ARCHITECT-ENGINEERING CONTRACTING

1. Gordon L. Simmons, P.E. Chief, Engineering Technical Specialties Branch Savannah District 20 May 2010 ARCHITECT-ENGINEERING CONTRACTING

2. Unlocking the Mystery of the Architect-Engineer Selection Process

3. A-E Contracting At any given time, Savannah District has between 35 and 45 active A-E Contracts with as many as 700 Task Orders We make a lot of A-E Selections to help execute a huge construction program!

4. Premise • SAS has very large MILCON and OMA programs with projects than run the complete gamut from large Battalion Training Complexes to small building upgrades • All contracts are unique; A-E services required vary greatly

5. Types of Opportunities For larger firms: • IDC’s for district use – usually require work on multiple task orders simultaneously • Larger firms typically have the capacity, technical expertise and depth of experience for these types of contracts However, with the right team, small businesses can win (and have won) on unrestricted competitions.

6. Types of Opportunities (cont.) For smaller firms: • IDC’s for Value Engineering, Master Planning, GIS • Design support to the District • IDC’s for use by installations • Complex or technical contracts requiring specific expertise (I.e. Life Safety, structural evaluations, etc) SAS strongly encourages partnerships between large and small firms so that the smaller firms can compete in the future for those contracts requiring greater technical expertise and depth of experience.

7. Types of Solicitations • Unrestricted competition • Small Business Set-Aside • Small Disadvantaged Business Set-Aside (equally preferred) • (8a) • Hub ZONE • Service Disabled Veteran-Owned SB

8. A-E Contracting Trends • A-E IDIQ Contracts will be the typical method of executing RFP/Designs • Project specific contracts will rarely be used • Typically 5 to 8 Solicitations annually • Typically 3 to 6 Contracts per Solicitation • Contracts will typically consist of a base year and four one-year options with a maximum limit of up to a total of $12 Million

9. WHY MULTIPLE AWARD SOLICITATIONS? • MORE ECONOMICAL FOR BOTH CORPS OF ENGINEERS & AEs • MORE FLEXIBILITY IN MAINTAINING SUFFICIENT CONTRACTS TO COVER VERY DYNAMIC WORKLOAD • UP TO ONE YEAR TO AWARD MULTIPLE CONTRACTS AFTER ANNOUNCEMENT CLOSES • OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW FIRMS TO WIN A CONTRACT

10. AE SELECTION PROCESS HOW WE SOLICIT

11. STANDARDS WE LIVE BY: • BROOKS A-E ACT: Public Law 92-582: • Mandates the public announcement of requirements for A-E services, selection of the most highly qualified firms based on demonstrated competence and professional qualifications, and the negotiation of a fair and reasonable price. • FAR PART 36 • Engineering Pamphlet EP-715-1-7, 14 Sep 2009 • PARC INSTRUCTION LETTERS

12. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT REQUIRED ON ALL AE CONTRACTS GREATER THAN $25K 30 DAYS (TYPICAL) TO RESPOND FOUR PARTS: PART 1 – CONTRACT INFORMATION PART 2 – PROJECT INFORMATION PART 3 – SELECTION CRITERIA PART 4 – SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

13. AE SELECTION PROCESS PART 2. PROJECT INFORMATION • Types of Services • Specific types of Work/Projects • Mandatory Design Guides • Use of Specific USACE systems (DrChecks) • Product Delivery format

14. AE SELECTION PROCESS PART 3. SELECTION CRITERIA • Built around general FAR and DFARS criteria. • Must be project specific. • Must indicate order of importance of criteria and sub criteria. • Uses criteria that will be important discriminators. • Must not be unnecessarily restrictive.

15. AE SELECTION PROCESS PART 3. SELECTION CRITERIA cont. Primary Factors: • Specialized Experience and Technical Competence • Key Personnel Professional Qualifications • Work Management/Capacity • Past Performance • Knowledge of Locality (secondary in some instances)

16. AE SELECTION PROCESS PART 3. SELECTION CRITERIA cont. • Secondary Factors: • Knowledge of Locality • Geographic Location of Office • Amount of Contract Awards within the past 12 months (DoD-wide) • Participation ofSmall Businesses andSmall Disadvantaged Businesses • Small Business Plan must meet all requirements as stated in the solicitation.

