AS A RESULT OF REDUCING THESE BARRIERS, BUYING FROM BETTER PEOPLE, HOLDING CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE, AND THE CREATION OF JOBS IN AFGHANISTAN,
39,395 AFGHANS WERE EMPLOYED ON U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS DURING [A] 3-MONTH PERIOD.
contract bidding process and are better prepared to conduct business with the U.S. government. These events occur in a non-threatening environment where potential vendors are able to ask questions in their native language. Participating vendors learn how to read and under- stand a Request for Quote or Request for Proposal, understand the requirement, how to submit coherent proposals, how timelines affect delivery, the importance of Defense Base Act insurance, and how to provide invoices and receive payments. These outreach efforts reduce barriers to market entry, promote competition, and develop responsible Afghan vendors who can compete for contracts at higher thresholds. They also decrease problems in the post-award phase of contracts, sig- nificantly reducing claims and disputes.
The Joint Venture Program uses the Afghan First program as much as pos- sible, if necessary through the use of joint venture agreements to obtain the required level of expertise. Such agreements provide mentorship from more experienced firms. The Bagram RCC has experienced success with this program, as demonstrated by the award of a $50 million, multiple-award contract with two Afghan joint-ventured firms for a concrete pad. Joint ventures also allow Afghan companies to achieve documented past performance so they can compete for more complex contracts in the future.
Another endeavor, the Craftsman Proj- ect, assists trade and craftsmen laborers in establishing businesses vital to ISAF and NATO operational requirements, and provides opportunities to estab- lish long-term financial stability to the economy of Afghanistan. The Craftsman Project is executed through partnering programs, agency assistance, and CERP projects. These partnering programs are intended to establish joint ventures between Afghan companies and third-country businesses. As an example, the Turkish firm 77 Construc- tion Contracting and Trading Co. has taken the lead in partnering with many local Afghan contractors.
Agency assistance also augments this emerging tactic. The Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Develop- ment, and Peace Dividend Trust provide micro loans to businesses to help build responsible vendors.
COIN contracting in Afghanistan is mak- ing an impact and providing the latitude to execute direct awards to Afghan ven- dors in accordance with Section 886 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. Afghan First is enabling a dozen RCCs and their contingency con- tracting officers to reinvest money in their geographic areas of responsibility and thereby develop the economic variable of the COIN strategy.
From January to March 2011, actions by the Senior Contracting Official-Afghanistan RCCs to reduce barriers to market entry resulted in awards totaling $81.6 million to Afghan vendors. Barriers have also been reduced through the creation of new busi- ness and through mentorship programs, resulting in the award of U.S. government contracts to 25 new vendors.
As a result of reducing these barriers, buying from better people, holding con- tractors accountable, and the creation of jobs in Afghanistan, 39,395 Afghans were employed on U.S. government contracts during the same 3-month period.
Using money to support the theater com- mander’s strategy in building economic lines of engagement remains an impor- tant nonlethal weapon that tips the center of gravity away from the insurgency.
MAJ CHRISTOPHER L. CENTER is Deputy Chief of the Bagram RCC, Senior Contracting Official-Afghanistan at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. He is a Warranted Contracting Officer for the CENTCOM Contracting Command. Center holds a B.A. and M.A. in history from Norwich Univer- sity and is Level II certified in contracting.
Lt Col Gregory S. Mazul, USAF, Chief, Bagram RCC, contributed to this article.
A S C . A RMY.MI L 111
CONTRACTING
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