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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Director of Civil Works established the National Deep Draft Navigation Planning Center of Expertise (DDNPCX) at the Corps South Atlantic Division in Atlanta, Georgia on August 25, 2003. It is one of several national centers of expertise supporting the accomplishment of planning studies for Deep Draft Navigation, Inland Navigation, Ecosystem Restoration, Hurricane and Storm Damage Prevention, Water Supply and Reallocation, Hydropower and Flood Damage Reduction. The national planning centers are part of an initiative to improve the quality and effectiveness of the Corps planning process for water resources projects called the Planning Excellence Program (PEP). The PEP includes training and work force capability improvement, enhanced quality assurance and control efforts, process improvement and regional and national planning centers.
Mission Summary
The National Deep Draft Navigation Planning Center of Expertise supports the Corps planning program at the national level. The Center supports Project Delivery Teams in the accomplishment of planning studies that are nationally significant, complex, large in scope and/or are controversial. The purpose is to develop, maintain and apply the best and most appropriate national and regional expertise and science and engineering technology to the planning of deep draft navigation projects across the Nation. The mission's focus is on people, process and communication as follows:
People:
- Sustain DDNPCX Education and Development as a Learning Organization.
- Support the development of regional and national teams.
- Focus on personal and professional growth for every person in or working with the DDNPCX.
- Provide input to corporate training through the training process Corps-wide.
- Support stakeholder training and education.
Process:
- Deliver Quality Projects, Products, and Services through a Quality Management System.
- Validate PMBP – Focus Districts Through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Certification Process as applicable.
- Continue to Refine and Institutionalize Effective and Efficient Regional Business Center Process and Business Practices.
- Develop and Implement benchmarks and metrics to gauge our strategic progress, and competitiveness.
Communication:
- Develop Virtual Tools to Facilitate Strategic Communication.
- Continue to Improve Command and Customer Briefings and Include all Regional Business Centers.
- Develop Regional Expertise to Conduct Surveys and Use Assessments Tools in order to Document Progress in Reaching Strategic Goals.
Goals
The primary goal of the Center is to improve the quality and timeliness of Corps deep draft navigation planning studies and products. The DDNPCX is organized and operated in a manner that is consistent with other national centers and thus, will be adjusted based on experience and further direction. The center’s structure and functions will evolve over time as experience is gained and the organization matures.
A Core planning team made up primarily of personnel from the South Atlantic Division, located in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Corps laboratories at various locations around the country, manages the DDNPCX. The Center also includes a concentration of deep draft navigation planning expertise located at Mobile District in Mobile, Alabama. Finally, the Center has a “virtual” component that includes Corps deep draft navigation experts from around the country. The DDNPCX is established to support the Corp’s deep draft navigation planning needs at both the national and international levels. Basically, the DDNPCX will facilitate the development of technically sufficient, legal, defensible deep draft navigation planning products by interacting with project delivery teams and matching-up needs with resources. The DDNPCX will improve quality and timeliness of deep draft navigation studies by providing services that supplement the needs of customers. The purpose is to develop, maintain and apply the best and most appropriate national and regional expertise, and science and engineering technology to the planning of deep draft navigation projects. The Center will have the following roles and responsibilities:
- Provide deep draft navigation planning consulting services to Corps districts and major subordinate commands, non-Federal interests and international customers;
- Conduct key analytical components of deep draft navigation planning studies, or entire studies, as determined by higher authority;
- Provide independent technical reviews of deep draft navigation planning products as requested;
- Provide advice to HQUSACE, the Corps laboratories and other stakeholders on significant regional and nation-wide deep draft navigation planning issues;
- Play a major role in establishing research and development priorities for Corps deep draft navigation planning;
- Coordinate and have oversight of the certification, validation and peer review of planning models used in Corps deep draft navigation studies;
- Coordinate the development of and participate in training related to deep draft navigation planning;
- Develop and manage a program of ‘lessons learned’ through coordination with the MSC planning expertise centers by sponsoring workshops, technology transfer, and web-based support.
- Supplement the HQUSACE staff in policy compliance review for deep draft navigation planning on projects as requested.
