In a June memo to Defense Department agency leaders, Director of DOD Procurment and Acquisition Diedre Lee reminded its leaders that existing laws and regulations provide “considerable flexibility” for acquisitions supporting “urgent situations” and national security requirements.  Examples of regulatory flexibilities mentioned in the memo include:

A combined synopses and solicitation can be used to cut time to solicit and award contracts for commercial items.
COs can treat any acquisition as a commercial item if the supplies or services are used to defend against or recover from nuclear, biochemical or radiological attack.
Acquisitions issued using the “unusual and compelling urgency” exception under the Competition in Contracting Act “generally” exempts synopsis requirements.
Supporting justification for an exception can be made and approved after contract award when such preparation and approval would “unreasonably” delay acquisition.
Newly enacted provisions increase the micro-purchase and the simplified acquisition procedure thresholds for acquisitions in support of “contingency operations” or help against one of the above attacks.

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