Defining relationships between vendors and professional services in out-sourced civil engineering squadrons

In response to several failed facility maintenance contracts, Air Force Space Command initiated a Tiger Team aimed at improving the basic contract structure. The Tiger Team reviewed all out sourced Civil Engineering squadrons in the command, determining that the relationship between professional engineering and architectural services, the vendor, and the client (USAF) had a strong connection to how the contract was perceived. Typically, Air Force bases were strongly satisfied when they either had in-house engineering services or maintained a traditional agent relationship with an architectural /engineering firm. In contrast, the relationships were typically hostile in those contracts where the Air Force severed the traditional agent relationship by allowing the vendor to provide all or most engineering services. This paper will discuss the agent role of architects and engineer services, the Federal Acquisition Rules which apply, the impact of not maintaining these relationships, and, finally, how AFSPC restructured on Air Force Base's maintenance contract to reflect the traditional professional services relationships.