February 1, 2005

Iraq Reconstruction Master Planners Win Grand Award

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota awarded the Iraq Reconstruction Master Planners project a Grand Award in the 38th annual Engineering Excellence Award banquet held in Minneapolis on January 25, 2005.

The reconstruction of Iraq’s infrastructure has been described by the media as the single largest construction program in the history of the world--even larger than the reconstruction of Europe after World War II.

In support of this massive effort, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Programs Center (USACE TAC) requested that Stanley Consultants, Inc., and Michael Baker Jr., Inc., form an integrated team to lead the master planning program. The program included developing a Program Management Plan, assisting the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) with program management duties, working with diverse U.S. and Iraqi entities to gather information and identify projects that potentially could have the greatest impact on Iraq’s future, assigning preliminary cost estimates, and developing project scope information for use during the design-build contracting phase.

Initially, senior management from both Stanley Consultants and Baker were contacted to meet with RADM (Ret.) David Nash, who was in charge of the CPA Program Management Office in Iraq. A tremendous logistical undertaking, both firms were required to assemble a team of diverse professionals within one week to travel to Iraq, which was at the time a major war zone.

The Baker Stanley Team arrived in Iraq in October 2003 and immediately began working with the CPA PMO and Iraqi Ministries to identify and prioritize projects for each of the six construction sectors, which included Oil, Electrical, Public Works/Water, Security/Justice, Transportation/Communications, and Public Buildings/Health/Education. The Team, which worked out of Baghdad for six months and was supported by the global resources of each firm, recommended projects that would provide the most immediate benefit for the Iraqi people. The proposed project list consisted of over 5,000 projects, of which more than 2,300 were recommended for approval by the CPA.

The Baker Stanley Team then began working with military commanders and regional CPA and Iraqi personnel to explain the reconstruction program and receive feedback on the master project list. CPA Administrator and Ambassador L. Paul Bremer approved the final list on December 10, 2003, and the list was submitted to the U.S. Congress as required under the $18.4 billion Supplemental Appropriations Bill. Upon approval, the Baker Stanley Team began preparing over $4 billion in task orders, which included scopes of work and preliminary construction cost estimates, for implementation of the most critical projects on the list.

Also during the effort, the Baker Stanley Team convened a conference of Iraqi academics and international standards organizations to develop a set of building codes and standards for use during construction. As the basis for future construction in Iraq, the adopted codes stemmed from a combination of existing Iraqi practices and updates of information previously difficult to access in Iraq. In addition, the Team developed a relational database for current project information and future use as Iraq’s national asset management database. The database contains the prioritized list of projects, anticipated scope for each project, and estimated construction costs.

Without a functioning infrastructure, Iraq will continue to struggle with regaining its economic foothold and supporting its population of 25 million. The Baker Stanley Team's approach was developed as the catalyst for the infrastructure rehabilitation, and consequently, the rejuvenation of Iraq’s economy and society. "The Baker Stanley Team’s work enabled us to get started in earnest on this vital program of the reconstruction of Iraq," said RADM (Ret.) David Nash. "Without their expert work we would still be in the program definition phase rather than the program execution phase we are now in. What they did enabled the country of Iraq to begin the recovery from decades of repression of a true despot. Their work was key to the establishment of democracy in Iraq by restoring the essential services for the truly repressed and maligned populace of Iraq."

Stanley Consultants, Inc. is part of The Stanley Group. Stanley Consultants provides engineering, environmental, and construction services worldwide. Offices are located in: Austin, Texas; Boise, Idaho; Chicago, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Muscatine, Des Moines and Iowa City, Iowa; Las Vegas, Nevada; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Naples and West Palm Beach, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; and San Juan, Puerto Rico as well as select international locations. Since 1913, Stanley Consultants has successfully completed more than 21,000 engagements in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and in 93 countries.

Michael Baker Jr., Inc. is a subsidiary of Michael Baker Corporation. Baker provides engineering and energy expertise for public and private sector clients worldwide. The firm's primary services include engineering design for the transportation and civil infrastructure markets, operation and maintenance of oil and gas production facilities, architecture, environmental services, and construction management for building and transportation projects. Baker has more than 4,700 employees in over 30 offices across the United States and internationally.