The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Washington is embracing automation to streamline its Performance Assessment process, thanks to an innovative tool developed by the Public Works Department (PWD) Bethesda. The Performance Assessment Worksheet (PAW) Populator, built using existing technology, aims to address the limitations of the current labor-intensive, paper-based Standard Operating Procedure that governs Performance Assessment of contracts. In the past, it was a challenge for Performance Assessment Representative to efficiently evaluate contractor’s performance due to the difficulty locating quality assurance data from disparate, non-streamlined sources.
Lt. Cmdr. Victoria Gonzalez, PWD Bethesda Facilities, Engineering and Acquisition Division director said, “Tania Kazi, is the brains behind this automated tool. She saw the need and worked with Jimmy Yela. He helped create what they needed. Tania took it upon herself to do all the architectural framework on the back end to what we have today.”
Gonzalez accompanied a PWD Bethesda team, led by Public Works Officer Cmdr. Richard Buechel, to present the PAW Populator and its automation process to the NAVFAC Washington leadership.
“This was an amazing opportunity to showcase what I think is the future. I hope this process improvement will take us where we can really hold our contractors accountable; where we can keep our assessments well documented and expand quality control,” Kazi explained.
Capt. Omarr Tobias, commanding officer of NAVFAC Washington commended Kazi and the PWD Bethesda team for their initiation and improvement of the automation tool. He recognized Kazi, Alexis Saravia, facility support contracts manager (FSCM) and Lucas Smith, CAT III/IV branch head with on the spot coins.
Capt. Tobias couldn’t be more excited and proud. “I am very excited for the opportunities. NAVFAC Washington is all about innovation. I am a believer in innovation. I will support you as the PAW Populator expands and your career grows. We value those who have the skills, willingness, innovation and mindset to grow and promote NAVFAC Washington.”
NAVFAC Washington’s Public Works Director William Schoen said, “This is exactly the sort of creative thinking we need to move our processes into the digital age. Once this tool is refined and runs through final trials, it will be great for the PARs and PSCMs to use. It will also provide advanced analytics and reports which rely on those assessments. I look forward to seeing it replicated at the other PWDs as well.”
The PAW Populator is expected to be implemented enterprise-wide, starting with the pilot program at NAVFAC Washington. PWD Bethesda will meet with all the FSCMs from each installation to demonstrate the automation process. By embracing automation through tools like the PAW Populator, NAVFAC Washington is taking a significant step towards optimizing its Performance Assessment process, which is expected to improve contractor performance, promote better-informed, timelier, decision-making and enhance mission readiness.