- Enhance basic planning expertise throughout the Corps by providing or creating developmental opportunities for individuals having specialized planning expertise in deep draft navigation planning.
Organization
The Center is led and managed by the SAD Headquarters. The SAD Programs Director (Directorate) provides oversight of the Center. The head of the SAD Planning and Policy Community of Practice (CoP) serves as the Center’s Director. The Mobile District, Planning and Environmental Division handles the day-to-day center operations in coordination with the Director and core members of the center. The Mobile District’s Economic Analysis team leader is assigned as the Deputy Director for the Center. Four or five planning and engineering staff at SAD with special expertise in deep draft navigation planning are core members of the Center, along with one Corps research laboratory designate, representing the R&D community and interests. Mobile District will maintain a concentration of deep draft navigation planning expertise. However the majority of the Center expertise will be comprised of regional technical deep draft navigation planners from the SAD Districts and other deep draft navigation planning experts from throughout the Corps and Corps research laboratories. Eventually, the DDNPCX will include connections to academia, state and private groups with deep draft navigation planning expertise, including international expertise as well.
Implementation
The DDNPCX opened for business operations on 1 October 2003. Initially the center has primarily provided independent technical review services. The organization of the center was completed by 1 October 2004. Additional experts were selected and added to the center’s capabilities over the next 6 months and will continually be added as needed.
The following critical assumptions apply during and after stand-up of the DDNPCX:
- Work will continue to be processed as efficiently as possible during the transition period;
- DDNPCX functions will include support for Regional Implementation Teams (RIT) and Communities of Practice (CoP);
- The DDNPCX will be the primary POC for Corps deep draft navigation planning at all levels nationally and internationally;
- Project execution actions requiring DDNPCX involvement will typically be referred to the DDNPCX from District Support Teams and/or District Project Delivery Teams but may, as circumstances warrant, be referred to the DDNPCX directly from other MSCs or Washington level requests;
- Authorities and actions will be delegated to the lowest appropriate level possible;
- The DDNPCX will have the authority and responsibility for establishing and maintaining National relations, e.g., with ASA (CW), OMB, and congressional members and staff as appropriate;
- The DDNPCX core team members will not be expected to resolve every issue that comes to the DDNPCX, but will be responsible for getting resolution of issues from whatever source;
- The DDNPCX will be the advocate and interface for RBC resource and program requirements to the Program Integration offices at all levels;
- The DDNPCX will be the advocate and interface for Policy and CoP issues surfaced by the RBC at Washington level or the regional level;
- There will be one level of review of decision documents – with information copies provided to all involved staffs. The overall focus is on enabling execution at the Districts in an efficient and effective manner;
- In establishing and staffing the DDNPCX, every effort will be made to integrate members from the current HQ Support Teams onto the DDNPCX to ensure a continuous base of knowledge of programs and projects. In any event, having experienced and knowledgeable Project Managers, Senior Planners, Economists, Engineers and other technical support elements will be important to the success of the DDNPCX.
Operations
The center staff is comprised of a part-time Director at SAD, a part-time Deputy Director at Mobile District, 5-10 part-time technical experts at SAD, and a virtual team of 20-50 technical experts from SAD Districts, other Divisions/Districts throughout the Corps, R&D experts from Corps research laboratories, and other deep draft navigation experts from academia, state, international and private sources. The center operates based on the following goals and objectives:
- Develop an environment of open and honest communication within the horizontal and vertical team to foster more efficient project delivery.
- Communicate new ideas, concepts, and issues in a timely manner.
- Develop a cross-functional and multi-disciplinary team.
- Focus attention on important issues, with the team working together to solve them.
- Keep in touch with leadership, let them know what is going on - keep them informed.
- Maintain situational awareness.
- Build and maintain professional relationships.
- Develop and maintain communications with Congress, ASA(CW), HQDA/AF, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and outside interests.
- Maintain effective communications to assure corporate perspectives are maintained.
Corps Deep Draft Navigation Related Links
Planning Centers of Expertise
For more information about the DDNPCX please contact:
DeputyDirector-DDNPCX@sam.usace.army.mil
The technical point of contact for this site is:
WebMaster-SAM@usace.army.mil
This page was last reviewed on: May 18, 2005
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