Business Practices for Technical Services
As a result of the Managing for Excellence initiative, Reclamation developed a business model to provide agency-wide processes and procedures for obtaining and managing technical services. The business model was developed to improve the overall business practices that guide the management of engineering and technical services work within Reclamation's decentralized organizational structure. The goal of the business model is to maintain a balance between the desirable attributes of Reclamation’s empowered, decentralized structure and appropriately disciplined, agency-wide workload planning and scheduling, and work flow processes to efficiently utilize and manage a dispersed technical workforce. The business model will also help to ensure the maintenance of technical capabilities within Reclamation that are necessary to accomplish the agency’s mission.
Business Model Objectives and Benefits
Development of the business model was predicated on several important objectives:
- Empowerment of the regions
- Cost-effective services
- Transparency and accountability
- Predictability of workload
- Maintenance of core technical skills
- Strategic determination of outsourcing
These obectives were established by the Reclamation Leadership Team to provide the foundation for the business model. Establishing an appropriate balance between these objectives is essential to successful implementation of the business model since the potential exists for achieving one objective at the expense of another. The Coordination and Oversight Group (COG) was created to facilitate this balance and to assist the Deputy Commissioner, Operations (DCO) in ensuring that Reclamation maintains the technical capabilities to fulfill all of its responsibilities for delivering water and power while executing program and project requirements within scope, budget, and schedule in a manner that fosters Reclamation-wide collaboration, coordination, and sharing of technical resources.
What is Technical Services Work?
Technical services work includes but is not limited to:
- Data collection & analysis
- Formulation of alternatives
- Value engineering studies
- Engineering designs, drawings, & specifications
- Cost estimating
- Hydrologic, environmental, social, economic &
cultural analysis
- Regulatory compliance and permitting required
prior to construction - Construction management (procurement of
construction services, construction contract admin.,
inspection, engineering support, completion of final
construction reports & as-built drawings) - Post construction monitoring
What Offices will use the Business Model?
All program offices and the service providers listed below will use the business model:
- Technical Service Center
- Certain organizational units within each regional office as defined by each Regional Director
- Mid Pacific Construction Office
- Four Corners Construction Office
- Certain organizational units within the Provo Area Office
- All regional drill crews