U.S. Army Awards $498,000 Performance-Based Acquisition for Environmental Remediation Services at Fort Lee, Va.
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 4, 2009, the U.S. Army Environmental Command awarded a $498,000 performance-based task order to Environmental Chemical Corporation, Burlingame, Calif., for environmental remediation services at Fort Lee, Va. The task order was awarded on the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract by the Research, Development and Engineering Command Aberdeen Installation Contracting Division.
The Fort Lee award is a 13-month task order that includes achieving an approved Remedial Investigation at two Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP) sites.
The MMRP addresses the potential explosives safety, health, and environmental issues caused by past Department of Defense munitions related activities. Congress established the MMRP under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program to address unexploded ordnance, discarded military munitions and munitions constituents located on current and former defense sites.
Use of the performance-based acquisition approach requires clearly defined objectives to be achieved, measurable performance standards in terms of quality, timeliness, and quantity, and the method of assessing contractor performance against performance standards. The Army has found awarding performance-based contracts for environmental remediation services is a very effective means of accomplishing its cleanup objectives and benefits all involved.
Under a performance-based contract, the Army states the desired end result, and it's up to the contractor to take the necessary steps to get there. Contractors must still seek approval from the Army and regulators before implementing final cleanup remedies, and the Army still has the ultimate responsibility for the cleanup of its installations.
By providing clear definitions of performance expectations and government oversight criteria, there is a better likelihood that expectations will be reached to all parties' satisfaction. Linking payments to milestones provides incentives to develop and implement an effective and efficient approach to achieving contract requirements.
