Department of Energy Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center Hosts Industry Day

The Department of Energy, Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) held its quarterly Business Forum March 5, 2019 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona during the 2019 Waste Management Conference.

Speakers for the event included:

• Anne Marie Bird, DOE Office of Environmental Management Small Business Program Manager
• Aaron Deckard, EMCBC Acquisition Integration Lead.

Following a brief historical look at the agency and overview of the EMCBC websites, Mr. Decherd presented a snapshot FY2019 Environmental Management Budget. Of the of the $7.2 Billion budget, Radioactive Tank Waste received the highest funding at 36%. The complete breakout is provided in the chart below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In summarizing Small Business contract performance, he stated the agency exceeded its FY 2018 goals with $565 Million awarded during the fiscal year. This included $276 Million awarded for First-Tier Management and Operations subcontracts, which the Small Business Administration allows based on their nature. For FY 2019 to date, the agency has already awarded $140 Million to small businesses and is on track to reach $400 -$600 Million by the end of the fiscal year. The agency remains consistent in small business utilization and requires a small business subcontracting plan in each solicitation as one of the weighted evaluation factors. These are subcategorized by socio-economic categories such as WOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB, etc.

Ms. Bird provided clarification on FAR regulations defining a small business and the associated NAICS code system.

Afterward, Mr. Deckard focused on Acquisition Reform and the use of the DOE End State Contracting Model (ESCM). In 2017, the agency began an initiative to streamline its acquisition process and to include more industry engagement and transparency. This resulted in narrowing down the procurement evaluation factors, removing redundant and burdensome clauses, higher utilization of IDIQ contract vehicles, better pricing methods and the implementation of the ESCM in 2018.

The ESCM is a single award, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract for each acquisition with the ability to issue both Cost-Reimbursement and Firm-Fixed-Price Task Orders. This model will be applied to the following seven acquisitions: Hanford Central Plateau Cleanup Contract and Tank Waste Cleanup Contract, Oak Ridge Reservation Cleanup Contract, Nevada Environmental Program Services, Portsmouth Decontamination and Decommissioning, West Valley Phase 1B D&D and Soil Remediation, and the Idaho Cleanup Project.

He also emphasized that the EM Partnering Initiative between DOE and the Contractor will no longer be an optional clause. Previously the clause stated partnering between DOE and the contractor “may” be conducted consistent with the DoD Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) framework. The clause now reads “shall be” or “will be.” 

The IPPD tenets include Customer Focus, Concurrent Development of Products and Processes, Early and Continuous Life-Cycle Planning, Proactive Identification and Management of Risk, and Maximum Flexibility for Optimization and Use of Contractor Approaches.

In closing, Mr. Deckard reviewed the Major Procurements Chart, which included the following contracts:

• Hanford Mission Essential Services Contract (Opportunity 156059)
  • Award: Jun. - Aug. 2019
• Nevada Environmental Program Services (Opportunity 164488)
  • Final RFP: Mar. - May 2019
  • Award: Sept. - Nov. 2019
• Savannah River Paramilitary Security Services (Opportunity 105777)
  • Final RFP: Feb. - Apr. 2019
  • Award: Aug. - Oct. 2019
• Hanford 222-S (Opportunity 158442)
  • Proposals Due: Apr. 9, 2019
  • Award: Dec. 2019 – Feb. 2020
• Oak Ridge Reservation Cleanup  (Opportunity 108550)
  • Pre-Solicitation Conference & Draft RFP: Mar. – May 2019
  • Final RFP: Jun. - Aug. 2019
  • Award: Feb. - Apr. 2020.
• Hanford Tank Closure (Also known as TWCC) (Opportunity 105711)
  • Proposals Due: Mar. 18, 2019
  • Award Jun. - Aug. 2019
• Hanford Central Plateau Cleanup Contract (CPCC) (Opportunity 105743)
  • Proposals Due: Mar. 18, 2019
  • Award: Jun. - Aug. 2019.

These projections are current through March 1, 2019.

The date for the next quarterly forum will be announced at a later date