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SUBPART 9.2 – QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS
(Revised June 10, 2020 through PROCLTR 20 20 - 12 )
9.202 Policy.
(a)(1) The CCO is the designee.
(i) QPL and QML qualification requirement documentation and justification are included in the technical description.
(ii) QSLM and QSLD information is retained at the procuring organizations.
(2) Solicitation.
(i) Solicitations and awards shall include procurement note H01 when purchasing qualification items in Federal Supply Class (FSC) 5935.
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H01 Qualified Products List (QPL) for Federal Supply Class (FSC) 5935 Connector Assemblies and Contacts (SEP 2016)
When an offeror includes connectors and electrical contacts manufactured by different qualified sources, the offeror agrees to provide to the contracting officer or quality assurance representative, prior to delivery, documentation signed by an authorized contractor representative responsible for quality assurance, demonstrating that the connectors and electrical contacts in question were manufactured by/obtained from a current QPL source(s). The signed documentation must as a minimum include:
(1) Name of the quality assurance representative;
(2) Name of connector manufacturer(s);
(3) Manufacturer(s) part number(s) (P/N);
(4) Name of contact manufacturer(s); and
(5) The Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code of the manufacturer.
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(ii) Contracting officers shall include procurement note M01 in solicitations when purchasing qualification items in Federal Supply Classes (FSCs) 5961, Semiconductors and Hardware Devices, and 5962, Electronic Microcircuits.
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M01 Approved Suppliers for Federal Supply Class (FSC) 5961, Semiconductors and Hardware Devices, and FSC 5962, Electronic Microcircuits (JUN 2020)
(1) This material includes a sourcing restriction. The categories of sources of supply listed below, in order of precedence with Category One having the highest precedence, are eligible for award. Award, if made, will be within the highest category submitting an acceptable offer.
(a) Category One:
(i) The approved source (e.g., Original Component Manufacturer (OCM)/Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)) for the item specified in the solicitation/contract;
(ii) The approved source on the applicable Qualified Products List (QPL)/Qualified Manufacturers List (QML); or
(iii) The authorized distributors of the OCM/OEM or QPL/QML.
(b) Category Two: When no acceptable offer is received from suppliers listed in Category One, distributors listed on the Qualified Suppliers List of Distributors (QSLD), with adequate supply chain traceability documentation to the approved source of the item, are eligible to receive an award.
(c) Category Three: When no acceptable offer is received from suppliers in Category One or Category Two, the Government may make an award based on offers received from suppliers listed on the Qualified Testing Suppliers List (QTSL), with adequate test documentation.
(2) The QSLD Program (Qualified Suppliers List of Distributors (https://landandmaritimeapps.dla.mil/offices/sourcing_and_qualification/offices.aspx?Section=QSL); and QTSL Program (Qualified Testing Suppliers List (https://landandmaritimeapps.dla.mil/offices/sourcing_and_qualification/offices.aspx?Section=QTS) include the full listings of QSLD and QTSL suppliers, along with the qualification criteria.
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(iii) Reserved.
(iv) Contracting officers shall include procurement note M03 in solicitations when purchasing Troop Support QSLM/QSLD qualification items. If a QPL requirement applies, the contracting officer shall advise potential offeror(s) they must provide a QPL item and advise contractors with QSLD status they must provide the product of contractors with QSLM status whether the item is governed by a QPL or not. Contracting officers shall review the Qualified Suppliers List for Manufacturers (QSLM)/Qualified Suppliers List for Distributors (QSLD) (https://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/IndustrialHardware/Engineering-and-Technical-services/Qualified-Suppliers-List/) to validate Troop Support QSL sources.
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M03 Qualified Suppliers List for Manufacturers (QSLM)/Qualified Suppliers List for Distributors (QSLD) for Troop Support (JUN 2020)
(1) This is a qualified item. Only manufacturers listed on the Qualified Suppliers List for Manufacturers (QSLM)/Qualified Suppliers List for Distributors (QSLD) (https://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/IndustrialHardware/Engineering-and-Technical-services/Qualified-Suppliers-List/) with adequate supply chain traceability of the item specified in the solicitation/contract back to the QSLM are eligible to receive an award.