17. AE SELECTION PROCESS • PART 4. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS • TheWhat, When, How and Where to submit proposals • Note: Savannah District requires electronic submissions of SF 330s. • File sizes are limited. • Information is secured with passwords

18. HOW WE CHOOSE

19. AE EVALUATION/SELECTION PROCESS • PRE-SELECTION • DETERMINATION OF MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED FIRMS (SHORT-LISTED FIRMS) • INTERVIEW WITH THE SHORT LISTED FIRMS • FINAL RANKING OF MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED FIRMS • SELECTION IS MADE AND APPROVED • NOTIFICATION/DEBRIEF

20. A-E EVALUATION BOARDS Pre-selection and Selection (FAR 36.602) • Composed of in-house professional personnel with experience in engineering, architecture, construction, project management and acquisition. • Using agency invited to participate if appropriate. • Reviews firms' qualifications using criteria in the synopsis. • Must be reasonable, consistent and fair.

21. Goal of Selection Boards The primary goal of all selection boards is to make the best match of an A-E’s capability/capacity to the specific contract requirements.

22. AE EVALUATION/SELECTION PROCESS • THE PRE-SELECTION PHASE • Usually held when responses are greater than 10 • Reviews only primary criteria, does not consider secondary criteria • Determine those highly qualified firms which have a reasonable chance of being considered as most highly qualified – board consensus required. • If submittals are incomplete, they will be eliminated at this time. • DETERMINATION OF MOST HIGHLY QUALIFIED FIRMS (SHORT-LISTED FIRMS) • Based on Performance Risk • Compared to other firms • Board consensus required

23. AE EVALUATION/SELECTION PROCESS Selection Board • Reviews and back checks both primary and secondary criteria • Through group discussion and consensus, determines most highly qualified firms, in order of preference (minimum of 3) • Report produced which clearly states rationale for ranking of most highly qualified firms and reasons other firms were eliminated

24. AE EVALUATION/SELECTION PROCESS Evaluation Factors • Adequate depth in all disciplines cited in synopsis • Key personnel should have: • Degree and registration as called for in announcement • Pertinent experience • Worked on example relevant projects • Prime and subs should have: • Relevant recent experience(last 3-5 years) in the required type of work • Worked together recently on similar projects • Clearly delineated roles

25. AE EVALUATION/SELECTION PROCESS Evaluation Factors (cont.) • Prime and subs should have (cont): • Established quality work management program • Excellence in past performance through ACASS, repeat business, design awards, etc. • All factors rated on performance risk as follows: • Outstanding – Very low performance risk • Above Average – Low performance risk • Average – Moderate performance risk • Below average – High performance risk • Poor – Unacceptable performance risk

26. AE EVALUATION/SELECTION PROCESS Notification of Unsuccessful Firms • All firms are notified of their selection status within 10 days after approval of selection report • No notifications provided after pre-selection • Simple letter – do not give reasons • May release name of firm with which a contract will be negotiated • Advise firm they have 10 days to request a debriefing

27. AE EVALUATION/SELECTION PROCESS • THE DEBRIEF • ALL FIRMS ARE ALLOWED A DEBRIEF • FIRM MUST REQUEST THE DEBRIEF WITHIN THE SPECIFIED TIME –NORMALLY 10 DAYS FROM DATE OF NOTIFICATION LETTER • MAY BE TELEPHONIC OR IN PERSON

28. AE EVALUATION/SELECTION PROCESS • THE IMPORTANCE OF A DEBRIEF • OVERVIEW OF THE SELECTION PROCESS • WHAT SEPARATED YOUR FIRM • DISCUSS SIGNIFICANT WEAK OR DEFICIENT QUALIFICATIONS AS WELL AS POSITIVE ASPECTS OF SUBMITTAL • MAY NOT DISCUSS OTHER FIRMS

29. Submission Protocol • Do not visit the District between submission and final selections • Unfair advantage over other firms • Do not send in a “test” submittal • It might count as the official submittal!

