Purchasing

VISA Purchase Card Program
The VA will issue credit cards to VA employees to facilitate the acquisition of laboratory items. The VA employee must attend the initial training class to obtain the VISA card as well as all subsequent training.

The spending limit for any single order is $2,500, including shipping and handling costs (S&H). The monthly card limit is based on the supply balance available in the grant. Orders that exceed $2500, including equipment, furniture, or IT, must be submitted to the Research Office for placement.

The following CANNOT be purchased on VA credit cards, regardless of price:

• Printing and reproduction (Includes services from Kinkos). Manuscript reprints are an allowable expense.
• IT items (IT includes computers, software, peripherals, and/or components)
• Furniture (Furniture includes chairs, tables, desks, shelving, etc.)
• Equipment (Equipment includes freezers, refrigerators, etc.)

Cardholders must reconcile weekly to retain their card.

1. How to get a VA VISA card:

a. Applicant must be a VA employee.
b. Applicant must attend the monthly VISA Purchase Card Training held every second Tuesday of the month in Building 101, room 433. The applicant will receive a form titled “Government wide Purchase Card Certification Form.”
c. The funding investigator must initial the form in the upper right hand corner if the applicant is not the funding investigator
d. The form should be brought to Dina Losli in Bldg 101, Room 502 for completion. She will submit the form to Fiscal Service.
e. The applicant will meet with Research Service budget staff for additional training before the card will be issued.

2. VISA Cardholder responsibilities:

a. Attend all appropriate acquisition training,
b. Sign VA form 0232, Government-wide Purchase Card Certification, to become the contracting officer of record for any purchase made with the card,
c. Comply with all acquisition regulations, Federal, VA and local, including the VA Contracting Hierarchy
d. Verify adequate funds prior to making a purchase
e. Comply with the $2500 single purchase limit. Only orders under $2500, including shipping and handling, can be ordered on the VISA. Splitting large orders over $2500 into smaller orders is expressly forbidden.
f. Do not order IT on the VISA card. IT includes computers, monitors, printers, faxes, memory, components, cables, or software. Toner, cartridges, and CDs are acceptable supply charges.
g. Upon placing the order, complete an order form. The order form must be completed accurately. The price should be exact since the order has already been placed. It must also include S&H costs. Any order that has a variance of 10% or more must be corrected. The order form must include the contact information, funding investigator and vendor information. The vendor phone number is mandatory.
h. Immediately fax the order to Jake at x51046 or 503.721.1046 upon placing an order. All VISA orders must be entered into the computer within 24 hours. All orders received before 2:00 pm will be entered before the close of business. Please do not stockpile the orders until the end of the day.
i. Reconcile charges weekly to ensure timely reconciliations. All vendor charges must be reconciled within 10 calendar days. Delinquent reconciliations are reported monthly to the Medical Center Director and VISN.
j. Keep the card secure, i.e., kept in a locked cabinet or on your person. Only the cardholder should have access to the card and its number.
k. Keep adequate documentation, i.e., order form, packing slips, receipts, cash register slips, etc.
l. Documentation must be kept available for 7 years and 6 months.
m. No IT orders can be placed on the card. IT includes computers, monitors, printers, faxes, memory, components, cables, or software. Toner, cartridges, and CDs are acceptable supply charges.
n. If the card is lost or stolen, immediately notify Citibank’s Customer Service at 1.800.790.7206. Then notify Ann Francis at x56939, and Dina Losli at x57895.

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Information Technology (IT) Purchases with VA Funds
All requests for purchase of Information Technology (IT) items must be placed through the R&D Service Administrative Office. This includes hardware, software, repair, minor system component replacement, Internet access, and cell phones. The VA has a national contract for IT commonly referred to as PCHS. It stands for Procurement of Computer Hardware and Software. The VA is mandated to use this contract for ordering IT.

No IT items can be ordered on VA credit cards. See the memo regarding IT purchases with VA Funds from ACOS/R&D on 9/21/01.

How to order IT

1. Access the PCHS-2 web page, www.va.gov/pchs-2/

a. Hewlett-Packard: includes computers, software and printer options. Is expanding to include scanners and multimedia devices.
b. MPC: carries Micron computers and peripherals
c. PlanetGov/Dell: includes a wide variety of IT hardware and software from a diverse group of manufacturers, including Dell.
d. GTSI: includes desktops, notebooks, monitors, printers, software and peripherals.

2. Identify the products desired and obtain a quote.

3. Attach the quote to the order order form. In addition to the routine information, the order form must include the

a. The PCHS-2 quote number (also attach quote to order form)
b. Include PCHS-2 in the description
c. Operating system

4. If software is being obtained, the order form must include

a. The PCHS-2 quote number (also attach quote to order form)
b. A statement regarding whether the software is 508 compliant or not
c. Identify what operating system the software will run on
d. A functional description of what it does and how it supports research

5. If the item is not found on the PCHS contract, you can utilize other vendors (giving priority to GSA contracts first). However, the order form must include a statement that the item or a functional equivalent is not available on the PCHS-2 contact Attach the quote to the order form.

6. If the item is located on PCHS-2 but available elsewhere for less money, a waiver must be obtained from VACO. Quotes must be obtained from both vendors (PCHS and other). This is a time consuming process and the cost saving must be significant to be approved.

