[ad_1]
More than 40 people gathered at Redstone Arsenal Dec. 5-6, and another 40 participated virtually in a program review of the Corps of Engineers’ Energy Resiliency and Conservation Investment Program.
Part of the Department of Defense’s overall military construction program, ERCIP specifically funds projects that conserve energy and water, reduce energy costs, and improve energy resiliency and safety for federal and military personnel. I am.
Jeremy Cobb, ERCIP program manager for the Great Lakes-Ohio River Division, after the Headquarters Corps of Engineers assigned the mission to provide program management and construction contract management and ERCIP project management to the Louisville District in 2022. , said that a review of the ERCIP program will be key to project implementation.
The Louisville Area Great Lakes and Ohio River Division and the Huntsville Engineering and Support Center were selected to implement the ERCIP program due to their strong collaborative approach.
The geographic district will continue to be responsible for participating in planning and design, conducting design reviews with the Louisville District.
The Huntsville Center’s ERCIP Validation Program provides planning and technical support to the Army with the Army’s ERCIP requirements development experts validating all ERCIP projects before they are submitted to the Office of the Secretary of Defense to compete for funding. To do.
As event facilitator, Cobb said having key stakeholders in the meeting allows for a thorough discussion of concerns and issues regarding the program.
“Since we have built a partnership with the Louisville area and Huntsville Center, the meeting focused on the internal processes of implementing the program,” Cobb said. “It was great to be able to bring contracts, legal, planning, project management, engineering, and construction all in the same room to find ways to improve execution and make processes more efficient.”
Cobb said ERCIP has many technical challenges, and while developing and planning microgrids, commissioning, and black start exercises, he is working to bring in subject matter experts to provide input on the challenges. , said it will allow the teams working on the program to better understand issues and challenges.
On Dec. 5, Huntsville Center Programs and Business Director Arthur Martin III welcomed attendees as the conference host.
Martin said the challenges from the Huntsville Center’s perspective center around getting a robust list of submitted, vetted and approved projects and securing funding sources to execute those projects. Stated.
He said: “Given the challenges associated with increasing material costs in the supply chain, many contractors are submitting proposals that exceed the planned amount, making it a challenge to secure some rescheduling action.” Stated.
Martin said one of the most difficult parts of the program was securing viable projects that received proposals within the approved budget. Another challenge is acquiring both the A/E and construction contracting capacity needed to support the ERCIP program, he said.
“Securing the contract capacity necessary to execute ERCIP projects under the Concentrated Program has become challenging due to increased demand, and it is imperative that the USACE secures contracting resources to support this mission.” It is a priority for our organization,” he said.
Martin said the greatest value of the program review is that it brings all stakeholders together while providing an opportunity for LRD, the Louisville District, Huntsville Center and other involved organizations to collaborate and focus on process work. I agree with Mr. Cobb’s assessment.
“Understanding the roles and responsibilities of all the different players and knowing that they have a seat on this team bus and that their voices will be heard is essential to the success of our program,” Martin said. “I think meetings like this build stronger relationships that will help ERCIP succeed.”
He said the Louisville area is now the linchpin for ERCIP construction and the system is working better than in the past, when different districts competed for funding.
“Embracing the philosophy of ‘One Door to the Corps’ creates a structure for this program to function effectively.”
[ad_2]
Source link
