The Construction Management Association of America National Capital Chapter (CMAA NCC) recently hosted a productive Owner's Forum with NAVFAC Washington leadership to discuss the integration of Construction Management Agent (CMa) services into federal projects.
The forum, held on April 24, 2025, brought together 30 industry leaders including PM/CM practitioners, general contractors, and public owners to engage with NAVFAC Washington representatives on optimizing project delivery through CMa services.
Capt. Atiim Senthill, operations officer at NAVFAC Washington, described the engagement as "extremely beneficial," noting that "the CMa market is somewhat untapped when it comes to NAVFAC Washington." He expressed enthusiasm about finding a project to pilot CMa consultation, stating, "The goal on any project is on-time delivery, on budget, quality construction and safely executed."
Thomas Cox, director of Planning, Design and Construction and chief engineer at NAVFAC Washington, highlighted how CMa services could help address challenges posed by our increasing workload. "We have to look to other methods to help us perform our Project Oversight roles and responsibilities," Cox explained.
NAVFAC Washington is exploring various approaches to incorporate CMa services, potentially on a project by project basis or even more efficiently in the form of an indefinite quantity contract that can be utilized across the NAVFAC Washington area of responsibility including by the Public Works Departments and Resident Officer in Charge of Construction.
During the forum, participants discussed the difference between CM Staff Augmentation versus a Full CMa consultant role, with the latter offering a broader level of SME and best practice influence. The return on investment (ROI) of CMa services was highlighted through cost savings in changes and claims avoidance, avoiding delays and enhancing quality.
"The value of the CMa service is maximized when the CMa is engaged from the early planning of projects and through the full development lifecycle," noted Philios Angelides, panel moderator and CMAA NCC board advisor. "Some examples shared related to ROI for these services have mentioned ratios of nearly 1:1,000."
The panel emphasized that CMa value is maximized when engaged throughout the entire project lifecycle, from planning through post-construction.
NAVFAC Washington plans, builds and maintains sustainable facilities and delivers best-value public works, utilities, transportation, environmental, real property, energy and facilities engineering and acquisition services to support Naval District Washington; Navy, Marine Corps and Joint Installations; and Federal activities throughout the National Capital Region.