3(a) FAR 2.101 MPT FAR 2.101 SAT DFARS 201.603-3(b) DFARS 213.301(3) | $1,500,000 Outside the U.S. | Grants Contracting Officers supporting Contingency Operations and Humanitarian and Peacekeeping Operations authority to make authorized GPC purchases outside the U.S. as authorized in DFARS 213.301(3) for use outside the U.S. using simplified acquisition procedures up to the applicable Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT). (See FAR 2.101 definitions of MPT and SAT.) The GPC appointment letter may only be issued to individuals who have previously been issued an SF 1402 delegating them authority sufficient to serve as a Contingency Contracting Officer. | ||
| 6 | Contract Ordering Official CH (Note 3) CHs who will place orders against any contract, including GSA FSS orders on GSA Advantage and FedMall contracts at any dollar level, require this Contract Ordering Official CH designation. | FAR 1.603-3(a) FAR 8.4 FAR 13.301(b) FAR 13.301(c)(2) AFARS 5113.202-90(c) DPC JAM Role Descriptions Guide | Simplified Acquisition Threshold (Note 4) $250,000 for CHs that are trained contracting professionals in the contracting office (1102s) $25,000 for CHs outside a contracting office | Grants authority to place and pay for authorized GPC purchases against the following: 1) Orders from GSA federal supply schedule contracts. 2) Orders from FedMall contracts, Computer Hardware Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) IDIQ contracts, Governmentwide acquisition, and multi-agency contracts. 3) Indefinite Delivery, Time-and-Material, or Labor-Hour contracts that have firm fixed prices and pre-arranged terms and conditions that were awarded by a warranted contracting Officer (KO) who designated the CH, to place orders. The KO is responsible for performing compliance oversight and reporting any concerns to the A/OPC. Contract Ordering Official training must be completed before using this authority. This appointment can only be granted to individuals who have completed training commensurate with their delegated authority and as approved by the CPM (i.e., completion of CLG 0010 is not sufficient). A/OPCs must ensure additional controls and oversight procedures are in place before granting this authority. | X | |
| 7 | Overseas Simplified Acquisition CH (Note 3) | FAR 1.603-3(a) for > MPT FAR 1.603-3(b) for < MPT DFARS 213.301(2) | $25,000 | Grants authority to make authorized GPC purchases valued up to $25,000 using simplified acquisition procedures when the CH is outside the U.S. for items/services to be used outside the U.S., and that comply with the requirements of DFARS 213.301(2). | X | |
| 8 | Contract Payment Official CH | FAR 13.301(c)(3) | As specified in the delegation of authority letter and contract. Not to exceed the KO’s warrant authority. | Grants authority to make contract payments when authorized by the contract terms and conditions. | ||
| 9 | Miscellaneous Payments Official CH (SF-182 Training Payments) | DoD Charge Card Guidebook DoD FMR Vol 10, Ch. 12, Sec 120323 DoDI 1400.25 Volume 410 | $25,000 | Grants authority to make payments for commercial training requests using the SF 182, valued at or below $25,000, in lieu of an employee reimbursement by miscellaneous payment in accordance with the procedures to directly pay the provider in DoD FMR Volume 10, Chapter 12, Section 120323, and DoDI 1400.25, Volume 410. | ||
| 10 | Inter/Intra-Govern-mental Payment Official CH | TFM Vol. I, Part 5, Ch 7000 DPC memo, “Guidance on the Implementation of Adjusted Government Charge Card CH Special Designation Thresholds,” dated Oct 6, 2020 | $10,000 | Grants authority to make inter/intra-governmental transactions or payments (IGT) to another Government entity in lieu of using a Military Interdepartmental Purchase Request (MIPR). Includes payments to: DLA Document Services Department of Agriculture offered training FedMall GPC Requisitioning. GSA Global Supply requisitioning | ||
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a. Micro-Purchase Cardholder. This authority allows CHs to use the GPC to buy commercially available, fixed-price supplies and services to fulfill mission-essential requirements. The maximum single transaction dollar limit for stand-alone purchases is the MPT as defined at FAR 2.101.
b. Micro-Purchase Convenience Check Writer. This authority allows CHs to use a GPC convenience check to buy commercially available, fixed-price supplies and services to fulfill mission-essential requirements. Since convenience checks expose the Government to greater risk, CHs must make every effort to use a GPC card before writing a check. CHs may only use this authority when use of the GPC is not possible. All check purchases must be within the applicable convenience check MPT. DoD FMR Volume 10, Chapter 23 establishes the financial management policy for convenience check accounts.
c. Micro-Purchase Emergency-Type Operations (ETO) CH and/or Check Writer. This authority allows CHs to buy commercially available, fixed-price supplies and services to fulfill mission-essential requirements in direct support of a declared contingency or emergency event. See 41 USC 1903. Emergency-type Operations include the following:
1) Contingency operations as defined in FAR 2.101.
