ACEC has engaged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a challenging set of discussions regarding the proper role of the government and the private sector. Following is a review of the situation and the issues being discussed. 

ACEC has for several years discussed with the Corps its activities under the "Support for Others" Program within the context of ACEC's government competition initiative. For some time, ACEC has expressed, through its long standing partnering relationship with Corps headquarters, concerns that some of the activities that the Corps has performed on behalf of state and local governments were considered by the ACEC membership to be commercial activities and in competition with the private sector.

 These discussions have led to a number of policy memorandums from the Corps clarifying their opposition to competition. Despite these clarifications, ACEC has become increasingly concerned that programs like the school construction initiative carried on by the Corps were ignoring the government's anti-competitive policy and have in instances, such as the Los Angeles School District, used the Support for Others Program to provide commercial services that are available from ACEC firms, particularly in the Program Management and Construction Management arenas. 

ACEC has been particularly concerned because the Corps has joined these projects prior to consulting the private design community to determine if conflicts existed.  In the spirit of our existing partnering relationship and allied efforts, and in order to continue to promote the warm relationship we have shared with the Corps for many years, ACEC has engaged the Corps military and civilian leadership, notably General Milton Hunter and Asst. Secretary of the Army Joseph Westphal, in an effort to resolve this situation. 

We are currently engaged in a constructive set of discussions with the Corps  leadership that we hope will lead to an understanding of what the proper role of government is and how the private sector's capabilities can be used to the benefit of taxpayers at every level. We have recommended to the Corps' that attending to the government's anti-competitive policy, adhering to existing requirements that local governments first identify the commercial availability of these services, and coordinating with local private sector representatives would facilitate resolving this situation. As the representative of America's private engineering industry, it is ACEC's mission to protect existing and identify new markets for our members and protect their business opportunities. 

We will continue to keep those goals in mind as we work to resolve this issue with the Corps. Contact Felix Martinez (fmartinez@acec.org) with questions.

On March 23, ACEC and AASHTO cosponsored an Environmental Best Practices Workshop in Orange Beach, Alabama. More than 150 transportation and environmental engineering stakeholders gathered to explore the innovation, creativity, and coordination demonstrated in eight environmental award-winning transportation projects from Washington State to Florida.  Participants heard firsthand what made the projects successful and discussed with their counterparts from across the country how they might apply these approaches in their own states and communities. ACEC Transportation Committee Chairman Tim Stowe said, "Having our members standing side-by-side with state DOT and environmental agency leaders in a national forum reflects the strength of ACEC's relationship with some of its most important client groups." The workshop was also designed to highlight advances in environmental/transportation coordination at the state and local levels in an effort to jump-start the slow federal implementation of TEA-21's environmental streamlining provisions. For more information, contact Chip Wallace (cwallace@acec.org) at ACEC.

ACEC's 2000 Business Trends Survey will be arriving in your mailboxes very soon, and we are encouraging our members to complete it and mail it to ACEC. ACEC will use the data collected from member firms to track business trends in our industry. In addition, ACEC will use the information to improve and expand member services. Please remember to take a few minutes to fill out the survey and return it to ACEC.

With a strong domestic economy, now is an ideal time to explore opportunities in the global marketplace. ACEC will help you do just that this fall (September 10-14) in Honolulu, Hawaii. ACEC is the principal sponsor of FIDIC 2000, the annual conference of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). At the conference you will be able to examine potential business opportunities arising from the "sustainability" movement; network with hundreds of engineering companies' representatives from around the world; participate in top-notch educational programs; and enjoy familiar social events such as Local Color Night. For more information or the conference brochure, contact Ken Puvak (kpuvak@acec.org) at ACEC.

ACEC has been named a Strategic Affiliate of A/E/C SYSTEMS, the internet show for consulting engineers and other design professionals. As a result, ACEC members will receive a 10% discount off the A/E/C SYSTEMS 2000 conference fee. The conference will be at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center on June 5-8, 2000. A number of sessions will deal with consulting engineering issues, including "Advanced Internet Applications for Design" and "Financial Management for Design Professionals." Complete information on the show is available at www.aecsystems.com. To take advantage of the special discount go to aecsystems.com/aec2000/acec or call 1-800-451-1196.