NEW ORLEANS, LA- The Hurricane Protection Office is hosting an “Industry Forum” to explore the potential use of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) also known as Construction Management at Risk (CM@R). The forum will be held on October 21, 2008, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in District Assembly Room “A” at the New Orleans District headquarters, 7400 Leake Ave., New Orleans, LA. The Industry Forum will be informational in nature, with a briefing by Corps personnel followed by an opportunity to ask questions.

The ECI Forum is free, but R.S.V.P. is required. Interested parties must respond by identifying the represented company and name(s) of individuals, and respective telephone numbers of those planning to attend. Responses should be directed to Mr. Adam Jones via e-mail: adam.jones@usace.army.mil or telephone (504)862-1839 no later than 12:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time on October 17, 2008.

The purpose of this forum is to inform interested parties including potential offerors, end users, government acquisition and supporting personnel, and others about the ECI contracting methodology and potential project uses. A Sources Sought has been posted on FedBizOpps and the Corps is conducting market research to improve the understanding of government requirements and industry capabilities, thereby enhancing the Government’s ability to procure services using this contracting method.