The MICC Government Purchase Card team’s efforts also delivered year-end success for our mission partners. In addition to ensuring the proficiency in skills and policy compliance of the GPC workforce, the GPC team, led by Ray Estrada, administered 406,787 GPC transactions valued at more than $801 million during fiscal 2020. The amazing efforts by the GPC team preserved effective system functionality and ensured successful interface between all GPC supporting systems to mitigate any interruption in mission readiness and GPC support.
The MICC also met all five of its small business socioeconomic goals in fiscal 2020 for the sixth consecutive year. Contract actions awarded to American small businesses by the MICC totaled $2.72 billion. Mark Massie, the director of the MICC Office of Small Business Programs, attributes the continued success to his team of small business professionals who overcame obstacles during the pandemic by transitioning outreach efforts to a virtual environment in advocacy of small businesses achieving maximum opportunity to compete for Army contracts.
Fiscal 2020 was an unprecedented year for analyzing and interpreting policy on COVID-19, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, the Economic Security Act, and Section 889(a)(1)(B) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act. Our great policy implementation and oversight team in the contracting operations directorate, led by Kim Drake, stayed focused on the success of our contracting officers and contract specialists across the command by developing forms, templates and guidance that could be easily located and used from a single location on the MICC SharePoint website.
MICC-Fort Lee in Virginia is a fine example of the great effort across the command. Led by Debbie Frankovich, the MICC-Fort Lee staff succeeded in awarding all 601 contracting actions valued at $116 million for fiscal 2020 in support of its mission partners. Despite the unprecedented challenges that we all faced due to COVID-19 that took many of us out of our comfort zone, nothing could stop us from supporting our warfighters.
I thank every Soldier and Army Civilian in our command for adapting to this evolving COVID-19 environment to ensure we remain mission-focused on delivering superb acquisition support across the Army.
At every MICC location and from every technical functional specialty, our amazing team delivered the products, services and program support that ensure our Army is ready and our Soldiers have everything they need to fight and win. Team MICC unleashed its creative, innovative, adaptable and resilient forces to provide timely and diligent support to help our nation fight the pandemic while keeping each other and those around us safe.
Team MICC also led the way in the Army’s fight against COVID-19. With the back-office support of their contracting offices, brigades and field directorate offices working remotely, the command executed more than 6,300 contract actions and GPC purchases valued at $76.3 million in support of the Army’s COVID-19 response.
Our contracting professionals also continue to work closely with a number of mission partners in support of Operation Warp Speed to prepare the Phase III vaccine trial sites in 22 states including California, Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. MICC personnel are responsible for providing contracting administration services oversight to OWS at 58 sites in support of the three pharmaceutical companies conducting the trials. That effort is in conjunction with Army Materiel Command, Army Sustainment Command, Army Contracting Command, Installation Management Command, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other services and activities. I could not be more proud of our team for synchronizing our efforts and delivering uninterrupted support across the joint operations area.
Now we must look forward to fiscal 2021 and continue the same drive and determination that make us the acquisition partner of choice across the Army. With the new year will come changes. Change is inevitable. As an organization, we have to see where the Army is going and how we best can get there. I understand that change may make people uncomfortable, but any strong organization must adapt to stay relevant. We still have work to do on the day-to-day support essential to preserving installation readiness that serves as the Army’s power projection platform.
Something the Army and MICC will continue in the new fiscal year is Project Inclusion. As a team we will continue listening sessions. Army leaders at all levels need to think about how to develop shared understanding through these discussions while being mindful to follow all policies and guidelines.
One thing that will not change in fiscal 2021 is that people will remain our No. 1 priority. My top focus is to protect the workforce, retain, deliver and enable readiness, and methodically normalize our workplaces over time. Because the MICC is spread out across 30 locations, each office is dependent on following the guidance from each senior installation commander.
Leaders and supervisors will be mindful about allowing telework during and after the pandemic, but nothing replaces the concern for keeping our team safe. ACC’s current exception to its telework policy due to COVID-19 runs through Dec. 31.
By January, the MICC, in partnership with ACC’s telework integrated process team, should have a revised telework policy that addresses the state of the pandemic and beyond. The driver for any steps taken will remain synchronized with guidance set forth by your respective state governors, local city officials, senior mission commanders and garrison commanders. Let me be clear, there is no rush to bring everyone back to the office at once. Reoccupying our workplace demands tactical patience, plans with a disciplined and measured approach by all leaders across the command.
Another program we will continue in the new fiscal year is the MICC Leader Development Program. The LDP is part of a multifaceted approach to workforce training and development by incorporating supervisor development, technical training and leadership training. The fruits of LDP will benefit the MICC and Army for years to come, and is crucial to taking care of the Army’s most valuable resource: our people.
In fiscal 2021, we must meet the immediate needs of our Army and joint mission partners to provide decisive and synchronized business solutions that helps our Army win. We will continue our Operation Warp Speed efforts as we help our nation find a vaccine to improve the livelihood of every American. I am confident the professionalism and dedication of the men and women of Team MICC can overcome any challenges the new fiscal year brings. Thank you for all your selfless service and dedication to support our Soldiers who ensure our Army always stands ready.
People First! Winning Matters! Contracting for Soldiers … With Honor!