(c) Provides Washington level interface between the Post Office Department and Corps of Engineers agencies involved in the execution of this program. (d) Provides staff supervision and management of the design and construction activities for the Postal Public Building Program, to include issuance of design and construction directives. (e) Directs and monitors preparation and submission of periodic and special real estate, design, construction, and fiscal reports from Corps of Engineers field offices relating to the Postal Public Building Program. Consolidates such reports with data from OCE level and provides consolidated information to the Post Office Department. (f) Develops consolidated forecasts and analyses of construction awards for the Postal Public Building Program. Reviews status of contract awards to isolate potential problem areas and institute corrective action. (3) Organization.-See Appendix E for organization chart. (a) General.-There are three general kinds of functions to be performed: those involving programs, those involving projects, and those involving technical aspects of design and construction. (b) Program Level.-The three assistants for construction, design, and planning and reports constitute program managers and, as such, will be concerned with program aspects as they relate in general to their particular responsibilities as well as be concerned with those matters which relate to two or more projects. The assistants for design and construction will ensure that lessons learned during the development of one project will be passed-on to succeeding projects. The assistant for planning and reports will be responsible for the total program in terms of receiving information from the assistants for design and construction as well as from the Director of Real Estate, consolidating this information into a total program, and transmitting it to the Post Office Department. The program managers will serve as the principal interface, on a day-to-day basis, with the Post Office Department and the Corps field organization on program matters. (c) Project Manager Level.-The project managers constitute the heart of the organization. They will be concerned with matters pertaining to specific projects; when questions are raised with respect to a particular project, the responsible project manager will serve as the point of contact and the interface between the Post Office Department and the Corps field organization. The project manager will be responsible for a project from inception to completion. He will arrange to have analyzed by the appropriate Corps agencies the initial real estate, design, and construction schedules as well as the cost data developed by the Post Office Department so as to determine whether the schedules and costs are realistic. When a functional design package is received from the Post Office Department, the appropriate project manager will turn it over to the chief of the specialists to have it reviewed for accuracy and sufficiency. He will attend at least the design concept reviews and will monitor the progress of design to ensure that design is on schedule. One of the main responsibilities of the project manager is to monitor all schedules: real estate site selection, real estate site acquisition, construction, as well as design so as to bring to the attention of the Chief, CEPCSO, at an early date, those instances wherein a completion date may have to be changed. All progress reports submitted by the districts and divisions will be reviewed by the project manager. The number of project managers will depend on the number of projects assigned to the Corps. As a starting point, it is considered that a project manager will be able to manage five projects. Experience will indicate whether this number should be increased or decreased. Project managers will act in two-man teams to ensure continuity and back-up. (d) Technical Division. Insofar as CEPCSO is concerned, it is considered that two teams will be able to handle the review of functional design packages and the subsequent reviews during the design process. Each team will-consist of an architect as a team chief; a structural engineer; a mechanical engineer for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; a mechanization engineer; and an electrical engineer. A landscape architect is also required for site development matters. The division is rounded-out with a draftsman, a secretarysteno, and two typists. As mentioned previously, the assistant for design will double as chief of this division. c. Real Estate Services.-It will be noted that CEPCSO does not provide for personnel to manage the real estate services of site selection and site acquisition for the Postal Public Building Program. These real estate functions will be executed by the Director of Real Estate who will be responsible for keeping the Assistant to the Chief of Engineers for Postal Construction Support (who is also Chief, CEPCSO) apprised regarding all real estate actions. d. Summary. It is considered that the organizational arrangement estab lished by the Corps of Engineers to accomplish the Postal Public Building Program provides for the following: (1) Gives program identity within Office, Chief of Engineers to the Postal Public Building Program. (2) Makes maximum use of the specialized, talented, and experienced personnel available within OCE. (3) Centralizes the interface with the Post Office Department. (4) Centralizes program and project management. (5) Provides for a strong design orientation in CEPCSO, particularly in recognition of the sophisticated nature of the specialized mechanization being incorporated into the larger facilities. (6) Achieves economy by making maximum use of the Corps field organization, by : (a) Decentralizing to the division-district levels execution of the real estate and construction responsibilities. (b) Designating certain districts to accomplish the design responsibilities. 