CONTACTS 
0201 - Corps of Engineers, SFD            415 977 8400 fax 8483
020101 - Mr. Thompson F. Keesling, Architect; Assistant Chief =415 977 8473
020102 - Construction Operations Division =415 977 8480
0202 - Corps of Engineers, SFD            415 977 8400 fax 8483
020201 - Mr. Max R. Blodgett, II, P.E., L.S.
020202 - Construction Operations Division   =415 977 8480

SUBJECTS
Increase Budget, Port of Oakland
Speaking at Meetings, Welch Directing Contractor
Institutionalize Communication Metrics
Hunter/Gather Model of Executive
Facilitate Meetings, Demonstrate
Self Esteem Challenged by using
Fear Communication Manager Replaces
Tending Garden of Knowledge
70% of Day Wasted in Meetings, Only 10% of
Communication Manager Why Needed, What Does
Meetings What was Said What Does it Mean

3013 -    ..
3014 - Summary/Objective
3015 -
301501 - Follow up ref SDS 28 0000, ref SDS 27 0000.
301502 -
301503 - We talked for about an hour on Max's objectives and the opportunity
301504 - for Welch to meet them.  I need to submit a detailed plan for Max.
301505 -
301506 -      [See discussion at ref SDS 30 line 317; discussion with Tom
301507 -      Keesling at ref SDS 33 line 173]
301508 -
301509 -
301510 -
301511 -  ..
3016 -
3017 -
3018 - Discussion
3019 -
301901 - Talked to Tom in the morning and he indicated he has submitted his
301902 - work to modify the Welch contract, to Max.
301903 -
301904 - This afternoon Max asked about several issues:
301905 -
301906 -   1.  COE needs a license agreement with Welch for use and maintenance
301907 -       of the SDS software.
301908 -
301909 -   2.  COE needs a plan for institutionalizing Communication Metrics
301910 -       using SDS within the District, this entails training and
301911 -       mentoring COE staff, per discussion with DE on 961118.
301912 -       ref SDS 22 0990
301913 -
301914 -      [See discussion at ref SDS 30 line 317; discussion with Tom
301915 -      Keesling at ref SDS 33 line 113.]
301916 - ..
301917 - The licensing of the software is easy to accomplish, but a
301918 - little tricky from the standpoint of COE ensuring it wants to procede
301919 - in light of resistance to the methodology, as for example by the Port
301920 - of Oakland on 961126, ref SDS 24 9962, and some within COE on 991202.
301921 - ref SDS 25 3399
301922 -
301923 -  ..
301924 -
301925 - Max noted in our discussion today he has heard concerns about Welch
301926 - speaking at meetings.
301927 -
301928 -     This reflects concern about image and culture related on 920402.
301929 -     ref SDS 2 0344
301930 -
301931 -         [On 990527 strong social resistance to improving management.
301932 -         ref SDS 38 1233
301933 -
301934 - Max suggested that the Communication Manager is silent in meetings
301935 - unless called upon.  This reflects the discussion with Marcus in
301936 - October on this matter, ref SDS 12 1127 and at ref SDS 12 6621; and,
301937 - objections by DE on 961101. ref SDS 17 5547  Max indicated today that
301938 - he views the value of the SDS record to the Corps of Engineers is in
301939 - resolving claims and litigation.  We have discussed previously using
301940 - SDS to improve productivity by empowering COE managers to understand
301941 - what needs to be done and to prepare for meetings and make decisions
301942 - on following up, per analysis on 960317. ref SDS 6 9622
301943 -
301944 -     [On 961205 DE directs Welch will be terminated if he speaks at
301945 -     meetings, ref SDS 29 3425; On 961206 approval of modification to
301946 -     Welch Contract Max indicates the matter of speaking at meetings
301947 -     requires further consideration. ref SDS 30 8851
301948 -
301949 -     [On 961218 difficulties caused by inadequate understanding during
301950 -     meeting on RFP #19, ref SDS 32 5790, and updating project schedule
301951 -     on 961213. ref SDS 31 SU6J
301952 -
301953 -     [On 970110 COE needs organizational memory on meeting for 961213
301954 -     which do not exist because Com Metrics was not used for that
301955 -     meeting.
301956 -
301957 -
301958 -  ..
