Staff assistance visit: Bridging the gap between headquarters and the operational contracting officer
| Pages | 235-242 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JOPP-05-02-2005-B004 |
| Date | 01 March 2005 |
| Published date | 01 March 2005 |
| Author | Bernard Piper |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management,Politics,Public adminstration & management,Government,Economics,Public Finance/economics,Texation/public revenue |
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC PROCUREMENT, VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2, 235-242 2005
STAFF ASSISTANCE VISIT:
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN HEADQUARTERS AND
THE OPERATIONAL CONTRACTING OFFICER
Bernard Piper*
ABSTRACT. The Staff Assistance Visit Program (SAV) is an important tool
used by the Department of State’s Procurement Executive since 1995 to support
the Department’s overseas contracting operations. The program is structured
much differently from a formal contract compliance review. The SAV’s
purpose is to improve relationships between the field and headquarters. Also,
the program provides hands-on expertise to improve operations. During the
visit, the SAV team works to reinforce existing training, solve real problems,
and improve communications with the contracting office and its clients. The
program consistently demonstrates its value of assisting geographically
dispersed contracting officers overcome the numerous contracting challenges
that they encounter around the world.
INTRODUCTION
Large organizations must often face the issue of how to promote
good working relationships between headquarters and field offices. The
federal contracting world is no different. One way of bridging the gap
between headquarters and field personnel is the Staff Assistance Visit
(SAV). The Department of State has the widest geographic scope of any
US Government agency. As a result, the Bureau of Administration,
Office of the Procurement Executive (A/OPE) created a SAV program in
1995.
This article explores the development of the SAV program over the
past ten years by discussing in details the program’s objectives, unique
qualities (compared to formal compliance reviews), and process. Finally,
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* Bernard Piper is the Director of the Contract Policy Division at the US
Department of State in the Office of the Procurement Executive.
Copyright © 2005 by PrAcademics Press
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