USAF Construction Planning, Procurement, and Project Delivery
Peter Cholakis
Improve facilities repair, renovation, maintenance, and new build outcomes and reduce costs
USAF and all other DoD department suffer from the lack of integrated LEAN construction planning, procurement, and project delivery. This is the direct result of a lack of continuity in leadership, rather than the competency of our dedicated professionals.
The result, however, is the continuation of rampant economic and environmental waste. While the DoD arguably leads other Federal Departments in establishing facilities management processes, it has a long way to go. Until the issue of continuity of competent facilities management leadership is addressed, little positive change will occur.
Ample research and numerous GAO reports have readily demonstrated the following..... despite the fact that tools and services are readily available to address these fundamental issues.
- There is not currently a standardized, efficient way to analyze USAF facility maintenance and repair performance. (In short, it is impossible to manage what you don't measure.) There is no ability to provide auditable, accurate, credible, dynamic, disciplined, standardized, and sustainable asset and performance data. The USAF would benefit greatly by having an ability to articulate valid requirements in a consistent and standardized fashion.
- The USAF fails to provide FM&R leadership performance analysis tools or guidance, a serious fundamental gap.
- Inconsistencies between Preventive Maintenance priority and Preventive Maintenance execution, facilities requiring inordinate Corrective Maintenance, and excessive errors or omissions in data collection are ever present.
- USAF fiscal responsibility for timely and cost-effective facility maintenance and repair (FM&R) of its facilities is not being met.
- The failure to use robust locally researched detailed line-time construction cost data has resulted in a lack of financial visibility, transparency, and accountability.
- The failure to adopt LEAN and integrate planning, procurement, and project delivery for repair, renovation, and new construction, enables the continuing legacy of waste.
Civil Engineering (CE) airmen are tasked to build, maintain, and repair facilities to ensure mission readiness efficiently. Without continuity of competent leadership and the associated implementation of LEAN and integrated construction planning, procurement, and project delivery, meeting this goal will remain an elusive target.
Poor leadership decisions continue to result in sub-optimal financial management of the built environment across all DoD department and agencies.
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