and estimator who has a good working knowledge of the trade should be able to develop good labor estimates using these standards.

TRAINING

The Department of Defense has designed a training aid to the EPS system called the Work Estimating Desk Guide for Real Property Maintenance Activities Planners and Estimators. This manual emphasizes the use and application of the Engineered Performance Standards. Any supervisor stationed at a Public Works Center (PWC) or Public Works Department (PWD) should go through this course using this manual as a reference.

ADVANTAGES OF EPS

Engineered Performance Standards are designed specifically for facilities maintenance type work through the observation of maintenance workers at work. The work is measured through the use of proven industrial engineering techniques, such as Methods-Time Measurement (MTM), work sampling, and time studies. They are designed to relate a given amount of work to the labor hours needed to accomplish the work.

EPS estimates are based on the labor hours needed to do a specified amount of work under normal conditions. When EPS is properly applied under those normal conditions, the craft time should be valid at any work site in any geographical location.

EPS is the only facilities maintenance work estimating source that provides consistent measures of maintenance work productivity. As a benchmark, EPS provides a means of measuring productivity. The variance between EPS estimates and the actual labor time can be evaluated to identify work process problems impeding both the productivity of the work force and the quality of the work output.

Facilities maintenance work does not lend itself to having pinpoint accuracy for any particular single job or task. Rather, the accuracy of EPS based estimates increases as the size of the job increases and the effect of averaging levels the variables stated in the EPS definition: normal pace, capable supervision, normal delays, and acceptable trade methods.

Engineered Performance Standards are developed and consistently applied so that plainer/estimators can estimate a greater variety of jobs with increased accuracy in less time and with less formal data than using conventional data. All EPS data is applied in the same way.

PLANNING AND ESTIMATING

The planner and estimator holds the key position in the Shore Facilities Maintenance System. This person or these persons are responsible for planning technical jobs and estimating the number of man-hours needed to complete the maintenance work.

The estimator defines the scope of a project by specifying the work to be accomplished and the skills required. To help the estimator in this job, the Navy has developed

Engineered Performance Standards (EPSs). The EPSs give estimates of the time needed to complete the particular craft phases of a job. You will find a complete description of EPSs in the NAVFAC P-700 series. Since these standards save time and usually provide more reliable estimates than individual judgment, the estimators should use them. When an engineered design is needed, the Engineering Branch provides it to the estimator. Two types of estimates are used and each conforms to a particular need.

Scoping Estimate

Typically, the scoping estimate helps management to get an estimate of job costs before assigning a job priority. The formal planning and estimating process can provide this, but only at significant expense. Since a ball park estimate is normally adequate, NAVFAC has encouraged the use of the scoping estimate as a rough, quick estimate of costs. The scoping estimate is particularly useful when you deal with reimbursable customers. You can inform them of the approximate job costs and ask if they want to go on with the work Unit Price Standards, NAVFAC P-716.0, should be used when preparing scoping estimates.

Final Estimate

Do not authorize a final estimate until the job is approved. This type of estimate shows all the work operations listed on the job plan and considers the analysis of work operations in detail. The final estimate should be the most accurate forecast possible of the costs, the man-hours, and the material requirements for a given job. Make every effort to provide a final estimate within a reasonable time.

After planning and estimating the job, formalize it as a job order by assigning a job order number and completing the accounting data. The job is ready for