ACASS, or Architect-Engineer Contract Administration Support System, was developed in 1975, in response to The 1972 Brooks Architect-Engineer Act, Public Law 92–582 (see external link below). The Brooks Act requires the public announcement of requirements for A–E services by Federal agencies (with some exceptions provided by other statutes); selection of the most highly qualified firms based on demonstrated competence and professional qualifications; and the negotiation of a fair and reasonable price, starting with the highest qualified firm. Hence, the selection of A–E contractors is focused on qualifications, and not the lowest price. ACASS supports procedures defined in Part 36 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).
The Brooks Act, also known as the Selection of Architects and Engineers statute is a United States federal law passed in 1972 that requires that the U.S. Federal Government select engineering and architecture firms based upon their competency, qualifications and experience rather than by price.
As envisioned, ACASS collected and distributed information used by Federal Government Selection committees in the process of awarding A–E contracts. This information included the SF 330 part II A-E Qualifications Statement submitted by A-E firms to the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), limited DoD Contract Award information, and A-E Performance Evaluations. Evaluations were retained in the ACASS system for six years from the date signed by the Rating/Evaluating Official.
The Department of Defense is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government concerned directly with national security and the United States Armed Forces. The department is the largest employer in the world, with nearly 1.3 million active duty servicemen and women as of 2016. Adding to its employees are over 826,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists from the four services, and over 732,000 civilians bringing the total to over 2.8 million employees. Headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., the DoD's stated mission is to provide "the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security".
The ACASS number was abolished when the ACASS system transitioned to a modernized platform on October 5, 2005. The ACASS system now uses the D.U.N.S. number, in place of an ACASS number. Firms should supply their DUNS number, and notify the requestor of the discontinuation of the ACASS number, when asked for their ACASS number.
Unisys Corporation is an American global information technology company based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, that provides a portfolio of IT services, software, and technology. It is the legacy proprietor of the Burroughs and UNIVAC line of computers, formed when the former bought the latter.
Construction is the process of constructing a building or infrastructure. Construction differs from manufacturing in that manufacturing typically involves mass production of similar items without a designated purchaser, while construction typically takes place on location for a known client. Construction as an industry comprises six to nine percent of the gross domestic product of developed countries. Construction starts with planning, design, and financing; it continues until the project is built and ready for use.
The General Services Administration (GSA), an independent agency of the United States government, was established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. government offices, provides transportation and office space to federal employees, and develops government-wide cost-minimizing policies and other management tasks.
Design–build is a project delivery system used in the construction industry. It is a method to deliver a project in which the design and construction services are contracted by a single entity known as the design–builder or design–build contractor. It can be subdivided into architect-led design–build and contractor-led design–build.
A project delivery method is a system used by an agency or owner for organizing and financing design, construction, operations, and maintenance services for a structure or facility by entering into legal agreements with one or more entities or parties.
Design–bid–build, also known as Design–tender traditional method or hardbid, is a project delivery method in which the agency or owner contracts with separate entities for the design and construction of a project.
A general contractor, main contractor or prime contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of a building project.
Construction management (CM) is a professional service that uses specialized, project management techniques to oversee the planning, design, and construction of a project, from its beginning to its end. The purpose of CM is to control a project's time / delivery, cost and quality—sometimes referred to as a project management triangle or "triple constraints." CM is compatible with all project delivery systems, including design-bid-build, design-build, CM At-Risk and Public Private Partnerships. Professional construction managers may be reserved for lengthy, large-scale, high budget undertakings, called capital projects.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is the principal set of rules in the Federal Acquisition Regulations System regarding government procurement in the United States, and is codified at Chapter 1 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 48 C.F.R. 1.
The Data Universal Numbering System, abbreviated as DUNS or D-U-N-S, is a proprietary system developed and regulated by https://www.dnbnumber.com that assigns a unique numeric identifier, referred to as a "DUNS number" to a single business entity. It was introduced in 1963 to support D&B's credit reporting practice. It is standard worldwide. DUNS users include the European Commission, the United Nations, and the United States government. More than 50 global industry and trade associations recognize, recommend, or require DUNS. The DUNS database contains over 300 million entries for businesses throughout the world.
Government procurement in the United States is the process by which the federal, state and local government bodies in the United States acquire goods, services, and interests in real property. In FY 2016 alone, the US Federal Government spent $461B on contracts. Contracts for federal government procurement usually involve appropriated funds spent on supplies, services, and interests in real property by and for the use of the Federal Government through purchase or lease, whether the supplies, services, or interests are already in existence or must be created, developed, demonstrated, and evaluated. See 48 C.F.R. § 2.101. Federal Government contracting has the same legal elements as contracting between private parties: a lawful purpose, competent contracting parties, an offer, an acceptance that complies with the terms of the offer, mutuality of obligation, and consideration. However, federal procurement is much more heavily regulated, subject to volumes of statutes dealing with Federal contracts and the Federal contracting process, mostly in Titles 10, 31, 40, and 41 of the United States Code.
Engineering News-Record is an American weekly magazine that provides news, analysis, data and opinion for the construction industry worldwide. It is owned by BNP Media.
Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) is a procurement process established by the United States Congress as a part of the Brooks Act and further developed as a process for public agencies to use for the selection of architectural and engineering services for public construction projects. It is a competitive contract procurement process whereby consulting firms submit qualifications to a procuring entity (owner) who evaluates and selects the most qualified firm, and then negotiates the project scope of work, schedule, budget, and consultant fee.
Harry Humphry Mellon is a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Army, American businessman, inventor of Job Order Contracting, entrepreneur, and founder and Chairman of The Gordian Group, Inc.
GSA Advantage is an online government purchasing service run by the General Services Administration or GSA.
The Office of the State Architect and Engineer, also known in recent years informally as the State Architect's Office (SAO), is created by Section 121.04 of the Ohio Revised Code. SAO has a time honored tradition of public service in the design and construction of public projects. The history of Ohio Public Works can be traced to shortly after the state was admitted to the Union in 1803, making it one of the older entities in state government. The manager of this office is generally an Ohio registered architect.
The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the oldest and largest business association of engineering companies. It is organized as a federation of 52 state and regional councils with national headquarters in Washington, D.C., comprising thousands of engineering practices throughout the country. It administers extensive lobbying and education programs.
Fast-track building construction is construction industry jargon for a project delivery strategy to start construction before the design is complete. The purpose is to shorten the time to completion.
TASC, Inc., formerly known as The Analytic Sciences Corporation, Inc., is an American private defense contractor based outside Washington, D.C., in Chantilly, Virginia. Northrop Grumman owned TASC from 2001 to 2009, when it sold the unit to comply with new government conflict of interest rules.