US Army Corps of Engineers AE Selection Process

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US Army Corps of EngineersAE Selection Process

• Rosemary Gilbertson, PE
• Chief, Army Air Force Section
• Louisville District

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In Louisville District

• Avg number of A/Es selected per year 18
• Avg number of submittals per solicitation 40
• Number of individuals who sit on Pre-selection
  Selection Boards 70 30
• Hours devoted to selection procedure per
  solicitation on average 160

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Indefinite Delivery Contracts

• Main A-E contracting tool gt90
• Multiple awards preferred
• All firms must be considered.
• Price cant be a factor!
• District limits 3M over 3 years 5M over 5
  years if SB set-aside.
• Minimum quantity
• 2/1 rule eliminated. KO has discretion.
• Not a minimum guarantee! A-E must prove costs.

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A-E CONTRACTING PROCESS

• Selection

004-D-1
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Standard Form 330

• Part I Contract-Specific Qualifications
• Corporate team members and roles
• Including organization chart
• Resumes of key personnel
• Examples of relevant projects
• Key personnel participation in example projects
• Other relevant qualifications
• GSA forms website has PDF, FormNet, Word
  formats
• http//www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/formslibrary.do?v
  iewTypeDETAILformId21DBF5BF7E860FC185256E13005C
  6AA6

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Standard Form 330
Part II General Qualifications

• Ownership and small business status
• Number of personnel in each discipline
• Profile of firms experience
• Annual revenues
• Firms can submit and update (at least annually)
  through Online Representations and Certifications
  Application (ORCA) https//ORCA.bpn.gov/

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A-E Evaluation Boards Preselection and
Selection (FAR 36.602)

• Engineering Division oversees the A-E selection
  process and chairs all boards
• Boards are composed of registered professional
  personnel with experience in engineering,
  architecture, construction and acquisition
• Compare firms' qualifications using criteria in
  the synopsis
• Using agency invited, but must be qualified
• Must be rational, consistent and fair

004-D-7
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General Selection Criteria

• FAR 36.602-1 / DFARS 236.602-1
• Professional Qualifications
• Specialized Experience and Technical Competence
• Capacity
• Past Performance
• Knowledge of Locality
• Location of Firm
• Volume of Recent DOD Work
• Participation of Small Businesses and Small
  Disadvantaged Businesses
• Secondary factors per DFARS

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A-E Preselection Board

• Optional
• Recommends to the selection board the highly
  qualified firms which have a reasonable chance of
  being considered as most highly qualified
• Does not consider secondary criteria
• Geographic proximity
• Equitable distribution of DOD contract awards
• Participation of SB and SDB
• Report submitted to selection board. No separate
  approval required
• Example preselection report EP 715-1-7,
  Appendix S

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A-E Selection Board

• Initial phase conducted like preselection board
  if preselection board not held
• Determines most highly qualified firms, in order
  of preference (minimum of 3)
• Conducts interviews with most highly qualified
  firms
• Applies secondary criteria as tie-breaker in
  ranking if needed
• Report provides clear rationale for ranking of
  most highly qualified firms and reasons other
  firms were eliminated. Details in EP 715-1-7,
  Appendix T.

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What A-E Evaluation Boards Primarily Look For

• Adequate depth in all disciplines cited in
  synopsis
• Key personnel have
• Degree and registration
• Pertinent experience
• Worked on example relevant projects
• Prime and subs have
• Relevant recent experience in the required type
  of work
• Worked together recently on similar projects
• Clear roles
• Established quality management program
• Unsatisfactory or excellent past performance

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Architect-Engineer Contract Administration
Support System (ACASS)

• Sub-component of Navys CPARS system
• Managed by USACE Portland District
• Mandated for use by DoD Agencies
• FAR 36.604(C)
• DFARS 236.604(C)

004-D-5
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How Performance Evaluations Are Used

• Excellent or unsatisfactory past performance can
  be pivotal in selections.
• ACASS is the primary source of past performance
  information (PPI), but any other credible,
  documented PPI can be used.
• Boards must consider relevancy of PPI similarity
  of work, role in contract, which office,
  recentness.
• Firm can submit PPI with SF 330, and explain any
  past problems.
• No PPI neutral rating.