301959 - SDS Takes Experience to Grasp Benefits of Enhancing the Alphabet
301960 -
301961 - SDS requires faith in prospective benefits in order for people to make
301962 - the effort to learn and use it regularly, like the alphabet, reviewed
301963 - in POIMS. ref OF 1 1299
301964 -
301965 - While we bask in the benefits today, driving home in a car, listening
301966 - to the radio, thinking about the plane trip next week, or getting a
301967 - new PC, it is not clear that these benefits derive from thousands of
301968 - years when people struggled with the cost/benefit question of learning
301969 - a new way of thinking by using the alphabet. see POIMS. ref OF 1 3742
301970 -
301971 -     [On 991108 alphabet technology took thousands of years to evolve
301972 -     into a stable, useful technology. ref SDS 40 3596 and on the
301973 -     "alphabetic mind." ref SDS 40 5628]
301974 - ..
301975 - SDS is the first advance on alphabet technology in 3,000 years.
301976 - Like the alphabet, without regular use, the lift in performance people
301977 - desire will not occur; they loose faith in SDS, and slip back into bad
301978 - habits, per review on 921205 of Stephen Covey, the power of faith move
301979 - mountains, ref SDS 3 8493 and ref SDS 3 5573, also, discussion on
301980 - 950204 with Morris Jones on being aware of the fragiligy of human
301981 - memory. ref SDS 4 0550
301982 -
301983 - In order to build faith for people to make this effort and stick with
301984 - it, people must see and experience over a fairly long time that the
301985 - Welch Management Method, called "Communication Metrics," that uses
301986 - technology, called SDS, to support the "plan, perform, report"
301987 - process, yields much better results than do traditional management
301988 - methods of guess and gossip, that make people feel good today,
301989 - reported on 911123, ref SDS 1 4930, but spread suffering and havoc far
301990 - and wide into the future, under Aristotle's rule set out in the New
301991 - World Order... paper. ref OF 2 4564
301992 - ..
301993 - The dawning of this recognition can take from a month, or so,
301994 - for someone like Tom Keesling, as seen on 961101, ref SDS 18 8888, to
301995 - a year or more, depending upon the person, and the degree to which
301996 - they can interact with work supported by Communication Metrics.
301997 -
301998 - Indeed, some people will never accept it, just as there remain...
301999 -
302000 -
302001 -  ..
302002 -
302003 -        hunter/gatherers still today, who are unable to see...
302004 -
302005 -
302006 - ...that investing in knowledge pays off in satisfying human needs.
302007 - People cannot see the benefit because the reward is deferred relative
302008 - to seeking immediate gratification. In the business world, executive
302009 - management mainly employs hunter/gatherer methods. Constant meetings
302010 - and calls with minimal investment of time to capture and invest
302011 - intellectual capital (knowledge and ideas) resulting from dialog,
302012 - reflects the rational of not having enough time to do a better job,
302013 - per analysis on 960426... ref SDS 8 7811
302014 - ..
302015 - People need the chance to observe and experience how using SDS
302016 - prepares and empowers the Communication Manager to be aware of a much
302017 - broader range of information, correlations, implications based on
302018 - having made the connections to create the record, than are those who
302019 - do not perform the daily task of "tending the garden of knowledge."
302020 -
302021 - See for example planning on 960317 for General Hatch to present the
302022 - value of being prepared applied in military theory, ref SDS 6 4385,
302023 - which, is ignored in executive management practice. ref SDS 6 6870,
302024 - and ref SDS 6 9611
302025 -
302026 - Second, the duty of the Communication Manager to maintain these
302027 - connections (i.e., build and maintain shared meaning, create a useful
302028 - "knowledge space") requires asking questions for clarifications in
302029 - order to create the record which is the deliverable to the Corps. If
302030 - people cannot see that, if they are shielded from how that works, then
302031 - they cannot learn how to accomplish a key deliverable of Communication
302032 - Metrics.
302033 - ..
302034 - Third, from time to time and in some situations, it is helpful
302035 - for the Communication Manager to facilitate meetings, by taking the
302036 - lead, in order to demonstrate how to apply automation to improve the
302037 - quality of management, which is the goal of Communication Metrics.
302038 -
302039 - In any case, COE is using Welch to support projects and this affords
302040 - the opportunity to evaulate whether to commit to using the software,
302041 - and how to apply it with COE business practices.
302042 -
302043 -
302044 -
3021 -

SUBJECTS
Mentoring COE to Use Comm Metrics
CCA Guide Implement with SDS
Contract Admin Support
Contract Administration
Management Guidelines No Time to Implement
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)
FAR Implementing with USACE CCA Guide, Max
Audit Trail Communications

4011 -
401101 -  ..
