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Managing for Excellence Team 12 November 2007 The Yuma Area Office’s Yuma Leadership Team (YLT) has reviewed Team 12’s Report for the November 2007 Public Workshop, entitled “Collaborating with Customers on Decision About Engineering and Other Technical Services and New Business Model for Managing Engineering and Other Technical Services” (the report) and commends the team for addressing the methods of customer collaboration being proposed and illustrating how this will be executed. The clarity provided throughout the report regarding customer collaboration, proposed work alternatives, and business practices and especially through use of the flow diagrams is appreciated. The YLT understands the need to implement change to ensure the transparency, efficiency and accountability as Reclamation addresses the complex needs of right sizing its work force. With cooperative efforts throughout the agency and by that of all service providers, implementation of Work Alternative 2 as presented is the preferred choice. Concerns remain about the utilization of the Coordination and Oversight Group (COG) and decisions about staffing at the area offices. As previously expressed, using the COG to determine distribution of the technical workforce is not a preferred practice. Having a group made up of staff from across the western states determine where technical work is performed for Yuma is not in our customer’s best interest. Only individuals within the region should be tasked with these sorts of decisions since they understand local needs. We recommend only the COG from the region of interest be involved in helping to decide where work is performed and how the region and area offices are staffed. The YLT notes concurrence with the importance that the COG not become an additional organization layer while it collects the data necessary for accountable, transparent, and efficient management under the direction of the Deputy Commissioner, Operations. Additionally, concerns remain about the potential for increased costs and project timeframes due to the new practices involving fee-for-service, protest, waiver, etc. however expect that through the development of the Guidance Document, best practices will be established to avoid negative impacts. The YLT appreciates the clarification of the types of “construction” vs. “non-construction” work under consideration, yet would like to see additional clarification on what project work such as routine project O&M would not be affected. Overall, the YLT looks forward to the outcome of the upcoming public workshop and further Team 12 reports as this process continues.	11/18/2007

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Managing for Excellence
Team 12
November 2007

The Yuma Area Office’s Yuma Leadership Team (YLT) has reviewed Team 12’s Report for the November 2007 Public Workshop, entitled “Collaborating with Customers on Decision About Engineering and Other Technical Services and New Business Model for Managing Engineering and Other Technical Services” (the report) and commends the team for addressing the methods of customer collaboration being proposed and illustrating how this will be executed. The clarity provided throughout the report regarding customer collaboration, proposed work alternatives, and business practices and especially through use of the flow diagrams is appreciated.

The YLT understands the need to implement change to ensure the transparency, efficiency and accountability as Reclamation addresses the complex needs of right sizing its work force. With cooperative efforts throughout the agency and by that of all service providers, implementation of Work Alternative 2 as presented is the preferred choice.

Concerns remain about the utilization of the Coordination and Oversight Group (COG) and decisions about staffing at the area offices. As previously expressed, using the COG to determine distribution of the technical workforce is not a preferred practice. Having a group made up of staff from across the western states determine where technical work is performed for Yuma is not in our customer’s best interest. Only individuals within the region should be tasked with these sorts of decisions since they understand local needs. We recommend only the COG from the region of interest be involved in helping to decide where work is performed and how the region and area offices are staffed.

The YLT notes concurrence with the importance that the COG not become an additional organization layer while it collects the data necessary for accountable, transparent, and efficient management under the direction of the Deputy Commissioner, Operations.

Additionally, concerns remain about the potential for increased costs and project timeframes due to the new practices involving fee-for-service, protest, waiver, etc. however expect that through the development of the Guidance Document, best practices will be established to avoid negative impacts. The YLT appreciates the clarification of the types of “construction” vs. “non-construction” work under consideration, yet would like to see additional clarification on what project work such as routine project O&M would not be affected.

Overall, the YLT looks forward to the outcome of the upcoming public workshop and further Team 12 reports as this process continues.

11/18/2007