PSC M1HC — Operation of Government‑Owned Contractor‑Operated (GOCO) Environmental Laboratories

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system standardizes how the U.S. federal government classifies products and services in procurement records, improving spend-tracking, reporting, and program analysis across systems such as FPDS and SAM. PSC entries and their definitions are maintained in the PSC Manual on Acquisition.gov and are the primary reference for consistent labeling of obligations, awards, and transactional data in federal procurement reporting.¹

PSC M1HC identifies the operation and management of government‑owned environmental laboratory facilities where the government retains ownership while a contractor provides long‑term management and day‑to‑day operations under an M&O or similar agreement. The code is facility‑oriented: it is applied to classify facility operation, support services integral to laboratory functioning, and contractor performance of non‑construction operational responsibilities associated with such labs.¹

What this PSC covers

• Facility operation and daily management of government‑owned environmental laboratory buildings and contiguous support spaces, provided under contractor management arrangements.¹
• Laboratory operations performed under management‑and‑operating (M&O) or similar long‑term contractor arrangements where the contractor runs the facility on the government’s behalf.¹
• Routine facility services integral to laboratory functioning (maintenance, custodial, environmental systems support), excluding construction work that would use construction codes.¹
• Management of laboratory support workflows such as specimen/sample handling, chain‑of‑custody logistics, analytical scheduling, and laboratory information management systems operations when these are part of contractor facility operation responsibilities.¹
• Government oversight, reporting, and compliance activities that are required by the owning agency as part of the contractor‑operated laboratory agreement (programmatic oversight, audit support, regulatory reporting interfaces).¹

Related NAICS and PSC codes

(Entries reflect adjacent facility‑operation PSC codes as organized in the PSC Manual.)¹

Context: GOCO and management‑and‑operating (M&O) framework

Government‑owned, contractor‑operated (GOCO) laboratories are typically governed by long‑term management arrangements in which a contractor assumes responsibility for daily operations, workforce management, and facility upkeep while the government retains legal ownership and program oversight. The M&O model has historically enabled agency access to specialized private‑sector and academic capabilities to support complex laboratory missions while preserving government control over program direction and stewardship of assets.²

Operationally, GOCO arrangements vary in the degree of onsite government presence and in contractual risk allocation; agencies define performance metrics, reporting requirements, and compliance oversight in the M&O instrument so that contractor facility operation meets scientific, safety, and regulatory obligations.¹

Frequently asked questions

• What distinguishes PSC M1HC from general laboratory services PSCs?
  PSC M1HC is a facility‑operation classification specifically for contractor operation of government‑owned environmental labs. General laboratory services PSCs cover discrete analytical, testing, or sampling services that do not include the overall operation and management of a government facility.¹

• Which contract types commonly use PSC M1HC?
  Work classified as PSC M1HC is often procured through long‑term management‑and‑operating, cost‑reimbursement, or other agreements that assign facility‑operation responsibilities to a contractor; the exact instrument depends on agency acquisition strategy and statutory authorities.¹

• Do government employees typically work onsite at GOCO labs mapped to PSC M1HC?
  GOCO agreements usually include a government oversight presence for program direction, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance, while daily operations are performed by contractor staff; the onsite mix varies by agency, mission, and contract terms.²

• How is PSC M1HC used in federal spend analytics?
  Agencies apply PSC M1HC to FPDS and SAM transaction records to tag awards and obligations for contractor operation of government environmental labs, enabling analysts to filter by facility‑operation spending and produce programmatic or cross‑agency reports.¹

Useful resources

• PSC M1HC — G2X overview (internal code page).
• Product and Service Code Manual, Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual landing and downloads.¹
• Assessment of the Scientific and Technical Laboratories and Facilities of the U.S. EPA (NEPIS) — discussion of GOCO/M&O arrangements and laboratory management context.²

References

1. Product and Service Code Manual, Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual landing and downloads: https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual.
2. Assessment of the Scientific and Technical Laboratories and Facilities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (revised May 1994), NEPIS, U.S. EPA: https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=9100LIBO.TXT.