6. Costs and Funding. a. Concept Regarding Costs. (1) The postal construction program will pay its own way; i.e., it will not be subsidized from Army or other funds. The Postal Service will only be charged for actual services rendered; i.e., contract costs, direct Government costs, district support costs, and an appropriate share of the costs of the division offices and OCE. The postal program will be charged no more than actual costs plus those of a distributive nature within the limits previously stated. (2) As emphasized above, it is mandatory that all Corps efforts be directed toward accomplishing the assigned tasks with the minimum of resources. In view of the large dollar amounts of construction at single locations under this program, it is expected that costs, S&A in particular, will be lower than the average for most other programs. This factor also will contribute to reducing district, division, and OCE support costs for this program. b. Funding. (1) Design and Construction.-Since a program ceiling has been established, and in order to ensure that this ceiling is not exceeded, funds will be allocated on a project basis to include coverage of the district, division, and OCE costs. Controls must be established at all levels to ensure that these costs are not exceeded. Projects will have to be accomplished within the allocated funds. (2) Real Estate.-The USPOD will fund all payments for land acquired through purchase contracts or by condemnation. Funds will be allocated by OCE to cover direct Corps costs and support costs associated with site selection and site acquisition. As in the case of allocation of funds for Corps design and construction in-house costs, real estate fund allocation to cover Corps in-house costs must also not be exceeded. 7. Program. a. General. The USPOD informs that it will assign to the Corps those projects over $2 million or 50,000 square feet. Projects falling below these criteria will be managed by the USPOD regional offices; on occasion, the regional offices may assign some of these projects to the Corps. There are two principal kinds of facilities: preferential mail handling facilities and bulk mail handling facilities. The preferential mail handing facilities will process air mail, first-class, and other preferential mail; these facilities will generally cost up to $10 million with 15-20% of the cost in mechanization and will cover 100-400,000 square feet. The bulk handling facilities will process parcel post and second and third class mail; these facilities will generally cost from $10 to $50 million with roughly 50% of the cost in highly sophisticated mechanization and will exceed 400,000 square feet in area. b. 1971 Program.-Since October 1970, the Corps has been assuming responsibility for projects as quickly as the Post Office Department has assigned them. The FY 71 program is shown at Appendix F. c. 1972 Program.-The 1972 program which was recently announced by the Postmaster General is shown at Appendix G. 8. Procedures.-A working agreement covering A-E selection, reporting requirements, site selection report, site acquisition, development of schedules, etc. is now being negotiated. The aim is to adhere to Corps procedures as much as possible. However, it appears that it will be necessary to change some of our procedures, particularly in the reports area, to accommodate the USPOD's needs. As soon as this working agreement is finalized, specific implementing instructions will be issued. 9. Spaces.--Action is being taken to obtain additional manpower authorizations, using Civil Works procedures, to provide personnel spaces to support this program. These spaces, when received, will be controlled closely in the same manner as funds. 10. Engineer Regulations.—-Changes to Engineer Regulations will be published as soon as the working level agreement has been finalized. 11. Comment. That the Postmaster Generai turned to the Corps for real estate, design, and construction services to accomplish the extensive postal modernization program, which ultimately will exceed $1 billion in magnitude, is a high tribute to the reputation and past accomplishments of the Corps. The new concept for postal facilities, which the Corps will be implementing, is a significant departure from the traditional methods of handling mail and is designed to improve greatly mail service. This is a challenging program and the Corps is privileged to work in partnership with the USPOD in making this program a reality. The Corps is in a position to make a major contribution through its excellent management capabilities, demonstrated professional knowledge and experience, and its highly developed technical and administrative skills. This program will be yet another opportunity for the Corps to serve the nation in its progressive development. As with other programs, the Corps' success in meeting milestones, in holding down costs, in providing the required product, and in being responsive to the customer will depend upon each member conscientiously executing his job in full measure. This joint venture promises to be an exciting program which will redound to the benefit and enhanced reputation of both the Post Office Department and the Corps. GEORGE A. REBH, Brigadier General, USA, Chief, Corps of Engineers, Postal Construction Support Office. (For the Chief of Engineers). Appendix F POSTAL PUBLIC BUILDING PROGRAM-FISCAL YEAR 1971 I. Design and Construction.-Projects for which design and construction have been assumed or will be assumed in the near future are: (these are preferential mail handling facilities). a. Under Construction.-Projects under construction for which the Corps is responsible are: b. To be advertised.-Projects to be advertised for construction in the near future are: III. Projects to be Assigned for Design and Construction.-Projects which are yet to be assigned to the Corps are: The tentative list of projects for which real estate, design, and construction responsibilities will be assigned to the Corps is as follows: A. Preferential facilities Project: 1. Albany, N.Y. 6. Hartford, Conn. 7. Honolulu, Hawaii_. 8. Jackson, Miss____. 9. JFK Airport Mail Facility, N.Y. 10. Little Rock, Ark_ 11. Madison, Wis__. Total cost of twenty projects for which estimates have been B. Bulk handling facilities Construction value $11, 664, 000 4, 453, 000 3, 850, 000 29, 536, 000 3, 957, 000 7, 347, 000 9, 736, 000 (1) 28, 633, 000 7, 850, 000 6, 875, 000 4, 181, 000 (1) 4,718, 000 (1) 2,537, 000 3, 488, 000 2, 840,000 5, 750, 000 9, 337, 000 3, 506, 000 6, 161, 000 4, 117, 000 159, 526, 000 Construction value $13, 600, 000 (1) (1) (1) 8, 160, 000 13, 600, 000 (1) Mr. CONSTANDY. It is exhibit 17 to which the appendices were attached. |