The S5 NCO and CMO project management

In the dynamic environment of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), the duties of the civil military operations (CMO) NCO vary greatly from unit to unit and from day to day. As the assistant to the CMO officer (S5) for the Red Dragons 3d Battalion, 82d Field Artillery (3-82 FA), 1st Cavalry Division, in Baghdad during OIF I and II, my most important duty was project management.

The Red Dragons employed a unique, yet simple, reconstruction project management system with four components: the Project Tracker, project filing and records system, contract supervision and contractor meetings.

This article explains how the project management system multiplied the battalion's efforts and enabled 3-82 FA to manage up to 60 reconstruction and civil affairs (CA) activities simultaneously while maintaining one of the highest quality standards and successful on-time completion rates in the 1st Cavalry Division.

Project Tracker. The Project Tracker is a spreadsheet the S5 produces, updates and distributes periodically. (See the figure). The tracker includes all projects in the unit area of operations (AO), including those funded by the commander's emergency response program (CERP) or other programs funded by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and governmental organizations (GOs), such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Iraqi Government.

The document tracks all reconstruction projects from conception through completion, giving commanders the situational awareness they need to keep their Iraqi counterparts informed of the projects' progress and make project decisions based on mission priorities, funding availability and community impact.

Project Recording and Filing. At the conception of the project, the S5 NCO initially is the project manager and assigns it a tracking number. He files all documents pertaining to that project in its corresponding numbered file.

This system organizes the unit's CMO and makes it possible for one unit to conduct scores of simultaneous projects without confusion. The system consists of a filing box or cabinet of whatever size is available. The project manager enters files by project tracking numbers in numerical sequence with one hanging file for each project. Some projects have multiple contractors or phases, so there may be several file folders in the same hanging file with alphanumeric tracking numbers (i.e., 21a, 21b, 21c, etc.). The S5 NCO should check the files daily to ensure that documents generated or received for each project are filed quickly and accurately.

Normally, each project file contains a statement of work (SOW) with a request for proposal (RFP), price estimates or bills of quantities from contractors, digital photos, a contractor selection memo, the funding request document, the project contract, in-progress inspection reports and pay receipts.

Each project begins with a SOW that clearly describes what the contractor must perform during the project. The RFP includes the SOW and provides detailed instructions and requirements to contractors who wish to compete in an open bid for the job, such as timelines, pricing limitations and an estimate submission deadline.

Any element of the battalion can prepare a SOW and RFP. Usually, however, the S5 obtains RFPs from the battery commanders and CA team, who initiate and supervise the reconstruction projects as part of their ongoing CMO.

After receiving estimates from local contractors, the S5 and commanders compare them based on the unit's contractor selection criteria in an open free bid. Some factors of contractor selection include price competitiveness, source of labor pool, ability to meet timeline requirements, etc.

Similar to a course of action (COA) decision matrix used by staffs during the military decision-making process (MDMP), the contractor selection memo explains why the unit selects a particular contractor. After the project funding is approved (CERP projects usually are approved by brigade commanders or higher), the project manager writes the contract by combining the RFP, the contractor's estimate, SOW and timeline requirements.

Project Supervision. After the contract is signed and while the project is in progress, battalion Soldiers supervise the work. Digital photos are a critical requirement for every stage of the process.

Units must ensure that the S5 and battery commanders have access to digital cameras so that proper records exist for each project. Project photos should be labeled clearly and kept on file with the S5.

The S5 issues notices of deficiency to contractors when inspecting units or members of the local neighborhood councils discover substandard work or conduct. These also should be in the appropriate project files.

Receipts are critical in keeping track of money paid incrementally for work already completed (i.e., 20 percent, 40 percent, 60 percent). Units should never pay in advance for work not yet performed and never make final payment until the contractor corrects all deficiencies.

Contractor Meetings These meetings are to evaluate the projects' pro-gress, issue deficiency notices, pay contractors, notify contractors of new RFPs and collect estimates from last weeks' RFPs. With more than 50 local contractors all seeking work at each meeting, it can be a nightmare. Yet, with planning and preparation, the event can be relatively painless.

