Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SuperPMO formed; contract awards for school and hospital preconstruction prompt questions about procurement and bidder interest
Summary
ODR has established a Super Project Management Office and awarded preconstruction contracts for major school bundles and a medical complex. Senators pressed officials about large preconstruction fees, failed solicitations for Wang F. Lewis Hospital and limited bidder interest.
The Office of Disaster Recovery said it has stood up a Super Project Management Office to speed large rebuilds and provide a single point of contact for contractors.
"To execute rebuild USVI, the Office of Disaster Recovery has established and stood up the Super Project Management Office or SuperPMO with the support of CH2M Hill, Jacobs Solutions," Director Adrianne L. Williams Octalin told the Senate committee. The SuperPMO is intended to reduce bottlenecks and coordinate procurement for bundled projects.
ODR told senators the SuperPMO has executed a preconstruction services contract with the Suffolk CBNA joint venture for a St. Thomas education bundle; ODR said the initial preconstruction amount for that contract is $38.1 million. ODR also reported an award to Consigli-Benton (construction-manager-at-risk) for the Charles Harwood Medical Complex. ODR said the Wang F. Lewis Hospital solicitation received only one bid in one round and no bids in a later re-solicitation; ODR officials said they are revising the RFP and planned a re-release by March 2025.
Why it matters: Senators asked why large preconstruction fees were paid and whether existing contractors or firms previously on contract with the territory were being supplanted. Officials described different delivery approaches (progressive design-build vs. construction manager at risk) and said the scope and complexity of some projects makes attracting multiple, qualified bidders difficult. ODR said it is using market outreach and design revisions to attract more bidders.
Procurement details cited by officials - Delivery models named: progressive design-build and construction manager at risk (CMAR). - ODR said preconstruction / early engagement work will lead to a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) when scope and designs are finalized. - ODR said the SuperPMO has engaged CH2M Hill/Jacobs Solutions to provide program management support and a single contractor interface.
Officials' explanation of limited bids - ODR and VIHFA staff told senators that large-scale projects are complex, may require construction in live facilities (for hospitals) and carry supply-chain and workforce constraints that reduce bidder interest. - ODR said market research and changes to solicitation packages (including breaking bundles into smaller procurements) are part of the response.
What remains unresolved - Senators requested detailed schedules for preconstruction deliverables and copies of the procurement documents referenced in testimony, and asked for clarity on the role and payment terms for outside consultants.
