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Summary of Changes

Permanent Note: On May 1, 2006, the Interim Internal Purchasing Guidelines were replaced by the Postal Service’s Supplying Principles and Practices (SPs and Ps).

Effective September 1, 2021, the following parts and sections of the SPs and Ps have been revised:

1— Identify Needs

  • 1-14.2, Issue RFI, has been revised to reflect the change in publicizing of RFPs to the new Government-wide Point of Entry, System for Award Management (https://sam.gov).

2 — Evaluate Sources

5 — Measure and Manage Supply

7 — General Practices

8 — Commodity Specific

9 — Solicitation Provisions

  • Provision 1-1: Supplier Clearance Requirements is revised to replace the word “offices” to “offers” within the second paragraph of the provision.
  • Provision 4-3: Representations and Certifications is revised to eliminate duplicate paragraphs under e. Certification Regarding Debarment, Proposed Debarment, and Other Matters, (1)(d) and (e). The date of the clause remains as (October 2019).
  • Provision 4-7 : Postal Computing Environment, is revised to delete reference to Handbook AS-820, Postal Computing Environment which is an obsolete handbook.
  • Provision 4-10: Application of Information Security Requirements, is revised to remove reference to Handbook AS-805, Information Security, and replaces it with the Postal Service Information Security Requirements for Suppliers guide. Retains the language for the Handbook AS-805-A, Information Resource Certification and Accreditation Process. Provides new language on actions to be taken by a supplier in the event of an actual or suspected security incident on its network(s) or systems. And, provides for the pre-award and post-award risk assessments, and post-award risk remediation and monitoring requirements.
  • Provision 7-6: Covered Telecommunications Equipment Certificate, is new and requires offerors to review the list of excluded parties in the System for Award Management (SAM) at: https://sam.gov for entities excluded from receiving federal awards for “covered telecommunications equipment or services.” It requires offerors to certify that each end product to be provided to the Postal Service or used by the offeror to perform services for the Postal Service, except those identified, does not include any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system. The certification must be provided as part of the proposal and resubmitted whenever the resulting contract is modified by adding services or equipment, or the Postal Service elects to exercise an available option.

10 — Clauses

  • Clause B-9: Claims and Disputes, is revised to re-instate the version date of March 2006. The date was omitted in February 2018 update of the SPs and Ps.
  • Clause 2-20: Option Period, the word “or” is deleted from the second sentence to correct a material typographical error. A contracting officer may exercise an option by giving the supplier at least 60 days written notice.
  • Clause 4-1: General Terms and Conditions, has minor revisions.
  • Clause 4-19: Information Security Requirements, title is revised from Clause 4-19: Information Security Requirements Resource. Information regarding Handbook AS-805, Information Security, is removed and prescribes the use of the Postal Service Information Security Requirements for Suppliers guide be used in solicitations where information and information resources are being procured. Requirements for incident response and mitigation are also described within the clause. The security requirements are applicable to the supplier and its subcontractors. Reference to Handbook AS-805-A, Information Resource Certification and Accreditation Process, is removed and incorporated within new Clause 4-22: Certification and Accreditation of Information Systems.
  • Clause 4-21: Supplier Security Risk Assessment, is new and incorporates post-award supplier risk assessment process, and risk mitigation process.
  • Clause 4-22: Certification and Accreditation of Information Systems, is new and includes language from original Clause 4-19: Information Security Requirements Resources regarding the Postal Service’s certification and accreditation (C&A) process. In addition, the clause provides for the ability of the Postal Service to perform Site Security Reviews, where Postal Service data will be stored or the ability for a supplier to submit a Service Organization Control Type II (SOC 2) report.
  • Clause 4-23: Cloud Computing Security Requirements, is new and incorporates the security requirements for cloud computing. [Do not see this addition]
  • Clause 7-19: Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment, is new and provides the definitions used for the Act; the prohibition and its exceptions; considerations for requesting a waiver of the prohibition; the supplier’s reporting requirements; and the necessity for the supplier to flow the clause down to their subcontractors.



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