The S5 NCO contacts the local contractors and provides them a secure, accessible location and predictable time for a weekly meeting. He coordinates with the brigade paying agent for the meeting time and location.

Using the Project Tracker, the project manager prepares the pay receipts and deficiency notices for each current project the evening before the meeting. Numbered cards or tickets keep contractors in queue in the order in which they arrive while they wait to speak with the S5 and the brigade paying agent. The S5 NCO allows contractors into a private room to speak with the S5 one at a time. The S5 works with each contractor, depending on his contract activities or actions related to RFPs. These meetings often are a good source of atmospherics assessments and intelligence.

Once the meeting is complete, the S5 NCO immediately sorts the new estimates by project and checks and returns all files to the filing cabinet. The S5 updates the Project Tracker to distribute to and update commanders on the week's progress.

Some recommended supplies for project managers include a laptop computer, filing cabinet, digital camera, copier/printer/scanner and portable USB disk drives. For examples of products 3-82 FA used to conduct project management that were later adopted as the 1st Cavalry Division standard, please refer to the "Civil Military Operations" folder on the 1st Cavalry Division secure knowledge-sharing network at http://www.1cd.army.smil.mil.

During their 10-month tour in central Baghdad, the Red Dragons used this simple system to manage overlapping projects and multiply CMO effectiveness in support of a stable and prosperous Iraq.

Index  Neighbor-  Civil-Military  Project and
No.    hood       Task            Location           Fund Source

Awaiting Closeout Procedures
165    Mansur     Community       Mansur Basketball  Battalion CERP
                                  Court

Recently Completed Projects (Since Last Targeting Meeting)
255    Qadisiyah  Security        IIG Compound       US Embassy
                                  Phase II

Current Working Projects
270    Hateen     Services        Hateen Fire        Battalion CERP
                                  Station
                                  Refurbishment
310    3-82 AOR   Trash           Mansur Fall        Brigade CERP
                                  Cleanup
169    Yarmuk     Public Health   Karkh Medical      Division CERP
                                  Center
                                  Rehabilitation

Index
No.    Amount    Activity  Remarks                  Actions

Awaiting Closeout Procedures
165     $17,450  HSB       100% complete. Contract  Need to schedule
                           signed 16 Sep. Final     opening ceremony
                           payment made 7 Nov.

Recently Completed Projects (Since Last Targeting Meeting)
255     $98,050  A Btry    100% complete. Contract  Complete
                           signed 12 Oct. Final
                           payment made 12 Nov.

Current Working Projects
270     $13,000  C Btry    5% complete. Contract    First payment
                           signed 4 Nov.            arranged: $5,000
310     $34,000  S5        50% complete. Contract   First payment
                           signed 28 Oct.           arranged: $15,000
169    $290,080  Civil     50% complete. Contract   Final payment
                 Affairs   signed 23 Sep. Second    arranged: $60,080
                           payment made 7 Nov.

Index  Contractor     Balance
No.    and Phone No.  Remaining

Awaiting Closeout Procedures
165    Hakim Hasson        $0
       7901576980

Recently Completed Projects (Since Last Targeting Meeting)
255    Ali Rasheed         $0
       7901672801

Current Working Projects
270    Emad Chalabi   $13,000
       7901312580
310    Faid Ismael    $34,000
       7901227940
169    Bayat Group    $60,080
       7901435560

Legend:
AOR = Area of Responsibility
Btry = Battery
CERP = Commander's Emergency Response Program
HSB = Headquarters Service Battery
IIG = Iraqi Interim Government

Civil-Military Operations (CMO) Project Tracker. This document often
grew to more than 10 pages. It also includes "Current Working Projects
with an External Funding Source" and "Projects Awaiting Approval and
(or) Funding."

SSG Thomas J. Kelly III

S5 NCO, 3-82 FA

1st Cav Div, Baghdad

COPYRIGHT 2005 U.S. Field Artillery Association
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group