My Story

In the early 1980’s I went to work for a Federal Government Operating Contractor. At that time I wrote over fifty Federal Government solicitations and served on over twenty selection boards. I left early 1990 and went to work for a design-build company that did private sector construction as well as Federal Government Design. In 2001 another company purchased our company. The new owners decided to stop pursuing private sector construction work and concentrate exclusively on the Federal Government Market design-build market.

I did not know what I did not know. I was in charge of our new Federal Government Design-Build group where we spent over $250,000 (mostly in proposal preparation labor) in one year chasing Federal Government Design-Build projects with NO results. We were told time and time again by the Government that our proposed designs were acceptable but we did not meet the minimum construction project experience requirement and we were too expensive.  I had to learn in the School of Hard Knocks as the Internet was still in infancy and consultants were not readily available.

Then I decided the best way to get this company without a great prior experience project resume into the US Federal Government market was to partner with an 8a construction company with Federal Government experience. About that same time we hired a business development manager with Federal Government experience. We won a project with the 8a Construction Company. I bid the project as if it was in the private sector. I was going to teach those Government Bureaucrats something about construction in the private sector. Big Mistake! I got schooled and we lost a ton of money.

The company was not real happy with the results of our first foray. We hired a project manager that was experienced with bidding and managing Federal Government Construction projects. Between him and the business develop manager I began to understand how to win and successfully execute Federal Government projects at a profit. What I discovered is to be successful in Federal Government Design-Build business is to become an expert in the rules of that game and at making those rules work for you.

I made it my mission to become an Expert at the Federal Government’s rules for Design-Build and Construction projects. I dug back into my past and poured over all my old training manuals on how to select and manage Design Professionals and General Contractors. From then on I became adept at winning and successfully executing Federal government projects. I have documented all that experience and training into my eBook "Federal Government Design Build Strategies for Success". For You Do-It-Yourself people I have a How-to-Win-and-Successfully-Perform your Federal Government Contract Video training series.  Now I have been fortunate enough to work with many good General Contractors and Design professionals’ to fast track them into winning and successfully executed Federal Government construction projects.

Up until the late 1990’s the Federal Government was primarily concerned about the perception of spending taxpayer money on lavish Government facilities. They built projects with a Spartan image and with very expensive mechanical and electrical systems. Also, early on, their construction management systems were unsophisticated. The result was that the Government purchased poor quality looking buildings that took forever to complete and were expensive. They also mired themselves in paperwork, claims, and change orders.

Now, the Government has implemented much more sophisticated Quality Control Systems and Project Management Systems. The Government’s on-site representatives and contracting officers are trained experts in the rules of their game. Those Federal Government Bureaucrat’s expectations of the General Contractors and Design Professionals they hire are to know the rules as good as they do. If you don’t, their job becomes more difficult and then they become contrary and less cooperative.

The most common mistakes people make when performing Federal Government Projects:

· Pursuing projects that don’t support their prior experience

· Not training their key personnel on the rules of Federal Government contracting

· Hire a design team that is not ready to do work with the Federal Government

· Not understanding what is required for the design deliverables

· Have a poor safety record

· Not meeting the small business utilization goals

· No access to construction bonding

· In adequate Scheduling

· Ineffective proposals

· Including Unintentional information in their proposals that prevent them from getting full value on claims

· Bid the project like it’s going to be run like a private sector project

· Having Contractors show up on site and try to make the Government let them build the project by "private sector" rules.

· Not understand how to control unilateral changes the Government orders you to perform.

· Not understanding labor rules and lawad

· Not understand how LEED requirements works

· Not understand how Buy American works

· and much more

What to do First:  The first thing I suggest you do is find an expert who is experienced in all phases of the Federal Government Design and Construction. That expert can be me or someone like me provided they have at least my credentials. Hiring an expert will save you time and money. I invite you to sign up for my free information located on the top of this page. I also encourage your take advantage of my 30 minute no-obligation phone consult by emailing me to schedule an appointment. We will discuss if I might be able to help you with your Federal Government Market program.