Why

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) manages public recreation sites across the country. Many of their properties are “legacy” sites meaning they have been in the system for a long time and they serve as a mechanism to provide public access to water and land resources. With a vast portfolio of project sites, a large staff, the necessity to manage and provide oversight for contracted services, there was a need to take a deep dive into what it really takes to manage and operate these public spaces.

HOW

Zec Eight Insights partnered with Woolpert along with ePRepSolutions and PROS Consulting to develop unconstrained budgets for five USACE project sites. The intent behind the process was to evaluate what it should cost to maintain the types of project sites contained in the USACE portfolio. This was an important concept to consider because federal agencies are dependent upon federal budget appropriations and are also in the public eye so transparency with how they spend public monies is of utmost importance. Additionally, USACE’s budget is developed every two years. This stresses the importance of forecasting costs as they do not have an opportunity to necessarily adjust each year.

What

The final unconstrained budgets provide detailed costs based on USACE asset types, position level(s) performing the work, estimated completion time, and recommended maintenance frequencies based on a three-tiered maintenance system. The USACE can use the information to examine existing budget targets and service levels to determine operational efficiencies and needed adjustments in terms of staffing, service levels, maintenance standards, and budget requests.

Reference
Ryan Hartwig, Recreation Program Manager
US Army Corps of Engineers
(404) 275-5589
ryan.d.hartwig@usace.army.mil
60 Forsyth Street SW
Atlanta, GA 30303