The federal government's basic procurement or acquisition process involves an agency identifying the goods and services it needs, determining the most appropriate method for purchasing these items, and carrying out the acquisition. Although this process is simple in theory, any given procurement can be complex, involving a multitude of decisions and actions. A contracting officer may need to determine, for example, whether to use a federal supply schedule, what type of contract to use, whether simplified acquisition procedures may be used, or whether the procurement should be set aside for...