Operations and Management contracts: a better alternative for MPF maintenance

Abstract

Management and Operations Contracting is a special contracting method that has been used by the Department of Energy with great success. It is a contractual vehicle that allows the Government to enter into an indefinite contractual relationship with the contractor. The primary question of this thesis is whether a Management and Operations contract could be utilized successfully to perform the requisite contract requirements under the Maritime Prepositioned Force (MPF) Program. The objective of this study is to analyze Management and Operations contracting as an alternate to the Option Year Contracting currently utilized. By comparing and contrasting these two procurement methods, it was established that a Management and Operations contract is a more cost effective and productive tool to meet the program's mission needs. The research revealed that Management and Operations contracting will produce significant benefits over the Option Year Contracting currently used. This study finds that Management and Operations contracting should be used in the MPF Program to ensure that the United States improves a critical element of the Marine Corps amphibious capability to respond to the challenges of the 21st Century.