Purchase card certifying officer guidance was issued on October 17, 1996, as Purchase Card Reengineering Implementation Memorandum #1: Certifying Officer Guidance. That guidance, within the context of ongoing efforts to reengineer the purchase card process, stipulated rules to implement Certifying Officer legislation for the DoD purchase card.

The "Joint Report of the Purchase Card Financial Management Team and the Purchase Card Integrated Product Team to the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Technology) and the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)" proposed the reengineered business practice for the purchase card to be billed (invoiced) at the approving official level. This required that approving officials be appointed, in writing, as purchase card certifying officers. Accordingly, Purchase Card Reengineering Implementation Memorandum #1 required the use of a detailed certification statement by certifying officers.

Based on actual experience since implementation of the certifying officer policy, it appears that, while the certification may be appropriate as an accountable official (cardholder) certification, it may be inappropriate for certifying officers who organizationally are separate from respective cardholders. As a result, attached to this memorandum is a complete revision of the Purchase Card Reengineering Memorandum #1 that implements a tiered approach to payment certification in accordance with Chapter 33, "Accountable Officials and Certifying Officers," of Volume 5, "Disbursing Policy and Procedures," of the DoD Financial Management Regulation.

These policies are applicable to the Office of the Secretary of Defense; the Military Departments; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff; the Combatant Commands; the Inspector General of the DoD; the Defense Agencies and the DoD Field Activities. These policies are effective as specified herein. The Heads of the DoD Components shall ensure that this guidance is adhered to in day-to-day operations and in the design, modification, and maintenance of the DoD Component’s procurement and financial management systems.

My staff contact is Ms. Diane Bray. She may be reached through e-mail address at: brayd@osd.pentagon.mil or by phone at (703) 602-0193.