Method of Supply Analysis
Overview & Action Plan
Fire Equipment, Supplies, and Services
Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis Team
USDA Forest Service
Acquisition Management
Updated as of 7/21/2005
FESSA Topics









NAPA Report Overview
Summary of NAPA’s Recommendations
Congressional Direction
Forest Service Action Plan Overview
Forest Service Action Plan Milestones
Communication
Forest Service Focus Areas
Current Status
Next Steps
Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
2
NAPA Report Overview
Study entitled Containing Wildland Fire Costs:
Improving Equipment and Services Acquisition
 Published in September, 2003
 NAPA estimates that land management agencies
could save 10+% on fire-related acquisitions over a
five-year period
 Report describes study methodology, success stories,
findings, and recommendations.

Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
3
NAPA’s Recommendations
Findings



Other agencies have used method of supply analysis to save money.
The wildland fire agencies lack a strategy for analyzing method of supply.
A permanent staff is required to conduct this effort.
Recommendations – Analyze the following opportunities:








An interagency approach to wildland fire-related services, such as fuels reduction
and rehabilitation and restoration activities
National contracts, such as the national mobile food service contracts
Cache system
Ordering supplies from GSA BPA’s
Acquiring new technologies, such as GIS
Fire facilities construction centralization
Incident car rentals
Non-fire incident support
Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
4
Congressional Direction
Language from FY 2005 Appropriation, P.L. 108-447

The Committee notes that findings from a report by the National Academy of
Public Administration state that the Forest Service and the Department of the
Interior could substantially reduce wildfire suppression costs by employing
“method of supply” analysis processes to their procurement activities. The report
cites examples where other Federal agencies have reduced procurement costs,
identifies numerous activities within the wildland fire fighting organization where
savings could be achieved, and notes the Forest Service culture and decentralized
procurement organization as being barriers to achieving such savings. The
Committee expects the Agency to apply method of supply analysis to its wildfire
suppression procurement activities.
To support this effort, [application of method of supply] the Committee directs the
agency to increase its procurement capacity by staffing no less than five additional
and dedicated procurement officials to this effort with the goal of reducing wildfire
preparedness and suppression procurement costs by at least 10 percent over the next
2 years. Recognizing that most cost savings will occur in the suppression category,
the Agency should fund this investment in increased capacity from wildfire
suppression funds. The Agency is expected to keep the Committee informed of its
progress in implementing this direction.
Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
5
FS Action Plan Overview
= Management Commitment Points
Start-Up
&
Planning
Complete Forest
Service FESAA core
team & ID SMEs
Access electronic
data sources
Review prior studies
and current
initiatives
Develop Planning
materials
Begin interagency
coordination
Secure consultant
support
Develop
As-Is
Three focus
areas:
National
contracts
Regional / GACC
contracts, incl.
EERAs
Fire caches
Describe fire
acquisition roles
& processes
Begin to utilize
SME network
Validate
As-Is &
Prepare
Business
Cases
Design
To-Be
Wide review of
As-Is
documents
Identify
interagency
leading practices
Develop
business cases
for change
High SME
involvement in
designing solutions
Develop project
plans for To-Be
analyses
Leverage
consultant
expertise in private
sector practices
Provide report
on potential of
all NAPA demos
Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
Build on past
recommendations
and efforts
Implement
To-Be
Obtain approvals
from interagency
staffs and
governing bodies
Form
implementation
teams
Develop project
plans and
milestones for
rollout
6
FS Action Plan Milestones
Task
Estimated Completion by

Develop Planning Materials
Identify SMEs
Hire All Team Members
Describe As-Is Processes and Methods
Validate As-Is and Prepare for To-Be
Develop Project Plans
Design To-Be Processes and Methods

Implement Results

Communications & Coordination






Aug, 2005
Aug, 2005 & Ongoing
Sept, 2005*
Nov, 2005
Jan, 2005
Feb, 2006
Ongoing, with first
project by May, 2006
Ongoing, as To-Be
projects are completed
Ongoing
* Filling both vacancies is critical to meeting future deadlines.
Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
7
Communication –
A Key to Success

Formal correspondence:





Informal correspondence:






AQM / FAM letter announcing FESSA effort
Quarterly updates (Congress, other interested parties)
Controlled correspondence transmitting key deliverables
Data calls?
Email updates and requests for information
Circulation of draft deliverables
Team room (created)
K:/ drive space for FESSA documents (created)
Web site?
Interagency communications:




Monthly meetings
Utilize DOI SME network
Share draft deliverables
Coordinate actions / next steps
Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
8
Focus Area Overview



ex: Airtankers, showers, food
service, helicopters, retardants
Regional & GACC
contracts, including EERAs


GACC
Contracts
National Contracts
ex: Rental vehicles,
equipment (dozers, tenders,
engines), communications
(cell, internet, fax),
helicopters
Fire Cache


11 locations (9 FS, 2 BLM)
ex: PPE, tents, tools, radios,
batteries, etc.
Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
National
Contracts
Regional
Contracts
Incident Support
EERAs
Cache
GSA Schedule
Items
9
Current Status



Hired one FESSA team member (Mgmt Analyst – June, 2005)
Vacancy announcement for 2 Procurement Analysts will be published on
USAJOBS in the next few weeks
Collected documentation of past reviews








Internal (FS, interagency)
NWCG / WFLC Reports
GAO Audits
OIG Audits / Reviews
Held initial meeting with DOI-OWFC to discuss coordination of the
FESSA effort
Set-up and obtained access to incident business mgmt databases (I-Suite,
EERA, ROSS)
Identifying and meeting with SMEs
Identifying parallel efforts that may impact or overlap with FESSA analysis
Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
10
Next Steps
Complete FESSA Analysis core team
 Complete project planning documents:





Charter
Program Management Methodology
Timeline and Milestones
Initial correspondence to FAM / AQM
Continue to identify and interview SMEs, including
those involved in similar efforts
 Identify and obtain training on databases
 Begin to develop the As-Is organization

Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
11
Points of Contact

Forest Service



Ron Wester, AQM, (703) 605-4665
Sarah Clore, AQM, (703) 605-4669
Department of the Interior

Barb Loving, OWFC, (202) 606-3108
Fire Equipment, Supplies and Services Acquisition (FESSA) Analysis
12