CONTACTS 
0201 - COE, Oakland Harbor Project                                                                                                                                        O-00000646 0101
020101 - Mr. Thomas W. White; Project Engineer
0202 - COE, Oakland Harbor Project                                                                                                                                        O-00000646 0102
020201 - Mr. Glen N. Chafe; Inspector
0203 - Corps of Engineers, SFD                                                                                                                                            O-00000632 0403
020301 - Ms. Monteze Jaggers; Procurement Analyst
020302 - Contracting Division

SUBJECTS
Corps of Engineers, SFD, Oakland Project
Justify Increase Unit Price
Amend RFP, Consolidate
0020   Combine RFPs 9-11 and 960312 letter

0706 -
0706 -    ..
0707 - Summary/Objective
0708 -
070801 - Follow up ref SDS 27 line 48, ref SDS 26 line 81.
070802 -
070803 - Got edits and entered them throughout the course of the day. Discussed
070804 - meaning of Communication Metrics and sharpened conceptual framework
070805 - for making meetings productive in light of limitations of dialog and
070806 - hand written notes.
070807 -
070808 -
070809 -
070811 -  ..
0709 -
0710 -
0711 - Progress
071201 -  ..
071202 - Received edits from Herb.  He had only a few comments, and indicated
071203 - the notes appeared to adequately reflect the meeting.  I posted his
071204 - edits this evening when Tom White called, see discussion below,
071205 - ref SDS 0 1493,
071207 -  ..
071208 - Met with Tom Keesling to update his SDS records.  He had not yet had a
071209 - chance to review the notes.
071210 -
071211 -     [See though later review of contract based on impetus from Monti
071212 -     on correlating RFP to contract, ref SDS 28 line 95.]
071214 -  ..
071215 - We did discuss though the contract authority under which COE withholds
071216 - progress payments for inadequate performance by contractor. It appears
071217 - not to be the section currently assigned in the notes, ref SDS 24 line
071218 - 311.
071220 -      ..
071221 -     I need to get the correct authority from Tom or Monti.
071222 -
071223 -           [Got it at ref SDS 29 line 63.]
071224 -
071226 -  ..
071227 - RFP's on Soft-Hard Polygons Consolidated into RFP 20
071228 -
071229 - While meeting with Tom, Monti Jaggers brought in a draft of a new RFP
071230 - to the Contractor that consolidates all of the RFPs issued on the
071231 - change from Soft to Hard material and will explain the bid items in
071232 - the RFP, per prior discussion at ref SDS 26 line 244.
071234 -  ..
071235 - Tom said he will work on it further.  Monti noted that Leonard
071236 - typically prepares the RFPs.  Tom offered to assist the effort.
071237 -
071238 -
071239 -
071240 -
0713 -

SUBJECTS
Corps of Engineers, SFD, Oakland Project
Weekly Progress Meeting, 961015
Tom Keesling, Meeting Note Procedures,
Policy & Procedures
Purpose for Notes of Discussions
Minutes of Meetings Are Not as Useful as
Communication Engineer/Manager
Minutes of Meetings Should be Accurate
Writing Clear Complete Concise, Needs
Anger, Frustruations from Erroneous Meeting Notes

