41 U.S.C. § 1705 — Advocates for competition

(a) Establishment and designation. (1) Every executive agency has an advocate for competition. (2) The agency head must designate one qualifying officer or employee for the agency and one for each procuring activity, excluding the senior procurement executive. The agency head may not give these people duties inconsistent with advocacy for competition and must give them needed staff or help, including specialists in engineering, technical operations, contract administration, financial management, supply management, and small or disadvantaged businesses. (b) Duties. The agency advocate must (1) challenge barriers to, and promote full and open competition in, agency purchases of property and services; (2) review procurement activities; (3) tell the senior procurement executive about opportunities and actions for full and open competition and about conditions or actions that unnecessarily restrict competition; (4) prepare an annual report describing the advocate’s activities, initiatives needed to increase competition, and remaining barriers; (5) recommend yearly competition goals and plans and a personal and organizational accountability system, which may include recognition or awards for managers, contracting officers, and others who promote competition; and (6) describe other ways the agency has emphasized competition in procurement training and research. (c) Procuring-activity advocates. Each is responsible for promoting full and open competition, promoting purchases of commercial products and services, and challenging barriers such as unnecessarily restrictive needs statements, overly detailed specifications, and unnecessarily burdensome contract clauses.