401102 - FAR Federal Acquisition Requirements Implemented by CCA Guide
401103 - Communication Metrics Supports Contract Administration (CCA) Guide
401104 -
401105 - Max wants to use Communication Metrics to support Construction
401106 - Contract Administration (CCA) Guide, issued by HQ for Corps-wide
401107 - implementation.
401108 -
401109 - He showed a large manual that covers this material, and a memo from
401110 - the District Commander asking Max for a plan to implement the new CCA
401111 - guide.  Max said the CCA guide sets out specific practices to apply
401112 - the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) for managing government
401113 - contracts.  A table of contents is on the Internet at...
401114 -
401115 -
401116 -          http://hydra.gsa.gov/far/current/html/toc.html
401117 -
401118 - ..
401119 - Section 42.302...
401120 -
401121 -                    Contract administration functions
401122 -
401123 - ...shown at...
401124 -
401125 -          http://hydra.gsa.gov/far/90-46/html/42PART.HTM
401126 -
401127 -  ..
401128 - ...has a para (40) that says....
401129 -
401130 -       Perform engineering surveillance to assess compliance with
401131 -       contractual terms for schedule, cost, and technical performance
401132 -       in the areas of design, development, and production.
401133 -
401134 -  ..
401135 - ...and para (41) just below calls for....
401136 -
401137 -       Evaluate for adequacy and perform surveillance of contractor
401138 -       engineering efforts and management systems that relate to
401139 -       design, development, production, engineering changes,
401140 -       subcontractors, tests, management of engineering resources,
401141 -       reliability and maintainability, data control systems,
401142 -       configuration management, and independent research and
401143 -       development.
401144 -
401145 -     [On 020504 this section seems to have a different meaning.
401146 - ..
401147 - A key procedure for managing contracts is the...
401148 -
401149 -
401150 -             Cost/Schedule Control system Criteria (C/SCSC)
401151 -
401152 -
401153 - ...reviewed on 940915 by Gary Christle....
401154 -
401155 -     http://www.acq.osd.mil/pm/newpolicy/misc/vision.html
401156 -
401157 - ...calling for...
401158 -
401159 -      Focus on prevention of management system deficiencies rather
401160 -      than "find and fix" [problems]
401161 - ..
401162 - Defense Procurement at....
401163 -
401164 -     http://www.acq.osd.mil/dp/
401165 -
401166 - ...has a listing of current officers responsible for cost, pricing
401167 - and finance at....
401168 -
401169 -     http://www.acq.osd.mil/dp/cpf/
401170 -
401171 -  ..
401172 - The Defense Acquisition Regulations Directorate (DEAR)
401173 -
401174 -     http://www.acq.osd.mil/dp/dars/
401175 -
401176 - ...further shows an index at...
401177 -
401178 -      http://www.acq.osd.mil/dp/dars/dfars/html/r20011206/tochtml.htm
401179 -
401180 - FAR para 252.234 requires an Earned Value Management System (EVMS)....
401181 -
401182 -      http://www.acq.osd.mil/dp/dars/dfars/html/r20011206/252234.htm#252.234-7000
401183 -
401184 -
401185 -  ..
401186 - Time Not Allocated for Good Management Practices
401187 - Good Management Practices Not Enforced Because Not Enough Time
401188 -
401189 - Max noted that everyone should be using good management procedures
401190 - called out in the CCA guide, but there isn't enough time to keep up
401191 - with daily communications.
401192 - ..
401193 - Max said the Com Metrics contract has shown that SDS makes it
401194 - fast and easy to align daily work with government requirements.  An
401195 - example is the environmental issue reported on 961105. ref SDS 21 8843
401196 -
401197 - He wants the scope of services extending Com Metrics to include
401198 - support for the CCA guide to help the District implement good
401199 - management mandated by FAR, per above. ref SDS 0 6T5I
401200 -
401201 -      [On 961218 example of communication failure. ref SDS 32 5790]
401202 -
401203 -      [On 970107 example managing a contract, ref SDS 34 9769; and
401204 -      benefit to contractor and owner. ref SDS 34 4953]
401205 -
401206 -      [On 970110 example of need to keep with communications, and
401207 -      advantage of SDS. ref SDS 35 2487]
401208 -
401209 -      [On 970310 discussed Corps policy to maintain a daily diary, with
401210 -      Tom Keesling and Chuck Shoer, ref SDS 36 3900]
401211 -
401212 -      [On 990625 Kaiser unable to implement published guidelines for
401213 -      medical management. ref SDS 39 4185]
401214 - ..
