Pros And Cons Of Simplified Acquisition By The Federal Government

The Federal government uses three methods in which to acquire goods and services: simplified acquisition, sealed bid or negotiation. Of these methods, the Simplified Acquisition Procedure address a wide variety of contracting requirements in the procuring of supplies and services for the government. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) encourages Contracting Officer’s (CO) to use innovative approaches to the maximum extent practicable when awarding contracts. Additionally, it is the COs responsibility to determine which acquisition method will best meet the customers' and government’s mission requirements. Even with other procurement methods, it is most beneficial for the CO to use Simplified Acquisition Procedure because it improves efficiency, supports the use of small businesses, and has a flexible purchasing process.
Other Methods of Procurement
As soon as an agency decides they want to procure something, regardless of product type or service, the agency becomes the "Buyer". As long as an agency is in the process of buying something or considering a purchase, they need to formulate a procurement method. As previously mentioned, besides simplified acquisition, there are other methods of procurement. Sealed bidding is a method of procurement and is advertised
The FAR requires that when practical, the CO makes every effort to include Small Businesses by using set-aside acquisitions. (19.203 (e), FAR,2005) According to the simplified acquisition threshold, included in the Simplified Acquisition Procedures, anything at or below $150,000 should automatically be considered for Small Businesses. (13.003 (b)(1), FAR, 2005) Additionally, Government Agencies often have set-aside goals that they have to achieve. By automatically setting small or simple acquisitions aside for small businesses agencies may achieve those goals