7. Complete the order request form. The description must include the following items.
a. Complete item description and quote number (attach quote to form).
b. State if items are available on PCHS contract.
c. Identify operating system, i.e., Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional.
d. State if item is 508 compliant or not.
e. State if item is to be networked or a stand alone.
f. Request cannot be submitted until items a through e are identified on the order form.

8. Once the IT request is approved by VACO (usually within 48 hours if purchases are on the PCHS-2 contract), the order will be placed by R&D administrative staff.

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ORDERING INFORMATION

OFFICE SUPPLIES

Fax all order requests to Research Service Administrative Office at x51046 or 503-721-1046.

VIP: Office supplies should be ordered through Veterans Imaging Products Inc (VIP), a small veteran-owned business. The only exceptions are toner, ink and ribbon - which should be ordered through ABM. Corporate Express will still provide customer support and delivery services. Supplies can be ordered online once the user has registered. Please contact Jake at x56623 for ordering and registration instructions. (Tier 1 vendor)

ABM: Printer/Fax toners, ink and ribbon should be ordered through ABM. Toners can be ordered either online or via the telephone after the user has registered. Please contact Jake at x56623 for ordering and registration instructions. (Tier 1 vendor)

If the required item is not available from either vendor, please locate the item on www.GSAAdvantage.gov and include a notation on the order form that the item was not available from either VIP or ABM.

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Gas Ordering Instructions (24KB, MSWord)
Gas Order Form (49KB, MSWord)

Order Form (337KB, PDF)
If the item is ordered on an individual's credit card, check "Ordered on my VISA." If the office needs to place the order with the vendor, check "Please Order on Office VISA." If an order is more than $2,500, the R&D Administrative office will automatically place the order with the purchasing agent. VA Headquarters has mandated that all computer and computer related items be approved by VA Central Office before purchasing (see IT).

If the order exceeds $2,500, including shipping & handling, a sole source justification (42KB, MSWord) must be submitted with the order. Any order without a sole source justification is subject to the bidding process in contracting service.

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Subject Reimbursement Forms (10-7078) (60KB, MSWord)
This form is used for payment of patients for taking part in a research study. A signed consent form must be turned in before a patient can receive funds for taking part in a research study. Fill out the subject reimbursement form for each patient, making sure that all shaded areas are filled in. Bring the form to Jeff Shoji in the Research Service office for signature. Dedicated hours for signature are 8-9 am and 2-3pm, daily. The patient then takes the original form to the agent cashier for payment - or, if requested, the check can be mailed directly to their home.

Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Agreement

The Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) agreement is the mechanism used for securing professional and technical services from OHSU by the Portland VA Research Service. IPAs are managed by the ACOS administrative office and OHSU Sponsored Project administration. The principal investigator (PI) initiates an IPA to procure personnel services necessary to their VA study. The assignment should be agreed upon by the PI, the person whose services are desired, and the OHSU department prior to initiating the paperwork. The PI is responsible for completing the required paperwork with current forms as listed below.

IPA assignments should be made for purposes which the Federal agency head, or his or her designee, determines are of mutual concern and benefit to the Federal agency and to the non-Federal organization. Each proposed assignment (IPA) should be carefully examined to ensure that it is for sound public purposes and furthers the goals and objectives of the participating organizations. Assignments arranged to meet the personal interest of employees, to circumvent personnel ceilings or to avoid unpleasant personnel decisions are contrary to the spirit and interest of the mobility assignment program (IPAs).

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:

1. IPA agreements can be made for up to 2 years and may be part-time or full-time. The assignment may be extended for an additional 2 years less 1 month. IPA assignments of less than 6 months are discouraged.
   
   
2. IPA agreements are based on fixed FTE or number of hours per week. Assignments are not variable and do not fluctuate.
   
   
3. An employee that has served 4 continuous years without a break cannot be assigned to another IPA without as least a 12-month return to his/her regular employer. Successive assignments without a break in service of at least 60 calendar days are regarded as continuous service.
   
   
4. IPAs are intended for skilled personnel only. IPAs cannot be established for administrative staff or principal investigators. Under no circumstances should IPA agreements be used as a mechanism for hiring clinical staff or as a substitute for scarce medical specialist, sharing, commercial item or other clinical services contract.
   
   
5. Non-VA employees must be employed in a permanent position by their organization for at least 90 days to be eligible for an IPA assignment.
   
   
6. The investigator is responsible for completing the required paperwork and obtaining employee and OHSU Departmental and Dean signatures. Paperwork must be submitted to the ACOS office at least 30 days prior to the requested start date.
   
   
7. Due to recent changes in the VA fiscal system, the start date of the IPAs should be the first of each month. OHSU has requested that termination dates occur at the end of the month.
   
   
8. Costs of the IPA are restricted to basic pay, supplemental pay, and fringe benefits. The VA is not authorized to issue reimbursement for indirect or administrative costs associated with the assignment. This includes charges for administrative support, supplies, computer time, etc.
   
   
9. An IPA may be terminated at any time at the option of the Federal or non-Federal government. When terminating the agreement before the original completion date requires a written 30-day notice to all parties involved. OHSU has requested that termination dates occur at the end of the month.

IPA Instructions (30KB, MSWord)
IPA Template (81KB, MSWord)
IPA Cover Sheet (88KB, MSWord)
IPA Cancellation Memo (281KB, MSWord)

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