Quality Verification of Contractor Work in Iraq
Abstract
As part of civil-military operations in Iraq, United States Army engineers perform quality verification (QV) of contractor work in areas that may not be fully secure or are exposed to insurgents. Rebuilding projects are targets because restoration of normal life works against the terrorists' goals. In the densely populated section of Baghdad known as Sadr City, terrorists in 2008 had been stopped from openly attacking or sabotaging civil works projects but still emplaced improvised explosive devices (IEDs), used snipers, and intimidated the civilian population. QV is needed to assure the owners that a contract is being fulfilled and that they are getting what was paid for. It is the process the government uses to check on work being performed, determining that progress is satisfactory and will result in a completely functional product in the time allowed by the contract. Part of the mission of the 729th Facility Engineer Detachment (FED) during its deployment was to support Task Force Gold in Sadr City, assessing the progress of Iraqi contractors on jobs paid for by the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) and the Iraqi CERP. The security situation was too unsettled to allow a daily presence. There were active threats from IEDs, indirect fire, and snipers. Movement in the area required a patrol in mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles to move as close as possible to each work site. Once on-site, teams acted as quickly as possible to assess progress and then move out. To reduce danger, regularly scheduled visits and prior notification of contractors were avoided. Task Force Gold operated with an engineer commander and a mixed civil affairs and engineer staff. The article discusses QV operations, including project selection, security detachment coordination, site visits, the inspection process, project reports, equipment needed, planning factors, and QV team qualifications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA568849
Entities
People
- Gregory D. Moon