Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

Georgia Tech structure certified as ‘living building’

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It’s not too often that tours of new buildings start with the toilets.  But they’re a big part of a different kind of building in Atlanta.

And so, Shan Arora, who oversees Georgia Tech’s Kendeda Building, troops visitors pretty quickly to a ground floor bathroom where the toilet begins to hum, and then foam.  There’s no conventional flushing, with the toilets consuming only a teaspoon of water per use.  And the waste is composted in digesters in the basement instead of being piped to a treatment plant.

“We say there’s a lot of potty talk in the Kendeda Building,” Arora said.

Georgia Tech is announcing on Thursday — Earth Day — that the building has won certification as the 28th “living building” worldwide.  That means the building has proved over a year of operation that it meets the standards of the International Living Future Institute that it does more good for the natural environment than harm.

Continue reading at:  AP News

Georgia Tech’s 100,000th living engineering graduate

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A stroke of luck changed Oluwaferanmi Adeyemo’s entire life trajectory.

“My mother applied for the visa lottery system in Nigeria,” Adeyemo said.  “She’d done it on a whim and ended up winning.”

Known to friends and family as Feranmi, she says she was only 5 years old when her family packed up and moved to Illinois.

As a student in Chicago, she excelled in math and science.

“I particularly loved chemistry,” she said.

When it came time to apply to colleges, a teacher suggested that Adeyemo check out chemical engineering programs.

She applied to two top programs after an online search: MIT and Georgia Tech.  She ended up being accepted to Tech and has not looked back.

Continue reading at:  Georgia Tech News Center

Small architect/engineering firms are encouraged to respond to GSA’s ‘sources sought’ by Sept. 5th

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On August 14, 2019 GSA posted a Sources Sought Notice was posted to FedBizOpps to award a multiple award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract.  This requirement is to perform architectural/engineering and related services for the facilities of customer agencies of the Special Programs Division (SPD) across the nation.  All small businesses are encouraged to respond.

Responses are due by September 5, 2019 at 4PM Central.

Details are available:  HERE

Army’s Huntsville Engineering and Support Center holding virtual industry day Oct. 23rd

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The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville has scheduled a Virtual Industry Day for its Range and Training Land program. The event coincides with the Small Business Forum 2018, set for Oct. 23, 2018 at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration located on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center campus at 1 Tranquility Base, Huntsville, Alabama.

The Huntsville Center’s objective is to select architectural and engineering firms for design services to support various Army, Army Reserve, National Guard and Marine Corps installations and design projects for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District offices; and other Federal and State agencies.

The hour-long event begins at 10 a.m. in the auditorium. During the event, Huntsville Center staff will provide information and answer questions concerning the acquisition requirement.

The agenda consists of an overview of the scope of work; planned acquisition strategy approach; small business tips and best practices. The event will also provide networking opportunities and increase small business participation.

While registration for the Small Business Forum 2018 is closed, you can attend virtually.  The event will be available live via the Huntsville Center’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HuntsvilleCenter.

To learn more about how your firm’s capabilities may fit, please see the fact sheets about programs and doing business with the Huntsville Center at https://www.hnc.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets.

Three-quarters of construction-related companies affected by fraud in the past year

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Three quarters (75%) of construction, engineering and infrastructure companies have experienced a fraud incident in the past year, according to the 2015 Kroll Global Fraud Report.

The findings reveal the most common type of fraud experienced in the sector was theft of physical assets or stock, experienced by 36% of construction companies, followed by vendor, supplier or procurement fraud (24%). These are some of the highest incidence rates of any sector surveyed and are second only to levels experienced by the retail industry. Respondents in this sector also reported the highest level of regulatory or compliance breach fraud (18%) of any sector surveyed.

Nine in ten (92%) respondents in the construction industry say their exposure to fraud has increased in the last year, the highest increase in fraud exposure of any sector. The biggest drivers of this are high staff turnover (49%) and entry to new, riskier markets (21%). In terms of responsibility, a senior executive or middle manager was involved in a fraud against the company at just under a third (32%) of all construction firms surveyed.

Despite problems caused by high staff turnover, only 30% of construction companies are looking to invest in background screening in the coming year and just 25% plan to spend on management controls – less than the survey average.

Percentage of construction, engineering and infrastructure companies affected by different types of fraud
Percentage of construction, engineering and infrastructure companies affected by different types of fraud

Daniel Karson, Chairman of Kroll, observed:

“One of the most telling results from this year’s report is how vulnerable to fraud companies are feeling. In one form or another, the specter of fraud arises in virtually every business relationship. What our report drives home is that fraud is often an “inside job” and that companies must address both internal and external relationships if they are to most effectively protect their money, property and private data.

“While technology has enabled new ways to perpetrate fraud, our daily work with clients confirms what the report also reveals — that old fashioned theft, bribery and kickbacks are still amazingly effective and pervasive. Human nature being what it is, fraud will always be with us, whether it occurs in a company’s corner office or a world away in its supply chain. However, there are numerous strategies, resources and best practices available to companies that can go a long way toward helping them protect themselves and their investments.”

The Kroll Global Fraud Report 2015 includes a full detailed industry analysis across a range of fraud categories and regions. To obtain a copy, visit http://www.kroll.com/global-fraud-report.

Georgia Tech schedules federal construction and A-E contracting classes in 2016

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Two new classes — designed for government contracting officials and contractors alike — will be offered by Georgia Tech’s Contracting Education Academy in 2016.

Each of the two classes is five days in length, and each provides critical insights into how the government plans and executes contracting strategies for construction and architectural-engineering (A-E) work.

