(a) As provided in FAR 9.406-1(c), authority to determine whether to continue business dealings between VA and a contractor debarred or proposed for debarment is delegated to the SPE and is further delegated to the DSPE.
(b) For the purposes of FAR 9.406-1, the DSPE is the debarring official under the Federal Management Regulation at 41 CFR 102-117.295.
(c) Additional factors that a debarring official should consider before arriving at a debarment decision include the following:
(1) Whether the contractor had a mechanism, such as a hotline, by which employees could have reported suspected instances of improper conduct, and instructions in place that encouraged employees to make such reports.
(2) Whether the contractor conducted periodic reviews of company business practices, procedures, policies, and internal controls for compliance with standards of conduct and the special requirements of Government contracting.
(3) Whether the contractor conducted internal and external audits as appropriate.
(4) Whether the contractor timely reported to appropriate Government officials any suspected or possible violations of law in connection with Government contracts or any other irregularities in connection with such contracts.