2612 -
261301 -  ..
261302 - Meeting Notes Procedures
261303 -
261304 - Monti followed up discussions yesterday, ref SDS 26 2079, asked aboutref SDS 24 7734.  She recalled some discussion on this occurred in a
261309 - separate meeting with Tom Benero.  Monti asked if the Meeting Notes
261310 - should include information from separate and private discussions where
261311 - other attendees did not attend, reflecting Marcus' questions on
261312 - 961017. ref SDS 18 1381
261314 -  ..
261315 - Monti also asked about the effect of Dutra's "rejection" of the
261316 - meeting notes, ref SDS 15 1217.
261317 -
261318 -       [See follow up with Tom White on this, ref SDS 30 1678.]
261319 -
261320 -       [On 970107 Dutra's CEO reported that Com Metrics methods which
261321 -       at first were feared and rejected turned out to save Dutra a lot
261322 -       of money by improving management of the work. ref SDS 31 4953
261323 -
261325 -  ..
261326 - Clear, Concise and Complete Meeting Notes
261327 -
261328 - Discussed Com Metrics practice for meeting notes to assist COE in
261329 - managing the work.  This requires a record that is clear, concise and
261330 - complete in conveying understandings that COE draws from meetings and
261331 - to convey what COE wants the Contractor and others who attend to
261332 - understand, as a result of the event, as set out in the notes for the
261333 - 961015 meeting explaining Communication Metrics, ref SDS 15 1755, and
261334 - the draft letter prepared for COE to respond to Contractor objections
261335 - and "rejection" of meeting notes, ref SDS 20 1118.
261337 -  ..
261338 - At this point Marcus Tikostky came by and joined the discussion in Tom
261339 - Keesling's office to ask if we can meet later so he can submit edits
261340 - to a prior record we discussed last week on 961015. ref SDS 18 T48L
261341 - We agreed to meet later in the Contracting Office.
261342 -
261343 -      [...below, met with Marcus in his office.
261345 -  ..
261346 - Marcus could not stay, but he offered briefly to Monti that last week
261347 - on 961017 he reviewed with Glenn issues on the scope and purpose of
261348 - records for meetings, and concluded that Com Metrics adds value to
261349 - conventional methods. ref SDS 18 1381
261351 -  ..
261352 - The objective for meeting notes to be clear, concise and complete was
261353 - explained in a paper for a July 1996 management Conference, ref SDS 1
261354 - 1643, sponsored by the Project Management Institute, delivered at
261355 - Asilomar Conference Center in Monterey, CA:
261356 -        ..
261357 -     Dialog, Documents and Human Memory, a Legal Perspective Can
261358 -     Technology Empower Leadership to Perform Concurrent Discovery?
261359 -
261360 -   ...per ref OF 1 9533.  It was submitted to Max Blodgett, Tom
261361 -   Keesling and Arijs Rakstins in connection with evaluating the use of
261362 -   Communication Metrics at COE, ref SDS 2 7334.
261364 -  ..
261365 - Monti missed the 961015 Progress Meeting, where the objective and
261366 - scope of Communication Metrics was explained, ref SDS 15 1217, because
261367 - she was on a training mission.  The notes of that meeting may be
261368 - helpful on this point.
261370 -  ..
261371 - Conveying "understanding" cannot be accomplished by merely providing a
261372 - verbatim transcript of the meeting, since that would be neither clear,
261373 - concise nor complete.  "Understanding" results from the correlation
261374 - between what transpires at one moment or period, such as a meeting,
261375 - with its history of prior understandings.  Monti made this point
261376 - yesterday and again this morning in observing that her notes of the
261377 - discussion that occurred at the Progress Meeting on 961015 reflect an
261378 - event that lacked comprehension, ref SDS 26 2079.  Communication
261379 - Metrics is aimed at creating comprehension so the meeting can become a
261380 - useful instrument to manage the work.  Being clear and complete,
261381 - requires capturing relevant and material dialog, finishing sentences
261382 - and placing them in the context of prior understandings and contract
261383 - requirements, so the event has lasting meaning to personal and
261384 - organizational objectives.
261386 -  ..
261387 - In this case the discussion Monti cites relates to understandings from
261388 - the meeting on 961001, ref SDS 6 0030.  So the intent was to align the
261389 - discussion on 961015 with the record of prior meetings, so that we
261390 - produce a meaningful communication, rather than permit the parties to
261391 - drift further apart.
261393 -  ..
261394 - Monti asked if the level of detail shown in the draft on this subject
261395 - should be conveyed to the Contractor in the Meeting Notes?
261397 -  ..
261398 - Tom advised that the notes convey what COE will tell the contractor
261399 - in the new RFP.
261401 -  ..
261402 - Monti indicated this would be admitting a mistake in the original
261403 - RFPs, and that in any case the prior COE instructions to the
261404 - Contractor say that their costs must track to the bid items.
261406 -  ..
261407 - I thanked Monti, again, for her notes, submitted yesterday, that were
261408 - helpful in preparing the record of the meeting on 961022.
261410 -  ..
261411 - Monti expressed disbelief that her notes, which she submitted
261412 - yesterday, could have been helpful to prepare the record for the
261413 - meeting, ref SDS 24 0001, because her notes are very fragementary and
261414 - are "unreadable," even to her, as she noted. ref SDS 26 2079,
261416 -  ..
261417 - After Monti left, Tom, also, asked about the value of information that
261418 - seems "unreadable," because he often has the same problem with his
261419 - notes of meetings, as he related on 960920. ref SDS 3 4261
261421 -  ..
261422 - We reviewed the discussion yesterday explaining how all of the
261423 - impressions people draw from events are helpful in preparing a
261424 - comprehensive, useful record of meetings. ref SDS 26 K65J
261426 -  ..
261427 - I gave Tom the copy of the article in PM Network on the steps for
261428 - "Project Review," as a possible prop for the Action Item review
261429 - meeting later this morning.
261430 -
261431 -
261433 -  ..
2615 -
2616 - 1148 Discussion with Tom Benero
2617 -
261701 - Tom said he has not had a chance to read the notes and prepare any
261702 - edits. He asked me to meet tomorrow morning on it.
261704 -  ..
261705 - Tom also mentioned the concern raised by Monti, above, about
261706 - information in the notes that was part of separate meetings.  We
261707 - recalled briefly the transmittal submitting the draft explaining the
261708 - content of the notes and requesting Tom's guidance.  Tomorrow we can
261709 - focus on this matter to complete the notes.
261710 -
261711 -
261713 -  ..
2618 -
2619 -
2620 - 1236
2621 -
262101 - Stopped by Marcus' cubical which is across from Monti Jaggers.
262102 -
262103 - Marcus submitted some language he feels should be considered for
262103 - avoiding erroneous impressions by the Contractor on the use of the
262103 - word "considerations," per the discussion on 961015. ref SDS 18 T48L
262106 -
262107 -
262108 -
262109 -
262110 -
2622 -