(2) The Qualified Suppliers List for Manufacturers (QSLM)/Qualified Suppliers List for Distributors (QSLD) (https://www.dla.mil/TroopSupport/IndustrialHardware/Engineering-and-Technical-services/Qualified-Suppliers-List/) provides the full listing of QSLM and QSLD suppliers, along with the qualification criteria.
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(v) Contracting officers shall include procurement note H02 in solicitations and awards when purchasing component qualification items. Contracting officers shall validate QPL sources on offers and consult with the product specialist, if needed.
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H02 Component Qualified Products List (QPL)/Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) (SEP 2016)
This item contains one or more components defined by a specification(s) with an associated Qualified Products List (QPL) or Qualified Manufacturers List (QML). By submission of an offer, the offeror will supply such component item(s) only from sources currently qualified on the applicable QPLs/QMLs.
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9.203 QPL’s, QML’s, and QBL’s.
(a) In addition to QPLs, QMLs, and QBLs, DLA uses agency developed qualification lists: Qualified Suppliers List of Distributors (QSLDs), Qualified Testing Suppliers List (QTSLs), and Qualified Suppliers List of Manufacturers (QSLMs).
(1) QSLD – a list of pre-qualified sources for certain components that are purchased and managed by DLA and have met DLA's traceability and quality system requirements. QSLD products are provided by
distributors that combine accepted commercial practices, quality assurance procedures that are consistent with industry and international quality standards, and tailored when necessary to product-unique requirements that can take the place of provisions traditionally stated in DLA solicitations.
(2) QTSL – a list of pre-qualified sources who have met DLA's quality system and testing requirements for untraceable product in certain commodities and have agreed to the provisions of the program. QTSL products are provided by suppliers that combine accepted counterfeit mitigation practices and quality assurance procedures that are consistent with industry and international quality standards.
(3) QSLM – a list of pre-qualified sources for certain fully competitive products which are purchased and managed by DLA. QSL products are provided by manufacturers that combine accepted commercial practices, quality assurance procedures that are consistent with industry and international quality standards, and tailored when necessary to product-unique requirements that can take the place of provisions traditionally stated in DLA solicitations.
(b) Qualified items are not automated and therefore are referred for manual review. The contracting officer shall –
(1) Include FAR Clause 52.209-1. For QSLD/QTSL/QSLM, recognize it is a qualified item from the Product Item Description (PID).
(2) Check the applicable list(s) to ensure the potential offeror and/or its product is on the list.
(3) For offerors or products not on the applicable qualified list, request the offeror provide documentation that demonstrates supplier or its product meets the qualification standards prior to award.
(4) After qualification is verified, proceed with award.
9.204 Responsibilities for establishment of a qualification requirement.
9.270 Aviation and ship critical safety items.
9.270-3 Policy.
(a) The product specialist (PS) shall coordinate with the design control activity and update the material master, ensuring the approved sources are current. Prior procurement history is not an indication of current source approval. The PS shall advise the contracting officer of changes to a supplier’s status. When the PS removes an approved source, the PS shall identify all open purchase requests and open contracts and notify the assigned contracting officers and contract administrators. Contracting officers shall amend solicitations to reflect the updated approved sources. If a contract action will result in delivery of an item from a source that is no longer approved, the contracting officer or contract administrator shall coordinate with the product specialist to determine if the ESA will accept the material. In the event the ESA will not accept the material, the contract action shall be terminated. The PS shall draft a letter with the rationale for removal for the contracting officer. The contracting officer shall coordinate with the COMPAD and issue the letter to the supplier.
Origin inspection is required. Certificate of conformance (COC) is not authorized, unless approved by the ESA. Incorporate all quality requirements into the contract when specified (e.g., first article test, production lot testing). Do not waive any quality requirement without referring to the PS.
When automated solicitations are used to solicit CSIs, offers must be manually evaluated and awarded.
All solicitations and contracts for CSI shall list the items in DFARS 252.209-7010 and shall include procurement note H04.
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H04 Sourcing for Critical Safety Items (SEP 2016)
The contractor procuring, modifying, repairing, or overhauling a critical safety item shall only use a source approved by the head of the design control activity.
