Kenneth Fletcher
WC Monitor
2/6/2015
Hanford support services contractor Mission Support Alliance earned 87 percent of its Fiscal Year 2014 award fee, for a total of $16.5 million in fee earned out of about $19 million total available, according to a fee determination scorecard the Department of Energy released this week. That falls slightly below the 92 percent of award fee MSA earned in FY’13, when it earned a total of $19.35 million. In FY’14 the contractor achieved an “excellent” rating in its objective ratings, earning a total of $12.9 million, or 98 percent. It earned a “very good” in its subjective ratings, totaling $3.6 million, or 63 percent. “The contractor met or exceeded the majority of performance goals and objectives for the performance period,” according to the scorecard.
DOE listed numerous “significant achievements” for the contractor in its scorecard. That includes an “outstanding job” in managing the Waste Sampling and Characterization Facility closure by the September 2014 target date and coming in significantly under budget. Additionally, MSA was praised for its work transitioning reactors into a surveillance and maintenance mode. The contractor also migrated over 1,000 computers to “thin client,” which resulted in savings for the site, as well as performed wireless IT upgrades.
DOE emphasized the savings that have come about through the contractor’s work, noting that in the first five years of its contract MSA has implemented cost savings of about $220 million. “The total cost avoidance and cost savings for FY14 is estimated to be about $60M,” the scorecard states. “These savings, along with the favorable contract price comparison showing an approximate 25% reduction for this FAR 15 acquisition over the estimated price of the previous management and integration contract for similar work scope, is a testament to the success of the acquisition strategy and the ‘contract first’ contract/baseline alignment approach employed for this contract.”
There were no “significant deficiencies” cited in MSA’s scorecard. However, there were areas needing improvement, including “the adherence to regulatory requirements pertaining to sewer systems, and the need to strengthen TPA compliance planning,” the scorecard states.
MSA Looking Forward to ‘A Successful 2015’
MSA this week touted its achievements. “MSA had many significant accomplishments this past year – we implemented IT technology to enhance cleanup progress, responded quickly and efficiently to infrastructure needs, and helped the government realize over $60 million in savings in fiscal year 2014,” MSA President Bill Johnson said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the DOE for a successful 2015.”