Performance Goal: Performance Measure Increase the capacity of state and local health departments to deliver Increase the number of state and local health departments provided with consultation and/or technical assistance to address environmental health service issues. Verification/Validation of Performance Measures Performance measures will be verified by reviews of the reports required by cooperative agreement recipients. CDC project officers will regularly review requirements to ensure compliance. CDC's management has responsibility for ensuring that: 1) CDC facilities and equipment are adequate for carrying out the agency's public health mission; 2) all facilities, particularly laboratories, are safe for both workers and the community; 3) taxpayers' investment in these facilities is protected through effective maintenance and operations; 4) facilities meet applicable fire and safety codes; and 5) facilities are operated in a responsible manner to reduce energy consumption. Problem Although CDC has expanded its workforce and responsibilities considerably since its post-World War II origins, the agency's buildings and laboratories have not kept pace. The majority of CDC's infectious disease and environmental laboratories are so crowded and outdated that they could create safety hazards for employees testing organisms and hazardous substances. As public health challenges have become more serious and complex, CDC's laboratory- and nonlaboratory-based programs have also expanded to meet changing needs. Because of this growth, CDC-owned buildings cannot house current staff. Approximately half of CDC's Atlanta workforce is scattered in 23 leased office spaces that cost more than $20 million to rent each year. Strategies, Activities, and Resources Beginning in 1993, CDC undertook a master facilities planning effort to identify and systematically address severely inadequate conditions at CDC's Clifton Road and Chamblee campuses in Atlanta, Georgia. In this process, CDC has assessed the work needed to consolidate Atlanta operations into two secure campuses and to properly maintain existing facilities. CDC continues to update this assessment to ensure that the appropriate needs receive the highest priority. CDC uses the assessments from the facilities planning effort and its annual Repair and Improvements (R&I) Plan to determine the need for and to schedule major and minor renovation, construction, and other facilities projects. CDC's goal is to provide safe, modern, efficient, and physically secure laboratories and support facilities in the most economical manner possible. Links to DHHS Strategic Plan Performance measures relate to DHHS Goal 5: Improve the nation's public health systems, and Goal 6: Strengthen the nation's health sciences research enterprise and enhance its productivity Performance Summary As of December 2000, implementation of approved projects was proceeding according to schedule, with adjustments to reflect actual authorization and appropriations. Organizational and structural changes to CDC's facilities continue to be implemented. For example, to make more efficient use of time and money, the Engineering Services Office has been reorganized into three components focused on: 1) planning and project management, 2) design and construction management, and 3) property management and operations. CDC has implemented the first part of an innovative new contracting structure to speed the procurement of major capital projects. CDC will use a highly competitive process to "pre-qualify" architecture and construction firms to form a pool of resources readily available for use on a task order basis for design and construction. To date, CDC has successfully procured design services for two major new construction projects in approximately one-third to one-quarter the time normally needed for traditional procurements. Another feature of the contract is to bring the architect and builder together from inception of a project rather than after the design is complete. This feature will ensure a better final product, reduce change orders, and allow better adherence to budget and schedule. CDC will monitor projects currently entering the design and construction cycle to obtain quantitative data on performance objectives. Goal-by-Goal Presentation of Performance Performance Goal: Implement scheduled improvements, construction, security, and maintenance consistent with available resources and priorities identified in CDC's master facilities planning process. |