Update Notice
Purchasing Manual
Purchasing Manual (PM) changes made in the Postal
Bulletin between January 31, 1997 and November 18,
2001 are summarized as follows:
• 1.7.4 Release and Exchange of Information -
Revised based on new privacy protection policy;
1.7.5 Privacy Protection - Revised privacy
protection policy; 4.6.3.c Professional and Technical
Services - Added Clause 1-1 to list of clauses that
should be included in contracts for
professional/technical services; 4.6.5.f Clauses -
Added Clause 1-1 to list of clauses; Appendix B,
Clause 1-1, Privacy Protection - Revised based on
new privacy protection policy; Clause 1-7,
Non-Disclosure of Address Information - Deleted.
Postal Bulletin 22063, 11/15/2001
• 1.7.13 Contracts with Former Postal Service
Officers, Executives, and Employees - Revised to
address contracts with former employees and to
create a review and approval process for those
contracts; 4.6.3 Professional/Technical and
Consultant Services - Revised to include new
definitions of professional/technical and consultant
services and to specify when contracting for these
services is appropriate; 4.6.4 Personal Services
Contracts - Revised to add definition of personal
services contract and to specify the uses of such
contracts; Appendix A, Provision 1-7, Proposed Use
of Former Postal Service Employees - Added new
provision; Appendix B, Clause 1-14, Use of Former
Postal Service Employees - Added new clause.
Postal Bulletin 22061, 10/18/2001
• 4.6.5.a.5 Definitions - Revised to include new
definitions of information technology (IT); 4.6.5.a.8
Undue Burden - New subparagraph is added;
4.6.5.b.2 Accessibility - Revised to align Postal
Service policies and procedures regarding IT
accessibility with the approaches taken by other
federal agencies; Appendix B, Clause 4-18,
Information Technology Accessibility Standards -
Revised to align Postal Service policies and
procedures regarding IT accessibility with the
approaches taken by other federal agencies.
Postal Bulletin 22052, 6/14/2001
• 4.6.5.a.5 Definitions - Revised to include new
definitions of information technology; 4.6.5.b
Policy - Renumbered 4.6.5.b.2 and 4.6.5.b.3 as
4.6.5.b.3 and 4.6.5.b.4, respectively, and added
new 4.6.5.b.2 to reflect new policy regarding
accessibility of information technology purchased
by the Postal Service; 4.6.5.f Clauses - Added
new Clause 4-18, Information Technology
Accessibility Standards; Appendix B, Clause 4-18,
Information Technology Accessibility Standards -
Added new clause.
Postal Bulletin 22047, 4/5/2001
• 2.4.6 Ordering and Appendix A, Provision 2-7,
Credit Card Order Acceptance Requirement, and
Appendix B, Contract Clauses - Revised to
remove the references to a specific type of Postal
Service credit card and to rename Provision 2-7.
Postal Bulletin 22037, 11/16/2000
• 7.1.2 Performance and Payment Bonds for
Construction Contracts - Subparagraph (a) is
revised to state that the penal amount of a
performance bond must equal 100 percent of the
original contract price, and subparagraph (b) is
revised to state that the amount of a payment bond
must also equal 100 percent of the original contract
price. A new subparagraph (c) is added to define
"original contract price."
Postal Bulletin 22033, 9/21/2000
• 1.7.12.b.2 (c) and Clause 1-9 - Revised to remove
the reference to "components of Canadian origin"
and replace it with "Canadian end products." In
addition, a new subparagraph (g) has been added
to provide a definition of Canadian end products,
and Clause 1-9, Preference for Domestic Suppliers,
has been revised to conform the clause to these
revisions.
Postal Bulletin 22021, 4/6/2000
• Appendix B, Clause B-5, Certificate of
Conformance - Allows suppliers to use a
certificate of conformance when (a) shipping
supplies directly to Postal Service facilities or (b)
retaining supplies that will be ordered under Direct
Supplier Delivery agreements. Reference to
Management Instruction AS-710-87-15, Receiving
Reports and Payments to Vendors for Supplies and
Services Contracts, is deleted.
Postal Bulletin 22016, 1/27/2000
• Appendix B, Clause B-6, Receiving Reports -
Deleted.
Postal Bulletin 22016, 1/27/2000
• 6.3.3 Receiving Reports - Revision reflects
changes in Clause B-5, Certificate of Conformance.
Postal Bulletin 22016, 1/27/2000
• Appendix B, Clause 4-3, Contract Terms and
Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or
Executive Orders - Commercial Items - Revised
to include in paragraph "c" references to Clauses
9-7, Equal Opportunity; 9-13, Affirmative Action for
Handicapped Workers; and 9-14, Affirmative Action
for Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam
Era. PM parts 9.7.10, 9.9.2, and 9.10.2 prescribe
the use of these clauses, which are to be included
in commercial purchases as those parts direct.
