USCG Contracting Report for FY 2019

If you are a small business federal contractor supporting the United States Coast Guard (USCG) or have plans to support them, then you must read the "USCG Contracting & Procurement Enterprise Annual Report FY 2019".

Mike Derrios, Senior Procurement Executive & Head of Contracting Activity (HCA) for the USCG, lays out what he and his team of 1,500 procurement related professionals accomplished in Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 2019).

This document provides federal government contractors answers to so many questions, including:

"What is DHS up to and where might I fit in as part of the solution?"

The report offers a snapshot of the major activities, some success stories, and provides an overall understanding of C&P's mission and focus going forward for this organization with an average annual spend of $3B through ~40,000 transactions.

C&P Enterprise

The USCG Contracting & Procurement (C&P) Enterprise (follow on LinkedIn) exists to procure the goods, services and assets that the U.S. Coast Guard needs to execute its broad mission set. Offices include:

• Office of Contract Operations (CG-912)
• Office of Procurement Policy and Oversight (CG-913)
• Office of C5I Contracting and Procurement (CG-914)
• Aviation Logistics Center (ALC) COCO
• Surface Forces Logistics Center (SFLC) COCO
• Shore Infrastructure Logistics Center - Base Support and Services (SILC-BSS) COCO
• Shore infrastructure Logistics Center - Construction (SILC-CON) COCO

On page five (5) of this Annual Report, the Strategic Goals for C&P are defined around People, Culture, Processes, and Technology.

You'll also be able to learn about what drives them through their Core Values:

• Integrity
• Partnership
• Respect
• Empowerment
• Quality
• Innovation
• Purpose-Driven Commitment.

It is important to understand what USCG and C&P value to be able to clearly communicate how they match up with your own company's values.

Lifecycle Business Management

Check out page six (6) where you'll find the USCG Contracting Continuum defined. This lifecycle management approach is designed to institute rigor into the processes associated with planning procurement and contracting activity.

By understanding the lifecycle, you'll be better equipped to understand how and when the USCG defines the upcoming requirements (opportunities) for each program office.

1. Procurement Planning Conferences (PPCs) - start in the third quarter and forecast major contracting workload for the next fiscal year.
2. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) - procurement request (PR) packages are put in place between C&P and the internal program offices.
3. Integrated Project Teams (IPTs) - these folks come together to do what's necessary to get procurements and contracts from concept to execution.
4. Annual Contract & Portfolio Reviews (ACRs & APRs) - during this phase the overarching spend portfolio is monitored to ensure the right outcomes are being achieved.

Contract Vehicles Used

While the following image isn't from the 2019 Annual Report, it ties in nicely and helps me make an excellent point. You need to learn what path (contract vehicle) an agency uses to make the bulk of their purchases.

As you can see from this diagram in FY 2108, six contract vehicles accounted for the bulk of spending for the USCG. You need to be on these vehicles, or teamed with a prime on these contract vehicles.

Take the time to ask your target agency for this information to help you focus your efforts.

FY 2019 Small Business Achievements

The USCG is a standout agency within the federal government as it relates to using small businesses in support of its mission. Check out the FY 2019 Small Business Achievements:

• HUBZone | 4.65% achieved | 3% is federal goal
• WOSB | 5.00% achieved | 5% is federal goal
• SDVOSB | 6.36% achieved | 3% is federal goal
• SDB / 8(a) | 17.70% achieved | 5% is federal goal
• Small Business | 36.03% achieved | 23% is federal goal

These numbers are important specifically because they prove that Mike Derrios and other leaders within the United States Coast Guard truly value the contribution small businesses can make towards their goals.

I always advise small businesses to pursue agencies that are hitting their goals, compared to those missing it widely. You know agencies (like USCG) are putting their money where their mouth (goals) is.

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Shout-Outs to USCG Stars

The following people are worth noting, not only for their recognition by leadership for providing outstanding contracting support, but because for small businesses they represent USCG personnel worth learning from.

Follow them on LinkedIn, reach out to them, etc. - either way, make sure you know who they are.