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Using ACASS for Source Selections

• Requires Business Analysis Report access to ACASS
• A-E qualifications (SF 330 Part II)
• Received from ORCA
• Purged from ACASS when 18 mos. Old
• DoD A-E contract awards (DD 350)
• Received from FPDS-NG
• 3 year history of awards
• Performance evaluations (6 year history)
• OMB requires Source Selection Officials retrieve
  evaluations from PPIRS, http//www.ppirs.gov

004-D-6
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Approval of A-E Selections

• Selection authority is at a level appropriate for
  the dollar value and nature of the proposed
  contract.
• In USACE, MSC Commanders are delegated unlimited
  A-E selection authority and may redelegate to
  districts as appropriate. (EFARS 36.602-4 (a))

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Notification of Unsuccessful Firms

• (FAR and EFARS 36.607(a))
• All firms should be notified of their selection
  status within 10 days after approval of selection
  report.
• No notifications after preselection
• A simple letter is sent no reasons provided
• Advises firm they have 10 days to request a
  debriefing
• Name of firm with which a contract
• will be negotiated may be released
• (FAR 36.607)

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A-E Debriefing
(FAR and EFARS 36.607(b))

• A-E must request in writing or electronically
• Debrief within 14 days of A-E's request
• Based on preselection/selection report
• Discuss significant weak or deficient
  qualifications
• Do not discussother firms
• Summaryfor contract file

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A-E CONTRACTING PROCESS

• Selection

004-D-1
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Selection of Firms for an IDC Task Order

• If an order can be awarded under more than one
  IDC, document basis for issuing order under a
  particular IDC, such as
• Performance and quality of deliverables under the
  current IDCs
• Current capacity to accomplish the order in the
  required time
• Uniquely specialized experience
• Equitable distribution of work
• PRICE IS NOT A CONSIDERATION IN DECIDING WHICH
  IDC TO USE FOR A-E SERVICES

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USACE A-E Contracting Policy

• Engineer FAR Supplement (EFARS)
• Subpart 16.5 Indefinite Delivery Contracts
• Subpart 36.6 Architect-Engineer Services
• http//www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepr/asp/main/parc.as
  p
• EP 715-1-7 - Architect-Engineer Contracting
• Detailed guidance and procedures for A-E
  contracting
• http//www.usace.army.mil/inet/usace-docs/eng-pamp
  hlets/ep715-1-7/toc.htm
• Engineering and Construction Bulletins
• Quick method to issue information and directives
• http//www.hnd.usace.army.mil/techinfo/ECbull.htm

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FY07 Louisville District ID/IQ Contract
Opportunities

• Type Length
  Value Award Date

Environmental AE (8a/HZ/SDV) up to 2 5 years 10M each FY07 2Q
Environmental AE (8a/HZ/SDV) up to 3 5 years 5M each FY07 2Q
Environmental AE (FO) up to 3 5 years 15M each FY07 2Q
Environmental Data Records (EDR) 1 2 years 250k FY07 2Q
Real Estate Cost Analysis Services 1 5 years 2M FY07 2Q
WPAFB AE (FO) 2 3 years 6M each FY07 2Q
WPAFB AE (SB) 1 3 years 2M FY07 2Q
Cost Estimating Scheduling for AMC 1 3 years 6M FY07 3Q
LRD-wide Mil/CW AE (FO) 2 3 years 6M each FY07 3Q
LRD-wide Mil/CW AE (SB) 1 3 years 2M FY07 3Q
Chemical Laboratory Services up to 2 5 years 1M each FY07 3Q
Environmental Waste Disposal 1 5 years 500k FY07 4Q
MARC (FO) 5 5-10 yrs 200M pool FY08 ?
MARC (SB) 5 5-10 yrs 200M pool FY08 ?