FORT DRUM, New York (Oct. 6, 2015) -- The Mission and Installation Contracting Command-Fort Drum contracting office, 925th Contracting Battalion, U. S. Army Garrison-Fort Drum, and 10th Mountain Division played an integral role in Fort Drum's selection as the Army's Community of Excellence four out of the past five years.
The 925th CBN construction division contributes greatly toward this accolade by accomplishing the mission with a minimal amount of procurement acquisition lead time, providing a rapid response to the Soldiers, civilians and family members on the installation with the services they require.
Cindy McAleese and her team of contracting professionals accomplishes this feat primarily using the repair, rehabilitation and minor construction multiple award task order contract, a single award job order contract, multiple construction requirements contracts and simplified acquisition construction blanket purchase agreement suites. Soon this will be followed with a Single Award Architect and Engineering Services Task Order Contract.
The repair, rehabilitation and minor construction MATOC is used for the larger mechanical and civil projects that typically require engineering design and support. The job order contract is primarily used for simple, repetitive construction work, and is also the contract vehicle that supports emergency work such as power outages and water main breaks, where the contractor is contractually bound to mobilize and commence work within 24 hours.
"Each year, Installation Management Command's annual goal is to obligate 85 percent of its budget by July 31," said Norm McGuire, chief of the Fort Drum Directorate of Public Works Business Operations Integration Division, noting that it reached 95 percent. "This is no easy feat since funding streams are inconsistent and unpredictable. However, the garrison constantly exceeds IMCOM's goals and always stands ready to obligate additional funds as IMCOM releases their set aside budget at year-end. Much of the success is due to the outstanding teamwork and constant communication that spans across functional lines."
Stakeholders meet regularly throughout the year to develop strategies for facilitating contract awards through an array of contract vehicles. During these sustainment, restoration and modernization meetings, contracting officials, in conjunction with the garrison, identify and prioritize all potential projects, and prepare documentation for award.
"As IMCOM officials release additional funds, the 925th CBN uses various contract vehicles to execute the shovel-ready projects, or other unfunded requirements that can be awarded in a very short amount of time, which benefits the entire Fort Drum community," McGuire said. "For example, on Sept. 15, IMCOM headquarters dropped $3.5 million on Fort Drum to renovate a vehicle maintenance facility, and within a week the contract was awarded."
In particular, the job order contract is extremely adaptable to any given situation, as it contains three different sets of ordering procedures, normal working conditions, accelerated working conditions and emergency conditions.
"Upon award, the government and contractor agreed to a unit price book that standardized the costs for future work performed under this contract, and a coefficient is applied to the direct costs to arrive at the overall task order price," said Kelli Rinard, a job order contract administrative contracting officer. "When exercising an option, the coefficient is adjusted based on the most recent Building Cost Index found in the Engineering News-Record for New York to ensure a fair and reasonable rate for both the government and contractor according to Economic Price Adjustment."
Terry Rigabar, a job order contract specialist, successfully prepared 15 job order contract construction projects for award during the one week period of Sept. 16 to Sept. 23, for a total of $6.5 million.
"This is no simple feat, and it is that kind of dedication that makes this team so successful each and every year," McAleese said. "The JOC also plays a valuable role in managing and promoting MICC-Fort Drum's small business programs."
The current contractor provides certification in three of the economically disadvantaged categories, hubzone, women owned and 8(a).
The newest initiative is the architectural and engineering services contract, which synchronizes the government's efforts with the MATOC by ensuring the contractor provides exactly what the government requires in an efficient and expeditious manner.
The contractor conducts the design and build portions of the project and often times, there can be disagreements between the government and a contractor concerning the design, statements of work, or specifications, resulting in miscommunication over expectations, or a less-than-desirable final product, causing unnecessary corrections and loss of time.
The architectural and engineering services contract uses an independently licensed professional engineer design exactly to the government's specifications and requirements. Once complete, a certified design plan is provided to the contractor to build the project.
"Even though it may seem more time consuming up front, and the onus of responsibility will be put on the government, it will ultimately result in the project being completed to standard on time, the first time," McAleese said.
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