SUBJECTS
Corps of Engineers, SFD, Oakland Project
Weekly Progress Meeting, 961015

2804 -
2805 - 2120 received call from Tom White
280601 -  ..
280602 - He had following edits conveyed by phone:
280603 -
280604 -    Line 080509, Tom advised Antone has been out of service to prepare
280605 -    for christening ceremony on 961023.  I made this change.
280606 -
280607 -    Line 080516, Tom felt the langauge required better clarity.  I
280608 -    tried to do this.
280610 -     ..
280611 -    Line 100507, Tom wants to refer to the document he issued for prior
280612 -    weekly progress meetings as "minutes," instead of "notes." I made
280613 -    that change.
280615 -     ..
280616 -    Line 220528, Tom suggests accounting for existing survey results
280617 -    with respect to applying contract provisions to extend the
280618 -    contract.  I modified this to reflect that changes in contract
280619 -    duration must eminate from notification by contractor of need for
280620 -    and entitlement to additional time and be supported by properly
280621 -    supported schedule, ref SDS 24 line 297.
280622 -    ..
280623 -    Line 240413, Tom says the production reports are generated
280624 -    more often than once a week, and come from the contractor's daily
280625 -    QC reports.  I will change this to simply say production reports,
280626 -    ref SDS 24 line 321.
280628 -     ..
280629 -    Line 280721, Tom says the debris removal operation will not use two
280630 -    scows.  Scows are for dredging only.  He expects Dutra will use a
280631 -    flat barge for the debris.  I changed this to also reflect
280632 -    discussion today about contract spec section 02480 para 9, ref OF 9
280633 -    line 1098, per ref SDS 24 line 373.
280635 -     ..
280636 -    Line 330403, Tom said he thinks the problem of egress from the
280637 -    Alameda Ferry Terminal on the night shift has been solved, but he
280638 -    is unsure.  We decided to leave this in the notes, as is, and
280639 -    address it at the next meeting, ref SDS 24 line 565.
280640 -    ..
280641 -    Line 370703, Tom said Al's last name is "Bennitt" which had a
280642 -    blank in the notes, ref SDS 24 line 585.
280644 -     ..
280645 -    Line 420509, he feels we should just say "windy" conditions cause
280646 -    skewed test readings, rather than excessively windy.  I changed it
280647 -    to "high wind" to avoid an argument with testing folks who would
280648 -    resist not being able to test under low wind conditions.
280649 -
280650 -
280652 -  ..
2807 -
2808 -
2809 - 2204 Tom Keesling's Edits
2810 -
281001 - Incorporated the contract citations developed in discussion with Tom
281002 - Keesling today in the meeting on coordinating the RFP, ref SDS 28 line
281003 - 115.
281004 -
281005 -
281006 -
281007 -
281008 -
281009 -
281010 -
2811 -