OVERVIEW OF PVAMU’S MANAGEMENT APPROACH
PVAMU has a long history of successful, financially sound, responsive
management. This performance can be directly attributed to the combination
of a flexible organization that maximizes our ability to form interdisciplinary
teams and apply proven management procedures that establish a rigorous
system of effective management controls. The fact that PVAMU has been
selected “the Best Fiscal Report of the Year 1997" in the Texas A&M System
reflects our efficiency and effectiveness in overall fiscal management. Our
faculty, staff and administrators have extensive experience in managing large
grants and contracts. Figure 1 shows the five most important aspects of our
management approach.
Simplicity – PVAMU establishes unambiguous lines of communication
and clearly defines organizational and individual responsibilities,
delegates authority commensurate with responsibilities, and implements
well-defined and understood policies, procedures, and methods.
 Responsiveness – In addition to the three standard objectives of an
institution of higher education – teaching, research and service –
PVAMU has added one more component, relevance to the customer –
student, community, the state and the nation. This relevance is reflected
in our approach to determining the organizational structure of the
teams selected for specific grants and contracts.
 Control – PVAMU establishes accountability at all appropriate levels for
cost, schedule, quality, and performance; effectively manages
subcontractors; provides continuity in personnel and organizations; and
affords management and customers visibility of progress and problems.
 Innovation – PVAMU implements a totally integrated project team
approach and uses technology to continually look for new, more
efficient, or effective management approaches such as the continuous
quality improvement (CQI) and the newly evolving customer relations
management (CRM).
 Human Resource Orientation – The PVAMU management approach
realizes that the most important resource being provided is personnel.
Personnel policies, procedures, and management philosophies are
oriented not merely to use these resources effectively but also to
provide opportunity, recognition, reward, and development as the
means for maintaining high morale, motivation, and spirit. These efforts
result in a high retention rate for valuable employees and ensures that
there is a solid base of talent available to perform assigned tasks.
Figure 1. Our Management Approach has Five Qualities of Special Value to our
Customers
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These qualities have been refined through successful completion of a large
number of grants and contracts, and the application of lessons learned, as we
enter each new project. For example, PVAMU has consistently built up its
reputation with NASA so that a 3 year grant of $340K beginning 1984 evolved
into the establishment of the large scale Center for Applied Radiation Research
(CARR) with a yearly funding exceeding $1.5M.
The University’s task order management process and the subcontract
management approach are shown in Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 2 – PVAMU’s Task Order Management Approach
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Figure 3 – PVAMU’s Sub-Contract Management Approach
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M RESEARCH FOUNDATION
A major strength of the Team is the PVAM Research Foundation, an
unincorporated subsidiary of the Texas A&M Research Foundation, which has an
impeccable reputation in handling large grants and contracts. When the award
of a grant or a contract is made, it is made to the PVAMRF, which then
manages the finances via a pre-determined contractual agreement with the
University. The Research Foundation handles in excess of $110M per year in
grants and contracts, and is legally authorized to manage contracts on behalf
of the University. The Foundation has adequate cash resources and letters of
credit from major banks to provide the financial resources necessary for the
project. A major fraction of the management cost is returned to the University,
which will cover the operating expenses of the contract and for re-investment
into further enhancement of research capability. There are no additional costs
incurred such as normally incurred by most academic organizations. This
procedure, in addition to providing efficient service to the program personnel, is
also very cost-effective to our customers.
The Texas A&M Research Foundation is a non-profit organization incorporated in
1944 to facilitate research and development and to perform contract and grant
administration for the Texas A&M University System. The Foundation, governed
by a Board of Trustees selected from a 100-member body of Councilors
representing the Texas A&M University System, industry, agriculture, alumni, and
the public. Although the Foundation has office facilities on several University
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campuses in The Texas A&M University System, it is a separate legal entity.
Because of this separate legal status, the Foundation offers researchers a unique
and flexible contracting capability and the ability to manage special-purpose
facilities and research support operations. It is a business enterprise designed for
the efficient administration of research contracts and grants with federal,
private, and other sponsors.
