FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
For the first time the Mission and Installation Contracting
Command at Fort Sam Houston has met all five of its small business
socioeconomic goals since the command was established in 2009.
In fiscal 2015, the MICC executed more than 36,000 contract
actions valued at $5.2 billion in support of Soldiers and their families with
approximately $2.25 billion of that being awarded to American small business in
one of five socioeconomic categories.
MICC Small Business Programs associate director Mark Massie
said the accomplishment is a significant one for the command and attributes the
achievement to “the work and dedication of our small business specialists,
contract specialists, contracting officers and supported activities.”
Defense acquisition regulations provide contracting officers
the discretionary authority to identify and set aside opportunities to meet
annual government-wide goals required by the Small Business Act.
The MICC achieved 49.3 percent of total small business
eligible dollars against an overall small-business goal of 45 percent for
fiscal 2015. That included contracts executed in the four remaining
small-business socioeconomic categories:
- Small disadvantaged business, $1.2 billion in awards for
27.3 percent toward a goal of 24 percent;
- Service-disabled veteran-owned small business, $521
million in awards for 11.4 percent toward a goal of 9 percent;
- Woman-owned small business, $479 million in awards for
10.5 percent toward a goal of 9 percent; and
- Historically underutilized business zone small business,
$322 million in awards for 7.1 percent toward a goal of 6 percent.
“Achieving the HUBZone small business goal has been a
significant challenge over the last several years as a result of a major
re-mapping of HUBZone areas,” Massie said. “In fiscal 2015, full use of
contract management systems helped us match capabilities with requirements
early on, and we had buy-in from commanders and directors across the MICC to
provide focused attention on HUBZone awards.”
Implementation of the Contracting Tactical Operations
Center, or CTOC, application across the MICC was completed in 2014, allowing
officials to capture data for all of fiscal 2015. CTOC provides online,
real-time procurement insight for members of the command.
Massie also credited the networking and communication
between the command’s small business specialists throughout the country who
maintain a HUB-zone database and identify successes. Those successes directly
benefit higher headquarters’ goals.
“The MICC meeting its small business goals in all
socioeconomic categories was a key component to Headquarters Army Contracting
Command meeting all of its small business goals for the third year in a row,”
said Chris Evans, the acting assistant director for the ACC Office of Small Business Programs at Redstone Arsenal, Ala.
Evans cited the leadership of Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Gabbert,
MICC commanding general, and Massie as they continued to champion small
business opportunities.
“In particular, their emphasis on meeting the HUBZone goal
is greatly appreciated as this has proven to be the most difficult small
business goal to achieve not only in the Army, but throughout the DOD,” Evans
added.
Fiscal 2015 marks the third consecutive year that the MICC
Small Business Programs office exceeded its overall small business goal. Massie
said the continued used of contract management systems will build upon that
success to reach goals in the new fiscal year.
“The establishment of realistic small business goals for
fiscal 2016 will be critical. We will again measure the small business program
at our 32 locations on a quarterly basis,” Massie said. “We expect to continue
to leverage technology and analytics to help us get involved early in
supporting the small business program and ultimately the American economy.”