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When multiple approved sources are identified, consider using acquisition strategies to help maintain more than one source, such as split awards or multiple awards. This minimizes ESA revalidation referrals required for CSIs whenever a source has not received an award for over 3 years.
Refer all offers of used, reconditioned, or remanufactured supplies; or unused former Government surplus property that are under consideration to the product specialist for evaluation (see 11.302(b)11.302 Policy.).
Prior to making award, obtain all approvals required on the DLA Form 13, Critical Safety Items and SPC Items Award Checklist, and retain in official contract file.
When award is made, notify the PS, who will determine if a quality assurance letter of instruction (QALI) is required. If award was made to a dealer or distributor, a QALI is mandatory; the QAS must have conducted a preaward review of traceability documentation in accordance with the approval/review requirements at 9.270-39.270-3 Policy. (S-91)9.270-3 Policy..
When a contractor changes a business arrangement with an approved source for the item being acquired, or in a manufacturing process or facility, the contracting officer shall coordinate with the PS and take corrective action as needed.
(S-90) Critical Application Items (CAIs) are items where failure could affect mission, performance, readiness, or safety. The PS may need to coordinate with the ESA and shall follow any applicable performance based agreement and DLAI 3200.4.
(S-91) Contracting officers shall use the table below to determine when preaward referral to the PS is required to ensure that a prospective contractor is technically acceptable.
REQUIREMENTS FOR PREAWARD REFERRAL TO PRODUCT SPECIALIST
| Type Of Offer | Criticality Of Item | Contracting Officer (CO) Can Award? | Requires Referral To Technical/ Quality? | Requires Approval From ESA? | Award Requires Approval One Level above CO? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approved source offering “exact product” | Noncritical or Critical Item Code (CIC) Blank | Yes | No | No | No |
| Approved source offering “exact product” | Critical Application Item (CAI) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Approved source offering “exact product” | Critical Safety Item (CSI) | Yes | No | No | Yes (Does not apply to fully automated awards if system only permits a fully automated award when an approved source is offering an exact product.) |
| Dealer/ Distributor (non-manufacturer) offering “exact product” | Noncritical or Critical Item Code (CIC) Blank | Yes (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation prior to award; or shall require offeror to retain documentation in accordance with procurement note C03 and provide it for review at time of Government source inspection, if applicable in accordance with 9.270-3(a), or during random or directed postaward audits.) | No | No | No |
| Dealer/ Distributor (non-manufacturer) offering “exact product” | Critical Application Item (CAI) | Yes (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation prior to award; or shall require offeror to retain documentation in accordance with procurement note C03 and provide it for review at time of Government source inspection, if applicable in accordance with 9.270-3(a), or during random or directed postaward audits.) | No | No | No |
| Dealer/ Distributor (non-manufacturer) offering “exact product” | Critical Safety Item (CSI) | Yes (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation prior to award.) | Yes (Product specialist will conduct preaward review of traceability documentation, on which quality assurance letter of instruction (QALI) will be based. Referral to product specialist is mandatory after award to finalize QALI. (See 9.270-3(a)). | No | Yes |
| Unapproved manufacturing source offering “exact product” | Noncritical or Critical Item Code (CIC) Blank | No (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation and refer offer to product specialist prior to award.) | Yes | Product Specialist must follow DLA Logistics Operations Division Desk Book and local procedures to determine if ESA referral is required. | No |
| Unapproved manufacturing source offering “exact product” | Critical Application Item (CAI) | No (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation and refer offer to product specialist prior to award.) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Unapproved manufacturing source offering “exact product” | Critical Safety Item (CSI) | No (Contracting officer shall obtain traceability documentation and refer offer to product specialist prior to award.) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Any source offering “alternate product” | Noncritical or Critical Item Code (CIC) Blank | No | Yes | Product Specialist must follow DLA Logistics Operations Division Desk Book and local procedures to determine if ESA referral is required. | No |
| Any source offering “alternate product” | Critical Application Item (CAI) | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Any source offering “alternate product” | Critical Safety Item (CSI) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
(S-92) The DLA Aviation technical oversight office (TOO) is authorized to maintain and disseminate all information regarding exemptions/waivers from CSI policies and clauses. Part 10 was deleted IAW PROCLTR 15-13.The TOO will maintain this information and provide electronic access on their website.