• Dwight Deneal | Excellence in Industry Engagement Award
• Katherine Powers | Contracting Officer of the Year
• Haley Osmon | Rising Star of the Year
• Brenda Oberholzer | Bridge Builder of the Year
• Charlene Garcia | Outstanding Procurement Professional of the Year
• Nate Dolezal | Outstanding Contracting Professional of the Year
• Mark Snell | Supervisor of the Year
• SharePoint Contracting Repository Team | Innovative Contracting Team of the Year
• District Nine Financial Management & Procurement System Business Process Re-engineering Team | Innovative Contracting Team of the Year
• Emergency Response Team | Outstanding Contracting Team of the Year
• Small Boat Product Line | Outstanding Contracting Team of the Year
• Coast Guard Facility Design and Construction Center | Excellence in Strategic Sourcing and Category Management
• Financial Systems Modernization-Systems Deployment Agent Team | Excellence in Strategic Sourcing and Category Management

Organization Chart for C&P

When you think about any agency and want to stay on top of what's important to them, you need to know who the leaders are and who the influencers are within that agency.

The following folks (see picture) are the procurement leaders within the United States Coast Guard and influence $3B in purchases of goods and services. take the time to learn more about them.

Mike Derrios and Eric Thaxton are on LinkedIn as well as several of the COCOs.

Office of Contract Operations

COCO: Jennie Peterson | COCO (d): Patrick Ingram | COCO (d): Andrew Carrington

The Office of Contract Operations is responsible for managing and leading the contracts program for CG-9 and other headquarters directorates.

The office chief serves as the Chief of the Contracting Office (COCO) for headquarters.

All contracting and procurement activities are executed though division chiefs, branch chiefs and staff within multiple divisions, Program Resident Offices (PROs), and senior field contracting officers throughout the Coast Guard.

Office of Procurement Policy and Oversight

Office Chief: Bonnie Hanger

The Office of Procurement Policy and Oversight helps to guide, shape and measure procurements and performance across the USCG Contracting & Procurement Enterprise.

Office of C5I Contracting and Procurement

COCO: Orie Davis | COCO (d): Miguel Shivers

The C4ITSC-Contracting & Procurement Division supports the Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Information Technology Service Center (C4ITSC).

The COCO and deputy serve as principal advisers to senior C4ITSC management and provide decisional authority for acquisition and procurement matters at the C4ITSC.

All necessary acquisition support on behalf of the C4ITSC is provided through contracting branches at three centers of excellence:

1. Telecommunications and Information Systems Command (TISCOM)
2. Command, Control and Communications Engineering Center (C3CEN)
3. Operations System Center (OSC).

Aviation Logistics Center

COCO: David Burgess | COCO (d): Tabitha Callon

The Aviation Logistics Center (ALC), Elizabeth City, NC, is the hub of USCG aviation logistical support and exists to enable aviation operations in the execution of assigned USCG missions.

ALC provides depot-level maintenance, engineering, supply, procurement, information services and acquisition project management with the goals of ensuring airworthiness, optimizing logistics and ensuring stewardship. ALC’s mission is

“We keep 'em flying by providing:
the Right Stuff, at the Right Price, at the Right Time, at the Right Cost … EVERY TIME.”

Learn more about ALC by reading their 2019 Annual Report. It provides a ton of information about what they do, how they're organized and even who key people are within this organization.

Surface Forces Logistics Center

COCO: Millie Figuereo | COCO (d): Thomas Fout

Surface Forces Logistics Center (SFLC) exists to support the USCG surface fleet in its worldwide mission execution, providing the surface fleet and other assigned assets with depot level maintenance and engineering, supply and information services.

The Contracting and Procurement Division both ensures a proper contracting governance strategy for the SFLC and provides comprehensive, effective and efficient contracting support to the various branches of the product lines and shared service divisions.

Shore Infrastructure Logistics Center - Base Support and Services

COCO: Mia Grant | COCO (d): Jeanie Thorne

Shore Infrastructure Logistics Center Base Support & Services (SILC-BSS) serves as COCO for a variety of USCG field units.

It executes formal contracts, simplified acquisitions, interagency agreements and purchase card transactions to procure products and services that support missions of the operational commands.

As its AOR spreads across all areas of the USCG, the work that SILC-BSS performs has an incredible impact on the day-to-day missions of units both large and small.

Shore Infrastructure Logistics Center - Construction

COCO: Ross Woodson | COCO (d): Mark Snell

Shore Infrastructure Logistics Center (SILC) enables USCG operations through lifecycle management and stewardship of shore infrastructure.

COCO SILC Construction’s portfolio highlights include:

• Major shore capital facility construction (procurement construction and improvement (PC&I))
• Major Acquisition System Infrastructure (MASI)
• Architect-engineering services
• Environmental and alternatively financed energy contracts

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Source Recognition: Please note that this blog post is a summary of the USCG's C&P Enterprise Annual Report FY 2019. I pull sections directly from their document as a way to summarize the 60 pages and to provide some of my own guidance.