Winning matters: Team MICC wins big by maximizing the value of every dollar for mission partners

By Brig. Gen. Christine Beeler, Mission and Installation Contracting Command commanding generalNovember 1, 2019

Winning matters: Team MICC wins big by maximizing the value of every dollar for mission partners
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The outstanding men and women of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command measure their success through the achievements of Army Soldiers on the range or in the class room, and the well-being of their families at home on Army installations. Team MICC is always the supporting command, and our wins come with mission success for our supported partners.

Winning matters and as the acquisition partner of choice across the strategic support area, team MICC's objective is to maximize the value of every dollar for our mission partners in a timely manner. We advise on the best solutions to deliver the best outcomes. While this often means executing the procurement that is not the only option. It could be passing the requirement to a strategic source like the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program and Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise or the development of an inter-governmental support agreement. Winning is not about dollars obligated or contract actions completed by an office -- those are measures of activity. Winning is about effective outcomes for our Army.

Team MICC was definitely active and effective. We closed out fiscal 2019 by executing a combined 29,540 contract actions valued at over $5.4 billion, while also administering 461,978 Government Purchase Card transactions worth an additional $748.7 million. In addition to the contract actions awarded, the MICC administered approximately 8,200 contracts valued at almost $22 billion in support of Soldier, civilian and family readiness, installation readiness, strategic power projection, and supply availability and equipment readiness. Using the Simplified Acquisition Threshold Supply Procurement Program, we increased contract execution efficiencies, eliminated redundancies, and generated approximately $16 million in savings for reinvestment toward higher Army priorities. Lastly, we finished the fiscal year by exceeding small business goals in each socioeconomic category by an average of more than 4 percent.

In my first 100 days, we have completed an analysis of our operational environment, and accordingly, adjusted our mission, vision and priorities along with my intent. We are integrated and keenly focused on the needs of our mission partners, and we are nested with Army Materiel Command and Army Contracting Command priorities. By leveraging the collective resources of AMC, the Army and the MICC are improving the way we do business, including how we implement our top priorities to make the Army more lethal, capable and efficient.

My first and top priority is to take care of the men and women of team MICC, because the Army's greatest assets are the talented Soldiers and Army civilians who serve our nation. In fiscal 2020, we are implementing a leadership development program to bolster that talent in order to address experience gaps across the command. The program is going to offer developmental assignments, mentoring, shadowing, cross-training and workforce training opportunities as well as succession planning.

The MICC will also implement changes to improve the retention of our workforce while giving managers more flexibility by revising our telework policy and introducing a gliding work schedule. With a new telework policy, contracting support brigade commanders and field directorate office directors may approve MICC employees to telework more days per pay period. In addition, employees can work with their supervisors in advance and can alter the start of their work day from as early as 6:30 a.m. to as late as 9 a.m., so long as employees are present for duty between the MICC core hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Telework and a gliding work schedule require a high degree of personal responsibility and mutual trust. These initiatives will further enhance why the MICC is the best place to work in the federal government.

For fiscal 2020, our main effort will be to deliver ready, decisive and synchronized business solutions and contracting support to the Army enterprise. We must remain steadfast in forging strategic alliances in order to provide all our mission partners operationalized support. Team MICC should be aware that ACC has designated our command as the lead for its installation readiness focus area. This means that the Army is relying on the MICC to provide the acquisition insights to ensure Army installations are capable of supporting current and evolving readiness and power projection requirements in order to ensure our Soldiers are ready to fight and win tonight.

Another key focus area this fiscal year is execution of category management to drive better outcomes. This is in line with the Army's acquisition transformation and reform efforts as we must change the way we do business to gain efficiencies in the acquisition process and maximize the value of every dollar entrusted to us. Each MICC organization should be in the process of re-evaluating how we deliver services across the strategic support area with better outcomes. I trust MICC contracting professionals to be innovative in how we deliver value and savings through our acquisition efforts using category management.

Also essential to the success of the MICC is a measure of our command climate. A command climate survey is available, and I ask all of team MICC to take the time to complete the survey. We take your comments and feedback seriously, so please fill out the survey so together we can make the MICC the best place to work in the federal government and the acquisition enterprise of choice by our mission partners.

In closing, I'd like to thank Command Sgt. Maj. Marco Torres for the tremendous support he and his wife, Carmelita, gave to our Soldiers and the entire MICC workforce. He has ensured the best quality of life and cared for MICC Soldiers, Army civilians and their families that has been essential to Army readiness. I wish him the best as he moves into a role of greater responsibility as the command sergeant major for Army Sustainment Command. The next MICC command sergeant major is Command Sgt. Maj. Chantel Sena-Diaz once she completes her assignment as the senior NCO for Army Soldier Support Institute Noncommissioned Officer Academy. I know that she will champion the priorities of people, process, performance and readiness for the entire MICC workforce.

Contracting for Soldiers! With Honor!

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Mission and Installation Contracting Command

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