Keys to a Successful AE Contract

David Yankey, PE

Chief, Army and Air Force Section Engineering Management Branch Louisville District 25 Jan 11

US Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING STRONG ®

In-house vs. Contract

 Contract 100% of construction & remediation  Military Design ► In-house ~20%  Civil Works Design A/E contract ~80% ► In-house ~ 65% A/E contract ~ 35%  Environmental Study/Design ► In-house ~ 10% A/E contract ~ 90% 2

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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.“ 3

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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 12

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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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Contract Registration Enter Proposed Ratings Validate Proposed Ratings Review Contractor Comments Reviewing Official Comments

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ACASS Workflow

Contractor Comments BUILDING STRONG ®

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

homepage 

www.lrd.usace.army.mil

Louisville District 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

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Questions?

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