QPI Moves Forward: 2013 Efforts Based on AAPA Member Priorities

"I am convinced that when we can get issues identified early and resolved through the Corps’ vertical team, they will pay big dividends in project execution” – Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works

The Harbors and Navigation Committee Quality Partnership Initiative (QPI) continues to move forward as AAPA work group members and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leadership identify issues and look for solutions under three headings: Legislative, Civil Works Project Delivery and Communication/Collaboration.
 

The Executive Leadership Committee (Frank Hamons, Maryland Port Administration; Doug Lamont, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASA(CW)); Tab Brown, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters; and Jim Walker, AAPA) met on April 12 with the co-chairs of the three work groups for an update on their work items and to see if there were other issues of interest to AAPA members. The current work items and activities of the QPI collaborative effort, which are based on what participating AAPA members have identified as priorities, can be summed up as follows:
 

• Continuous identification of issues that require solutions, which may be legislative in nature or constitute changes to or clarification of Corps policy and procedures.

• Increased awareness through future webinars for AAPA members. Future topics will have the goal of reducing barriers to the creation of a high-trust culture, working seamlessly and spending the public’s money wisely.

• Sharing successful solutions and ideas developed by the work groups with ALL corporate and sustaining AAPA members via webinars or AAPA/Corps publication channels.

• Increased efforts to apprise port directors, Corps leadership and the ASA(CW) of proposed legislative or policy changes. 

The kickoff webinar in May will review and prioritize the topics identified by the three work groups and set schedules for webinars in the coming months. Additional port representatives are sought for these work groups.

For more information, please contact Mr. Jim Walker, AAPA, at jwalker@aapa-ports.org or Mr. Frank Hamons at fhamons@marylandports.com.

American Association of Port Authorities
Asociación Americana de Autoridades Portuarias
1201 Maryland Ave SW, Suite 860, Washington, D.C. 20024
E: info@aapa-ports.org
W: www.aapa-ports.org