2) Operations to facilitate the defense against or recovery from cyber, nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack against the U.S. as addressed in FAR 18.001.
3) Operations in support of a request from the Secretary of State or the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to facilitate the provision of international disaster assistance as addressed in FAR 18.001.
4) Operations to support response to an emergency or major disaster as defined in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 USC 5121 et seq, implemented in FAR 26.2).
5) Humanitarian or peacekeeping operation (as defined at 10 USC 2302(8) and FAR 2.101).
CHs must enter the applicable value from Table 1-4 in the ETO field in the bank’s EAS for each transaction. If unsure, CHs should consult their A/OPC. If your Component HCA has authorized emergency acquisition authorities to support COVID or Ukraine for purchases made after 9/30/2022, then CHs will need to manually enter just the description of “Ukraine” or “COVID” in the “Contingency Operations” field.
Table 1-4: Emergency-Type Operations
| Value | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Not in support of ETO | Transaction is not in support of an ETO. |
| Applicable Code not in this List | Transaction is in support of an ETO, but the assigned National Interest Action (NIA) code is not yet in this ETO drop down list or when Army policy mandates entry of a specific code in the purchase log to associate a transaction with a particular event. When this value is selected, the CH must enter applicable code in the “ADD’L Code or Event Info” field. |
| O14S Operations in Iraq or Syria | Transaction is in support of NIA Code O14S – Operations in Iraq and Syria. |
| O15F Operation Freedom’s Sentinel | Transaction is in support of NIA Code O15F – Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS) 2015. |
| H20L Hurricane Laura 2020 | Transaction is in support of NIA Code H20L – Hurricane Laura 2020. |
| O21R Operations Allied Refuge Welcome | Transaction is in support of NIA Code O21R – Operations Allies Refuge/Welcome. |
| H21I Hurricane IDA 2021 | Transaction is in support of NIA Code H21I – Hurricane Ida 2021. |
| ADD’L Code or Event Info Free Form Text | CH must complete when “Applicable code not in list” is selected from the drop-down list. Entry must include either the applicable NIA that is not yet available in the ETO list along with a short description, or the code specified in Army policy along with a short description. |
d. Warranted Overseas ETO Cardholder. This authority allows CHs to use the GPC in conjunction with their separately issued SF 1402 Certificate of Appointment to purchase supplies and services as prescribed in DFARS 213.301(3). Contracting officers may use this authority to make purchases up to the applicable simplified acquisition threshold in support of declared contingency or emergency events.
e. Contract Ordering Official. This authority allows CHs with the appropriate training to issue fixed-price orders against existing contracts (e.g., GSA FSS, BPAs, FedMall contracts, CHESS contracts) to fulfill mission-essential requirements for supplies and services valued up to the Contract Ordering Official single purchase limit and to use the GPC to pay for these orders/purchases. When using this authority, CHs must 1) ensure they are authorized to place orders by the contract terms and conditions, 2) ensure the order will comply with all the contracts terms and conditions, and 3) follow all applicable ordering procedures. When ordering above the MPT, CH should obtain pricing from small business when small business can meet the requirements. The CH should obtain quotes from at least three sources. If restricting competition to fewer than three sources, the CH should document the circumstances in the purchase file. CHs with this designation will be referred to as “Ordering Officials” throughout this document.
f. Overseas Simplified Acquisition. This authority allows CHs to make authorized GPC purchases up to a single purchase limit of $25,000 when the CH is outside the U.S. for items/services to be used outside the U.S., and that comply with the requirements of DFARS 213.301(2). When ordering above the MPT, the CH should obtain quotes from at least three sources. If restricting consideration to fewer than three, document the circumstances in the purchase file.
g. Contract Payment Official. This authority allows CHs to use the GPC to make payments against contracts that have been signed by a Contracting Officer when the GPC is named as the payment method. The GPC may provide a streamlined way of paying for contracts when a contracting officer determines the use of the GPC is in the best interest of the Government (AFARS 5113.202-90(d)).
h. Miscellaneous Payments Official (SF 182 Training Payments). This authority allows CHs to make payments for commercial training requests using the SF 182, valued at or below $25,000 in accordance with the procedures to directly pay the provider in DoD FMR Volume 10, Chapter 12, Section 120323, and DoDI 1400.25, Volume 410a. The SF 182 or equivalent must be completed prior to the training. When provided by a non-Government source, the training must consist of a regularly scheduled, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) course, training conference, or instructional service that is available to the general public and priced the same for everyone in the same category, e.g., price per student, course, program, service, or training space.
i. Inter/Intra-Governmental Payment Official. This authority allows CHs to make payments to other Federal Government agencies in lieu of using a MIPR or Inter-Governmental Payment and Collection (IPAC) up to $10,000. This authority includes, but is not limited to, payments to the Commissary, DLA Document Services, GSA Global Supply, and requisitioning NSNs on FedMall. Purchases from the following sources are not considered inter/intra-governmental payments: state and local governments, AbilityOne, GSA Advantage, and CHESS.