Postal Bulletin 22013, 12/16/1999
• 2.2.1 Quality Requirements, 2.2.1.c Clauses,
2.2.1.c.2 Use - Revised to include prescriptions for
a new inspection and acceptance clause and a new
quality assurance clause for use when purchasing
services.
Postal Bulletin 22000, 6/17/1999
• 4.3.5 Contract Format and Contents, 4.3.5.a
General, 4.3.6.d, Clause 4-2, Contract Terms and
Conditions - Commercial Items - Revised to
clarify inspection, acceptance, and warranty policy
that applies to commercial purchases.
Postal Bulletin 22000, 6/17/1999
• Appendix B, B.3 Clauses, Clause 2-1 - Renamed
Inspection and Acceptance - Supplies; Clause
2-48, Inspection and Acceptance - Services and
Clause 2-49, Quality Assurance - Services were
added.
Postal Bulletin 22000, 6/17/1999
• 4.3.1 Policy; 4.4.1a Policy; and 4.5.1a Policy -
Revision deletes the word "competitive" from these
sections to clarify policy concerning commercial,
design and construction and mail transportation
purchasing.
Postal Bulletin 21994, 3/25/1999
• 3.2.3 Subcontracting with Small, Minority, and
Woman-owned Businesses - Revised to specify
that solicitations and contracts valued at $1 million
or more must contain Provision 3-1, Notice of
Small, Minority, and Woman-owned Business
Subcontracting Requirements and Clause 3-1,
Small, Minority, and Woman-owned Business
Subcontracting Requirements. Together, the
provision and the clause require suppliers (with
some exceptions) to submit contract-specific
subcontracting plans with their proposals. Clause
3-2, Participation of Small, Minority, and
Woman-owned Businesses, which must be
included in all contracts valued at $500,000 or
more, requires that suppliers report their
subcontracting activity. Clause 4-3, Contract Terms
and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or
Executive Orders - Commercial Items, has been
revised to incorporate Clause 3-2 in purchases of
commercial items when the value of the purchases
is $500,000 or more.
Postal Bulletin 21992, 2/25/1999
• 1.9 Contingent Fees and Appendix A - Revised to
remove the requirement for suppliers to make
representations concerning their use of contingent
fee arrangements, and, in certain instances, to
provide additional information concerning them.
Postal Bulletin 21991, 2/11/1999
• 3.2.3.c Clauses - Subparagraph 3.2.3.c.1 now
requires that Clause 3-1, Participation of Small,
Minority, and Woman-owned Businesses, be
included in all contracts except purchases of
professional services and commercial purchases
when the value is less than $1 million.
Postal Bulletin 21985, 11/19/1998
• 1.5.1 Authority (Contracting Officers) - Added new
paragraph 1.5.1.d stating contracting officers must
ensure that funding approval has been obtained
before taking a contractual action.
Postal Bulletin 21972, 5/21/1998
• 1.5.3 Actions Exceeding a Contracting Officer's
Authority - Added new paragraph 1.5.3.b stating
that when an action exceeds a contracting officer's
authority, thereby requiring higher-level approval,
he or she must consider the anticipated total dollar
value of the action (the actual dollar value of the
action plus any associated costs such as
termination costs) before determining who is
authorized to approve the action.
Postal Bulletin 21972, 5/21/1998
• 3.5.2 Prequalification - Revised to allow purchase
teams to add new suppliers to previously
established prequalification lists. Such suppliers
must be evaluated in the same manner used to
establish the original list.
Postal Bulletin 21972, 5/21/1998
• 3.5.5 Noncompetitive Purchases - Revised to
clarify when noncompetitive contracts with nonprofit
institutions do not require justifications and
approvals. Paragraph 3.5.5.b.8 has been revised to
expand the defined category.
Postal Bulletin 21972, 5/21/1998
• 9.7.3.a; A.2.3.b.19; Provision 9.4; Clause 9-9 -
Increased threshold for preaward compliance
reviews from $1 million to $10 million in compliance
with revisions to Executive Order 11246.
Postal Bulletin 21963, 1/15/1998
• 1.7.14 - Added new section addressing Year 2000
Compliance; 4.6.5.b.3 - Revised to require
inclusion of Clauses 1-12 and 1-13 in all contracts
for information technology; Appendix B, Clauses
1-12, commercial items, and 1-13 , noncommercial
items - Added new clauses concerning Year 2000
warranties.
Postal Bulletin 21945, 5/8/1997
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