In fiscal year 1999, the Foundation administered 1,713 projects with total
expenditures exceeding $110 million. One of the biggest projects managed by
the Foundation is the Ocean Drilling Program, with over $43 million expenditures
this year. The Ocean Drilling Program, is in effect, a center with a unique
organization where engineers and scientists operate through the Research
Foundation. This is an excellent example of how the Research Foundation's
separate legal structure facilitates the development and operation of a selfcontained center or institute.
The Foundation provides the essential services to insure the integrity of our
contract responsibilities with sponsors. A real-time computerized accounting
system is maintained to record all expenditures and encumbrances against
contract budgets, and provides adequate fiscal analysis and control. The
procurement function for services, supplies, and subcontracts is also performed.
Property records are maintained for all equipment acquired either through
purchase or bailment procedures. The Foundation is charged with all Federal
compliance responsibilities. Subcontract administration is also provided. Their
extensive experience with researchers and sponsors with many diverse needs
has led to a flexible, multi-faceted range of services designed to insure the
integrity of contractual responsibilities and provide flexibility for special
operations.
Classified Research and Facilities. The Research Foundation is also staffed and
cleared to handle classified research in accordance with DOD regulations and
maintains a DOD-approved security facility.
It currently has Top Secret
clearance for several of its projects. Many of our team members also maintain
classified facilities and personnel with security clearances.
OVERALL PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND RESOURCE SUPPORT
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PVAMU’s unique infrastructure will provide expert support for all contracting,
administrative, security and other support functions. Figure 4 depicts the types of
resources and support services provided by PVAMU.
SELECTED FACILITIES AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M
UNIVERSITY
Several computing facilities are available for research: High-performance
Computing Lab (2 HP-9000 workstations and 12 HP X-terminals), Windows NT Lab
(20 Pentium PCs), Videoconferencing Lab (3 monitors, 3 cameras, 24 Laptops,
Codec, 3 ISDN lines, and LCD control panel connected to the overall control
unit), Software Engineering Lab (Sun Ultra 10 and PCs), and other UNIX
workstations (14 HP-9000 workstations, Sun Ultra-2, 10 HP X-terminals, and 20
Pentium PCs.
Figure 4 – Support Services Available at the University
Research programs and expertise exist in the areas of artificial
intelligence/expert systems, including the multi-university Software Engineering
Initiative effort (to support the Space Station Program), communications and
signal processing, microelectronics, computer networks, materials, thermal
sciences, bioengineering and environmental systems. The goal of each research
area is to grow towards becoming a Center. Relevant to the current contract
are six research centers – Center for Applied Radiation Research (CARR), Center
for Materials, Microdesign and Microfabrication (CM 3), Network Resources and
Training Site (NRTS), Future Aerospace Science and Technology (FAST) Center,
Thermal Sciences Research Center (TSRC) and the Texas Gulfcoast
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Environmental Data Center (TXGED). CARR in particular is unique in that it
addresses radiation problems in electronics and photonics from the atomic to
systems level in materials, and from cellular domain to human physiological
effects in life sciences. CARR has built, tested and utilized a microelectronic
testbed and a portable radiation test unit, which were used on a variety of flight
tests for NASA. Another novel facility is the Solar Research Facility with a 35cm
diameter vacuum reflecting telescope, one among the ten existing solar
laboratories in the country.
In addition, the University has state-of-the-art distance education capabilities
which may be used for instructional as well as conferencing purposes.
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Hub for North Star Telecommunications Network
Electronic classroom with standards-based VTel Codec
operating at 384K
Direct connection to TTVN (Trans Texas Video Network) and dialon-demand to Texas VidNet
Eight port multi-point control unit for eight site conferences
Direct connection from classroom to the Internet
Direct connection to tunable C/Ku band satellite dish
Direct connection to campus for free and cable television
channels
VCR, Laser Video Disc and Computer inputs
As a member of the Texas A&M University System, one of the largest and most
renowned systems of higher education in the nation, consisting of 9 universities,
eight state agencies and a health science center that serve more than 90,000
students and reach 3.5 million people each year through its service mission,
PVAMU is uniquely positioned in terms of access to world of technical expertise
and human resources that should be a major contributing factor towards
meeting the staffing needs required for a variety of contracting opportunities.
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