30. Submission Protocol • Do not send submissions several hours before closing • Time outs • Password resets

31. AE SELECTION PROCESS THINGS THAT SEPARATE FIRMS • LATE ARRIVING PROPOSALS • INCOMPLETE PROPOSALS - PARTS MISSING • NOT ADDRESSING THE SELECTION CRITERIA COMPLETELY • FAILURE TO INCLUDE THE REQUIRED RESUMES • PROJECT ASSIGNMENT ON RESUME IS UNCLEAR OR BLANK

32. AE SELECTION PROCESS THINGS THAT SEPARATE FIRMS CON’T • INADEQUATE DEPTH/CAPACITY • KEY PERSONNEL WITHOUT REQUIRED REGISTRATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS • PROJECT MANAGER WITH NO EXPERIENCE DOING DOD/COE WORK • NO CURRENT RELEVANT PROJECTS • POORLY DEFINED WORK/QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN

33. AE SELECTION PROCESS THINGS THAT SEPARATE FIRMS CON’T • INADEQUATE DEMONSTRATION OF RELEVANT EXPERIENCE BY THE TEAM • NO ASSURANCE TEAM PRESENTED WILL PERFORM THE WORK • INADEQUATE DEMONSTRATION OF PAST PERFORMANCE/ POOR ACASS RATINGS • NO PLAN FOR COORDINATION OF WORK WITH SUBCONSULTANTS • NOT ANSWERING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

34. CURRENT PROCESSES/ STANDARDS THAT YOU SHOULD EMBRACE : • CHARRETTES – PROGRAMMING & DESIGN • AT/FP • SUSTAINABLE DESIGN • STANDARD DESIGNS • DESIGN BUILD • MCACES (MII) & PACES COST ESTIMATING • SpecsIntact SOFTWARE

35. CURRENT PROCESSES/ STANDARDS THAT YOU SHOULD EMBRACE : • MICROSTATION CADD/BENTLEY BIM • AEC CADD STANDARDS REQ’TS • SDS COMPLIANT ESRI GEODATABASE FOR GIS • COE VALIDATION OF GEOTECH LAB TESTING FACILITIES

36. THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN MAKING SUBMISSIONS

37. The Announcement Things to Remember READ EVERYTHING CAREFULLY! RESPOND TO EVERYTHING COMPLETELY!

38. Things to Remember • BUILD YOUR NEXT PROPOSAL BASED ON LESSONS LEARNED. • SCHEDULE A DEBRIEF EVEN IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL • THE BOARD TAKES NOTHING FOR GRANTED - YOU MUST DEMONSTRATE ALL OF YOUR QUALIFICATIONS. • THE BOARD MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONSTHAT WILL HELP YOU.

39. Things to Remember PUT YOURSELF IN THE REVIEWER’S SHOES - READING STACKS OF PROPOSALS IS THOROUGHLY EXHAUSTING! BE COMPLETE, BE CLEAR, BE CONCISE!

40. Things to Remember MOST BOARD MEMBERS ARE OVER 40 YEARS OLD. DON’T USE SMALL PRINT IN ORDER TO PUT MORE INTO YOUR PROPOSAL.USE FONT SIZE AS STATED IN ANNOUNCEMENT!

41. Things to Remember TRY TO AVOID PUTTING FLUFF IN YOUR PROPOSAL. IT COULD BE MISUNDERSTOOD AND COULD HURT YOU!

42. Things to Remember MAKE YOUR PROPOSAL EASY TO READ AND EMPHASIZE YOUR CRITICAL INFO. CAREFULLY PICK YOUR 10 PROJECTS. A PROJECT DONE AS A TASK ORDER UNDER AN IDIQ CAN BE CONSIDERED A PROJECT. FOLLOW THE FORMAT OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT! (AND ABOVE ALL, DON’T CHANGE THE SF 330 FORMAT!)

43. In a Nutshell • Reviewer’s dream proposal - It’s all there, in logical, easy to find order. • No two contracts are identical – look at each submission with “new eyes”. • No magic formula for good, honest content!

44. Not a Game of Chance No matter how well you complete the government forms there are no substitutes for: • Having designed similar facilities • Experienced team that have worked together • Good Past Performance • Valid work plan • Customer Satisfaction • Etc.

45. Contacts • Gordon Simmons, Chief, Engineering Technical Specialties Branch gordon.l.simmons@usace.army.mil 912-652-5229 • Les Zuniga, AE Selection Coordinator leslie.a.zuniga@usace.army.mil 912-652-5547 • Sherry Turner, AE Selection Assistant sherry.a.turner@usace.army.mil 912-652-5703

46. Questions