Engineering Inc. - January/February 2005 - 11

ACEC INTERVIEW WITH DR. JAMES WRIGHT Chief Engineer, Naval Facilities
Engineering Command NAVFAC ACEC: It is estimated that NAVFAC's military
construction budget touch points with which to do business with all of
NAVFAC. ACEC: It is estimated that 75 percent of all NAVFAC projects will
will be $1 billion in 2005 and is expected to hold steady in Fiscal Year
be procured using design-build by 2007. ACEC is concerned about the 2006.
Will there be a shift in funding in any major program areas and role of
the design professional in design-build projects. Given the com- are there
significant projects that ACEC members should be aware of? James Wright:
The Navy's Military Construction MCON Program plexity of these
procurements, what do you believe is the proper role for NAVFAC's
engineering staff and expertise in the acquisition should remain
relatively steady from F.Y. 2005 to F.Y. 2006. The war process? effort in
Iraq has continued to divert resources from other military Wright:
In-house engineering skills are budgets. Consequently, the funding for
non-MCON projects will essential for design-build and design-bid- probably
be reduced to balance that cost. This impact will likely be felt build.
NAVFAC's best-value, design-build across the entire Department of Defense
DOD with respect to facili- approach fosters design/construction innova-
ties and infrastructure projects. For ACEC members, this also could tion
and project cost savings; however, the impact the typical end-of-year
project load, as well as planned opera- complexity of the process requires
an engi- tion and maintenance projects. ACEC: NAVFAC recently has completed
a major reorganization. neering staff both technically knowledgeable and
able to facilitate design-build team How does this reorganization change
the way in which NAVFAC oper- partnering. ates, and what do ACEC members
need to know in order to best work NAVFAC's engineering oversight has
transi- with your organization? Wright: NAVFAC's reorganization reshapes
its global engineering, tioned from being responsible for quality control
QC to providing a quality assurance function to ensure the design-build
contractor is tak- acquisition and public works organization to enhance
efficiency and ing responsibility for QC. Design-build shifts more staff
engineering effectiveness and improve its products and services for the
Navy, focuses to before-contract award, rather than after. Marine Corps,
Department of Defense and other federal clients. This ACEC: ACEC and
NAVFAC enjoy an excellent relationship, having reorganization allows for
common business processes, eliminates redun- signed a partnering agreement
in 2002. A Qualifications-Based Selec- dancies and duplication, improves
accountability and responsiveness, tion QBS process for design-build teams
could be a useful acquisition and provides substantial savings to the Navy,
Marine Corps and other tool. If authorized by Congress next year, NAVFAC
will be allowed to clients. select design-build teams in this manner under
a three-year pilot pro- ACEC members need to know that all of our Component
Com- gram. How will this new acquisition tool help NAVFAC meet its mands
within the continental United States and Europe will eventually mission?
be reporting to NAVFAC Atlantic in Norfolk, Va., and all Component Wright:
The primary advantage of this proposal is quicker selection Commands in the
Pacific will be reporting to NAVFAC Pacific. In of contractors. This could
potentially save money by reducing proposal addition, we previously had
Engineering Field Divisions and Engineer- preparation and evaluation
costs. If approved, NAVFAC would likely ing Field Activities operating
separately from the Navy Public Works participate in the pilot program in
order to provide a thorough evalua- Centers. Those components are now
combined into Facilities Engi- tion of the pilot. neering Commands that
are designed to align with the Navy's Regional Commands. Ultimately, this
will give ACEC members two primary discussed at our last partnering to
bring the project to its full to get the law authorizing the
ifications-Based Selection QBS meeting, we need ACEC's help to p o t e n t
i a l in the areas of cost, two-phase design-build selections m e t h o d .
How will this new identify where we have inconsis- time and quality. p ro c
e d u re s in 1996. I see our acquisition tool help you better RAYMOND: Are
there other tent practices and where our prac- most recent collaborative
pro- execute your military design and t i c e s are not in sync with the
areas that you would like our two posal to get authority to test a full
construction program? S T R O C K : Fo r us, design- industry, such as in
the areas of organizations to work together QBS process for design-build
as CAD and GIS. We appreciate on during the next few years? the next
logical step in the evolu- build has evolved from a some- S T R O C K : We
have had a ACEC's commitment to assist us tion of design-build project
deliv- what exceptional alternative or in this review, which will benefit
robust partnership with ACEC ery for the federal sector. It aligns
innovative acquisition method your member firms as well as the since our
initial partnering agree- g ov e r n m e n t contracting with for project
delivery to a major Corps. ment was signed in 1992, and I'm c o m m o n
industry practice. It t o o l in our toolbox. We have Also, we look
forward to con- confident that our relationship a l l o w s us to leverage
scarce been an advocate of Qualifica- t i n u e working with ACEC to will
remain strong and effective in resources for both contracting tions-Based
Selection for profes- optimize our acquisition meth- the future. One of
the important parties by basing the contractor sional services contracts
for years. ods, including the design-build benefits of our partnership has
selection process on capabilities. O v e r time we have steadily p r o c e
s s discussed earlier. The been getting your feedback on The industry has
consistently moved away from the old low- Corps always has been a strong
how we can improve our business v o i c e d its concern about the bid
mentality for construction - advocate of the Qualifications- practices. As
we strive to operate high cost to compete. With the contracting and adopted
best- Based Selection of engineering as One Corps, it is essential to QBS
procedures, we should be value practices. contractors, and we always are
have consistent engineering and able to identify and discuss the As you
know, we and other open to your suggestions on how construction processes
across all major issues and critical objec- f e d e r a l agencies worked
with to strengthen that process. of our districts and centers. As we tives
early on and work as a team ACEC and other industry groups J a n u a r y l
February 2005 ENGINEERING INC. 1 1
Engineering Inc. - January/February 2005

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