Adding Value to the Facility Acquisition Process Best Practices for Reviewing Facility Designs (2000) / Chapter Skim
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3 Design Review Practices in Federal Agencies
3 Design Review Practices in Federal Agencies
Pages 24-40
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From page 24... ...
DOWNSIZING OF FEDERAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING ORGANIZATIONS Like private sector corporations, federal agencies' facilities engineering staffs have been considerably downsized in the past 10-15 years. A 1987 report of the Federal Construction Council noted that "due to budget 24
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From page 25... ...
Part one was sent to senior facilities engineering program directors at the headquarters level and focused on agencywide policy issues. Part two was sent to randomly selected project managers at the field activity level and focused on individual project review issues.
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From page 26... ...
The ANG facility engineering staff has downsized approximately 10 percent since 1994. Additional downsizing is anticipated, thus prompting an ongoing review of current facilities engineering practices and processes.
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From page 27... ...
For example, field offices with relatively small ongoing construction programs reported that nearly 100 percent of design reviews were delegated to the base operations contractor, with very little if any participation by in-house government personnel. Conversely, those offices with large ongoing construction programs reported significant government participation in design review processes, even though the process was under overall management of the base operations contractor.
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From page 28... ...
Gradual reductions in GSA's professional services staff have likewise raised the need for additional outsourcing of services. By the late 1980s, virtually every aspect of facility acquisition was being contracted out, including design programming, project design, construction, construction management, and even postoccupancy evaluations.
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From page 29... ...
is accomplished at the area office level, with design and construction activity carried out either by the Seattle/Dallas engineering services offices or the area office, depending on the magnitude of the project. Between 1996 and 1998, IHS headquarters facilities engineering staff were downsized by about 50 percent.
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From page 30... ...
During this period, relatively few new facilities have been designed or built, with the facilities engineering program refocusing instead on repair and upgrade of existing infrastructure. NASA has responded to this staff downsizing change in three ways: · Greater use of outsourcing for A/E services, particularly through multiyear engineering support service contracts which allow flexible tasking in areas of engineering studies, preliminary or developmental engineering, and production of construction contract plans and specifications.
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From page 31... ...
Three aspects of NASA' s facility engineering program are noteworthy for their positive impact on the design review process: · NASA participates actively in the FFC and the Construction Industry Institute (CII) in both research and implementation efforts, and has begun several process reengineering initiatives based on research recommendations.
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From page 32... ...
Overall, the questionnaire response indicates a wellorganized program, indicative of the fact that the DES has implemented a quality management system for its facility engineering process and is pursuing ISO 9000 certification. Naval Facilities Engineering Command The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC)
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From page 33... ...
Respondents were split as to whether or not project quality, cost, and schedule have remained constant or deteriorated; none thought they had improved. Further reinforcing the transitional nature of NAVFAC's design review process, questionnaire responses indicate a wide variation among field offices in such areas as use of independent A/Es for design review, process formality (how well the process is documented)
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From page 34... ...
· NAVFAC has provided extensive technical, management, and leadership training for its military and civil service facilities engineering professionals for over 50 years at its naval school, Civil Engineer Corps Offices, located at Port Hueneme, California. This well-regarded institution conducts wide-ranging classes and seminars in facilities engineering and also develops management solutions and process improvements.
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From page 35... ...
FBO questionnaire responses indicate a high degree of use of technology tools such as CAD software, Intranet and Internet applications, and computer-based data management systems. Looking to the future, DOS anticipates a sharply increasing workload as a result of a 1998 requirement to enhance embassy security features worldwide.
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From page 36... ...
The questionnaire relates the ability to absorb the downsizing with minimal project impact to two primary drivers: · the establishment of five ID/IQ contracts for engineering services, which is an effective mechanism for outsourcing much of the detailed technical review; and · rapidly expanding use of design-build as a contracting method, which dramatically reduced project delivery times. Questionnaire responses indicate that collection and documentation of design review comments is a relatively 1 To illustrate, at the San Diego facility, the work to be done required extensive phasing and the areas remained under direct medical control.
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From page 37... ...
How are agency facilities engineering organizations responding to mitigate the impacts of downsizing? During the early stages of downsizing, the responding agencies simply tried to do more with less.
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From page 38... ...
Significant differences were noted, however, as follows: · All responding agencies reported that they participate in design reviews although not at every field office (a few field offices of decentralized agency engineering organizations reported no or minimal design reviewsthey rely on A/Es to self-review their work)
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From page 39... ...
And it is very difficult to have technically competent contractors in specialty areas." · "Outsourcing is our present way of doing business, and we have experienced little risk." Looking to the future, about one-third of the responding agencies reported that they are considering further Outsourcing of design review functions. INTERESTING INITIATIVES During the course of interviews and an extensive literature search, a number of innovative practices were noted that may have broader implications.
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From page 40... ...
· A/E historical performance database. The USACE has, for many years, maintained a database containing historical evaluations of A/E performance on past projects.
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