RICHLAND, Wash.EM’s Richland Operations Office (RL) announced that contractor Mission Support Alliance, LLC (MSA) earned approximately 89 percent of available fee for services provided at the Hanford Site last fiscal year. 

   In its evaluation of MSA’s performance in fiscal year 2015, DOE stated MSA earned roughly $18.8 million of the $21 million available for its work, which includes several aspects of integrated services across the Hanford Site. However, DOE payment of the fee to MSA is on hold pending resolution of a dispute over payment of $63.5 million in affiliate fee by MSA to subcontractor Lockheed Martin Services, Inc. for information technology services from 2010 to 2014.

   During fiscal year 2015, MSA met or exceeded the majority of performance goals and objectives for the performance period, according to RL management.

   “Overall, I am pleased with the progress attained this past fiscal year. I look forward to continuing to work with MSA in right-sizing the Hanford Site infrastructure, improving site-wide safety, and overall, driving for safe and cost effective cleanup,” wrote Stacy Charboneau, RL Manager, in a letter conveying to MSA the fee determination. 

   “MSA had a very high success rate at meeting performance targets,” according to a scorecard detailing the contractor’s accomplishments. “Although, for brief periods, some service areas did not meet the established performance goals, MSA swiftly implemented corrective actions to improve performance and ensure that all service areas achieved site cleanup-related goals.”

   DOE determined that MSA did outstanding work in maintaining and improving Hanford Site infrastructure to support environmental cleanup. Other accomplishments included shrinking the information technology footprint, completing periodic inspections of five former nuclear reactors that have been “cocooned” — ahead of schedule and with no safety incidents — conducting work within funding controls, and “outstanding” work in achieving small-business goals. 

   Noting the transition to a new MSA management team at mid-year, RL cited the success of the new team in making “improvements in a number of areas to include their conduct of operations, internal audit organization, and business relations.”

   Payment of fee to MSA for its fiscal year 2015 performance is on hold until the dispute between DOE and MSA over repayment of $63.5 million in affiliate fee is resolved. The matter is before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. The DOE Inspector General recently concluded in an April 2016 audit report, titled “Management and Oversight of Information Technology Contracts at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site,” that Lockheed Martin Services, Inc. may have inappropriately received the affiliate profit. 

   To view a copy of the fee determination scorecard, click here.