CON 243CON 243: Architect-Engineer Contracting is a five-day course, focusing on contracting for architectural-engineering services, covers issues across the contracting spectrum, including acquisition planning, source selection, proposal analysis, contract award and work, and contract management. Specific topics and practical exercises allow professionals to gain knowledge of the Selection of Architects and Engineers statue, the Standard Form 330, slate and selection process, review of government estimates, liability, Title II services, modifications, and contracting officer’s representative (COR) responsibilities. In this advanced course, students learn how to research proper application and interpretation of conflicting regulatory guidance, including Public Law, FAR, the DFARS and other Agency Supplements to the FAR, and legal precedence.

Who Should Attend CON 243:

Contracting officers, contract specialists, contracting officer representatives, program/project managers, small business specialists, industry contracting personnel, architects and engineers.

How You Will Benefit by Attending:

You will learn how to:

    • Determine if the services require Selection of Architects and Engineers Statute procedures and how to identify the basic steps necessary for the requirement.
    • Distinguish how the project is to be advertised and determine what is to be contained in the advertisement.
    • Determine the elements necessary for performance work statements.
    • Evaluate firms and determining the order in which they will be ranked once service has been advertised and qualifications statements received,
    • Determine applicable cost principles specific to A-E contracting in order to prepare a Government estimate or review a proposal.
    • Recognize when and how a Government cost estimate for the project is developed.
    • Develop a strategy and negotiating the project given an A-E firm’s proposal and the Government estimate,
    • Distinguish how the Government maintains quality assurance on the contract after it has been awarded.
    • Analyze the roles and responsibilities of those charged with the management and administration of the contract after award.
Schedule for CON 243 – click here.

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CON 244CON 244: Construction Contracting focuses on unique construction contracting issues, such as acquisition planning, contract performance management, funding, environmental concerns, construction contract language, and construction contracting in the commercial setting, the Construction Wage Rate Requirements Statute, design/build, basic schedule delay analysis, constructive changes, acceleration, and construction contract quality management.

Who Should Attend CON 244:

Contracting officers, contract specialists, contracting officer representatives, program/project managers, small business specialists, and industry contracting personnel.

How You Will Benefit by Attending:

You will learn how to:

      • Apply the Federal acquisition laws, regulations, Department of Defense and other agency supplementation, policies, procedures, and best business practices in soliciting and administering construction contracts.
      • Contrast the regular support requirements with a Construction Acquisition Plan in accordance with FAR Parts 7 and 36, DFARS Parts 207 and 236 and agency supplements, policies and procedures.
      • Develop a construction solicitation package in accordance with FAR, agency supplements, and policy/procedures.
      • Evaluate the appropriate construction contract awardee.
      • Determine the applicable construction contract administration (compliance) approach, using FAR, DFARS, DoD regulation/guidelines, and other relevant agency supplement, procedures and best business practices.
      • Formulate the remedy and appropriate clause for a changed construction condition in accordance with Federal and DoD acquisition and other agency laws, regulations, and best business practices.
      • Document appropriate actions necessary to verify for construction progress payment or construction contract closeout.
Schedule for CON 244 – click here.

OASIS under protest

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Anyone who was waiting for the General Services Administration’s requests for proposal for its one-stop consulting, professional engineering, logistics, and finance services contract will have to wait just a bit longer before acting. Although GSA has issued the documents, two protests have already been filed.

The One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) contracts has an estimated total value of up to $60 billion. OASIS is divided into two contracts, one unrestricted and one for small businesses.

USFalcon, of Morrisville, N.C., has filed a formal protest with the Government Accountability Office, said Ralph White, managing associate general counsel for Procurement Law at GAO, in an Aug. 9 emailed statement.

Keep reading this article at: http://fcw.com/articles/2013/08/09/oasis-protest.aspx 

Related article: Is OASIS too complex: http://fcw.com/articles/2013/08/01/oasis-industry-reaction-complexity.aspx 

Background on OASIS: http://fcw.com/articles/2013/08/01/oasis-details.aspx 

Georgia Tech continues to rank among top 10 public universities

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Georgia Institute of Technology ranks 7th among public universities in the 2011 edition of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.  Georgia Tech has ranked in the top 10 of public universities for more than a decade.

“The continued excellence and improvement in the U.S. News & World Report rankings is a testament to Georgia Tech’s commitment to providing our students with a world-class education,” said Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson.  

Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering moved up one spot in the undergraduate rankings to fourth for engineering programs at universities where the highest degree is a Ph.D.

The School of Industrial and Systems Engineering maintained its top ranking and Aerospace Engineering ranked second in its discipline.  Mechanical Engineering moved up one spot to join Biomedical Engineering, and Civil Engineering with all ranked third.  Electrical and Environmental Engineering both ranked 5th among their peers.

Georgia Tech’s College of Management rose from 31st last year to 28th this year.

For the first time, U.S. News & World Report polled high school guidance counselors.  Georgia Tech ranked 2nd among public institutions, tied with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of Michigan. In rankings including both public and private universities, Georgia Tech tied for 22nd with Boston College, Emory University, Rice University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of Southern California, University of Michigan and Washington University-St. Louis.

Tech was also highlighted in “Programs to Look For” for its co-op, internship, senior capstone, undergraduate research and study abroad programs.

“In addition to offering Tech students top-ranked programs of study, many benefit from real-world experiences in the U.S. and abroad, as well as opportunities for innovation that better prepare them for leadership in addressing some of society’s most challenging issues,” said Peterson.

— August 17, 2010

The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the world’s premier research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News & World Report’s top public universities and the eighth best engineering and information technology university in the world by Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, Georgia Tech’s more than 20,000 students are enrolled in its Colleges of Architecture, Computing, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management and Sciences. Tech is among the nation’s top producers of women and minority engineers. The Institute offers research opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students and is home to more than 100 interdisciplinary units plus the Georgia Tech Research Institute.

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