An Army Contracting Command team gave contracting operations at the Office of the Program Manager-Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization Program the thumbs up during an April 14-17 visit to Eskan Village in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Deputy to the ACC Commander Mike Hutchison, ACC Rock Island (RI) Executive Director Melanie Johnson and ACC Deputy Director for Contracting Operations Jason Detko spoke with personnel and reviewed processes to ensure OPM-SANG contracting personnel are able to execute what Detko called a "unique and challenging" contracting mission.
He said contracting personnel in Saudi Arabia are resourced through OPM-SANG, but they receive their procurement authority from ACC-RI.
"Our visit verified that the contracting office is in lock-step with the requiring activity," said Detko. "The visit also confirmed that the Contracting Office Management and Program Manager were absolutely taking care of our most valuable asset -- the contracting workforce."
While the personnel are pleased with operations at Eskan Village, Detko said maintaining adequate personnel can be challenging due to the office's remote location.
To make sure the mission is properly executed, Detko said both ACC headquarters and ACC-RI will "ensure the personnel, policy, and contract execution concerns of the OPM SANG Contracting Office receive the utmost attention from the highest echelons of Army leadership."
In addition to the support the contracting personnel receive from the OPM-SANG Program Manager, Detko is hoping ongoing renovations will improve quality of life for the contracting personnel stationed at Eskan Village.
OPM-SANG's G4 is conducting office villa renovations, the biggest infrastructure improvement project to date at Eskan Village. The project is expected to cost $7.6M and will renovate 27 villas in six phases.
"Quality of life is a major factor in retaining personnel, maintaining morale and productivity," said Shubhashis Chakravarty, OPM-SANG's chief of the Facilities & Housing Branch. "Eskan Village is a remote location in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, far away from home. Access to outside activities are limited and can be cumbersome due to security."
Chakravarty said when overseas living and work conditions mirror those in the states, it provides a sense of familiarity and normalcy to deployed military and civilian members."
Renovations are scheduled for completion in late 2016.
Detko said last month's visit to Saudi Arabia gave his organization the assurance they needed that the contract execution mission is on track and personnel have the tools and support in place to successfully accomplish that mission.
"We observed that the morale of the personnel working in the contracting office was extremely high," he said, "and they had a concrete connection to the mission of the PM and the Saudi National Guard."
Social Sharing