US Army Corps of Engineers

BUILDING STRONG®

Keys to a Successful AE Contract

David Yankey, PEChief, Army and Air Force SectionEngineering Management BranchLouisville District25 Jan 11

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In-house vs. Contract

Contract 100% of construction & remediation

Military Design►In-house ~20% A/E contract ~80%

Civil Works Design►In-house ~ 65% A/E contract ~ 35%

Environmental Study/Design►In-house ~ 10% A/E contract ~ 90%

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Federal Design Work based on Brooks Act

"The Congress hereby declares it to be

the policy of the Federal Government to

publicly announce..., and to negotiate

contracts for architectural and engineering

services on the basis of demonstrated

competence and qualification..., and at fair

and reasonable prices.“

* Public Law 92-582

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Selection Success Address all requirements in your proposal

Don’t ignore weaknesses

Perform an independent quality check of submittal

Make it easy on the reviewers – mirror the

solicitation

Develop a strong team

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A/E Evaluation Boards Composed of licensed/registered personnel with

experience in engineering, architecture, construction and acquisition

Using agency invited

Compare firms' qualifications using criteria in the synopsis

Must be rational, consistent and fair

May be a two step process

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Ask for a debrief

Must be requested in writing or electronically We will provide debrief within 14 days of request Based on preselection/selection board report Discuss significant weak or deficient

qualifications We will not discuss other firms Listen and learn Recognize the strength of your competition

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“Selection” for a Task Order The decision on which contract to use will be

based on:►Performance and quality of deliverables under

the current ID/IQs►Current capacity to accomplish the order in

the required time►Uniquely specialized experience►Equitable distribution of work

Price is not a consideration in deciding which ID/IQ to use for AE services.

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Negotiating

Base contract ►database of wage rates for all disciplines

Task orders►Cost based on anticipated level of effort►Document all your assumptions►Bring back-up materials

“Fair and Reasonable” is our guide

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After Task Order Award

If expectations are not clear, ask. Be responsive; answer communication promptly;

meet or beat all schedule commitments. Inform the COR immediately if you’ve been

asked to perform outside your contract’s scope. Don’t discuss the project with any government

representatives unless your primary CoE contact is involved.

Produce acceptable products every time.

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QA/QC AEs: Quality Control Corps: Quality Assurance

Construction Cost Estimating

Apply knowledge of economy, locality, etc.

Design to Cost from preliminary through final design

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AE Evaluations - ACASS Primary Objectives

Support Best Value Source Selection Decisions – Awards for Proven Performers (FAR 15 & 36)

Provide Up-To-Date Documentation of Contractor’s Ability to Meet Requirements (FAR 36)

Motivate Improved Performance

Facilitate Government - Contractor Communication

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Evaluation Areas

Quality of A-E Services by Discipline Design Phase or Engineering Services Construction Phase

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Interim Evaluation

Overall performance is unsatisfactory Required Annually if Performance Period Exceeds 18 Months (EFARS 36.604

(S-102)) Interim Evaluation Required if a Project is Deferred More Than 3 Months if a

Substantial Portion of the Work Has Been Completed (EP 715-1-7)

Final Evaluation Final Acceptance of A-E Work Completion of Construction Project Contract Termination

Note: Replaces Prior Interim or Final Evaluation If “Amended” is Required, Another Final Evaluation is Completed

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ACASS WorkflowContract

Registration

Enter ProposedRatings

Validate ProposedRatings

Review ContractorComments

Reviewing OfficialComments

ContractorComments

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Where do I find opportunities?

District’s Annual Open House

Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)

KP-SAME Annual Small Business Workshop

SAME Industry Days

District contacts

FedBizOps!

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Useful Websites

www.fedbizopps.gov (search on W912QR)

www.lrl.usace.army.mil Louisville District homepage

www.lrd.usace.army.mil ID/IQ contracts list:

=> How do I contract with the Corps

=> ID/IQ Contracts => LRL

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Contacts for Contracts Upcoming Projects

►Russ Boyd (Military) 502.315.6801 ►Linda Murphy (CW) 502.315.6784

Contracting ►Mark Yates, 502.315.6173

Small Business Office►Jacque Gee, 502.315.6111

Environmental Contracts►Chris Karem, 502.315.6285

A/E Contracts (CW and Military)►Rosemary Gilbertson 502.315.6503

BUILDING STRONG®

Questions?