401215 - SDS makes it fast and easy to show alignment between daily work
401216 - and the provisions in FAR, the CCA Guide, contracts and commitments,
401217 - using the common practice of an audit trail that enables traceability
401218 - to original sources called out in management standards, reviewed on
401219 - 950721. ref SDS 5 1740  Visibility showing alignment alerts people to
401220 - objectives, requirements and commitments in time to avoid mistakes.
401221 -
401222 - Max wants support at the Resident Engineer level, since that is the
401223 - primary responsibility for Contract Administration.
401224 -
401225 -      [On 961206 Max requests a plan and schedule for implementing CCA
401226 -      Guide, ref SDS 30 1204
401227 -
401228 -      [On 961220 meeting with Tom Keesling to budget scope of services
401229 -      requested by Max. ref SDS 33 5773
401230 - ..
401231 - Max feels that Welch should begin hiring a staff for
401232 - Communication Metrics under the contract modification Tom is
401233 - preparing.  This staff would learn SDS to support the Resident
401234 - Engineer and his people in Sausalito for all of the District's
401235 - projects.
401236 - ..
401237 - We have to make the investment to do some work and study the
401238 - effort. Then we can produce a plan for integrating the software and
401239 - training COE people.  I had hoped to have a 6 month commitment,
401240 - because that makes it easier to find the kind of people needed for
401241 - this role, as opposed to saying to someone, "Well, how would you like
401242 - to take up the challenge of moving the world forward?  We have a 4
401243 - month commitment." In any case, we have to do the best we can with the
401244 - resources available.
401245 -
401246 - I mentioned disucssions with Leonard about COE's interest in using a
401247 - Resident Management System for tracking documents.  We need to begin
401248 - working with it and see how SDS and the RMS tool mesh.
401249 -
401250 -
401251 -  ..
401252 - Institutionalizing SDS for Com Metrics by Mentoring COE Staff
401253 -
401254 - Max asked about mentoring COE management to accomplish Communication
401255 - Metrics.  This aligns with LTC Thompson's request on 961118 to
401256 - institutionalize SDS and Com Metrics. ref SDS 22 0990
401257 -
401258 - We reviewed the current practice of mentoring COE staff by showing how
401259 - SDS technology can be deployed to improve executive productivity by
401260 - lifting the capacity to think, remember and communicate.
401261 -
401262 - Max suggested training Tom White to be a Communication Manager.
401263 -
401264 - Tom is bright and has the drive it takes to learn a new method, while
401265 - still turning out work everyday.
401266 -
401267 -     [On 961205 Herb and Marc reported that Welch is mentoring USACE
401268 -     staff to improve communication using SDS. ref SDS 29 9477
401269 - ..
401270 - Max's idea for Tom to help Jim Joyce will provide background on
401271 - handling documents, but the vast array of human interaction through
401272 - daily dialog is not part of USACE, nor of anybody else's documents.
401273 - Most recently on 961202, Tom expressed doubts about SDS methodology of
401274 - applying "metrics" to business communications, because the Contractor
401275 - and the co-sponsor have complained, ref SDS 25 0S6I  Tom needs COE
401276 - management assurance that complaints from parties-in-interest about
401277 - inconvenient details are a express deliverable of Communication
401278 - Metrics, which Max pointed out in the meeting on 960920, ref SDS 10
401279 - 8854, since they permit problems to be identified early rather than
401280 - remain suppressed in the happy talk of congeniality that results in
401281 - poor performance when problems blow up.
401282 - ..
401283 - We need to consider this stuff in greater detail.  I had hoped
401284 - that Tom Keesling's new assignment would afford a dedicated resource
401285 - to do this.
401286 -
401287 -     [On 961206 followed up discussion with Tom and Max. ref SDS 30
401288 -     7499.
401289 -
401290 -     [On 970418 Max issued a memo endorsing CSPN report on Com Metrics
401291 -     and disclosed requirement to capture "hiccups." ref SDS 37 TW6J
401292 -     specifically at ref DRP 2 0377
401293 -
401294 -
401295 -
401296 -
401297 -
401298 -
401299 -
401300 -
401301 -
401302 -