Team IOWA: Investigating Optimum Work Alternatives
Effective and Efficient Contracting
U.S. General Services Administration, GSA Heartland Region, 2001
The PBS, Heartland Region, Team Iowa (Investigating Optimum Work Alternatives) developed an innovative practice to achieve three goals: reduce overall costs by a required minimum, allocate resources more effectively, and improve customer satisfaction. The practice plans for efficient and cost effective methods for managing PBS assets, both real and human.
The practice consolidates numerous property management services to a single provider. The practice will be implemented in the Iowa Property Management Center (PMC). The Iowa PMC manages approximately 1.2 million square feet of GSA-controlled space spanning 55,000 square miles in the State of Iowa. The Iowa PMC staff of 16 provides a wide range of property management services. Potentially half of the employees could retire in the next five years.
The innovation and originality of this practice stems directly from the extensive research and good practice gathering done by the team. This research dovetailed into a statement of work that requires the mandatory cost savings but also incorporates new contract incentives tied directly to the PBS Performance Measures.
The practice also outlines a plan for a seamless transition from employees performing hands-on services to employees performing oversight of contractor provided services. The contracting practice manifests itself by consolidating numerous service contracts into one. This consolidation will reduce the number of daily transactions performed at the regional and PMC level. This approach also aligns the workforce with its future business by allowing it to become more proficient in core business activities – developing client relationships, managing projects, evaluating the PBS real estate portfolio, and assuring quality performance.
This strategy involved consulting with key stakeholders, real property companies, government and industry leaders in the United States and abroad both before and during the development of the practice. The result is a contracting approach that reflects both industry and government best practices. A cost reimbursement contract with incentives was developed to create partnership alliances by reducing the risk to the contractor while ensuring PBS Performance Measures are met. What makes this approach unique is that both the government and contractor are striving to meet and maintain common goals.
For more information, contact Mr. Jeffrey E. Neely at (816) 823-2201 or via e-mail at jeffrey.neely@gsa.gov
