Photo By Avery Schneider | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District Chief of Construction Contracting...... read more read more
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of contractors getting their construction quality management certification from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District has skyrocketed.
A simple change expanded the way the certification course has been offered in the last five years, leading to hundreds more contractors being educated on USACE policies and procedures – a tool they use to successfully deliver high-quality projects alongside the agency’s team members.
“We succeed more when a good contractor does the upfront planning,” said Katie Lewis, chief of the Buffalo District’s Construction Contracting Administration Office.
That planning extends beyond figuring out how to repair a breakwater, remediate a contaminated site, or restore an ecosystem – just some of the types of work the Corps of Engineers contracts out. It includes identifying the right person to ensure a quality project is done on time, within budget, safely, and according to plan.
That’s where the Construction Quality Management for Contractors course comes in.
--What’s taught in the course?--
CQM-C is a contractual requirement. In cooperation with the construction industry, the Corps of Engineers developed the course to teach contractors how their efforts, combined with the Corps of Engineers’ efforts, can achieve quality work that meets plans and specifications.
Contractors learn about the relationship between their quality control team and the Corps of Engineers’ quality assurance representatives, as well as the importance of communication.
“It’s a two-way street, and that’s what I emphasize in the class,” said Lewis.
Contractors are also taught to implement a three-phase control system and use Resident Management System 3.0, a quality management and contract administration program designed by Resident Engineers for planning, scheduling, and controlling all aspects of construction.
--Why its required--
Corps of Engineers construction contract specifications require quality to be overseen by a CQM-C-certified Quality Control System Manager. But the system manager can’t be just anyone.
“They need to have certain requirements to be in charge. They need to have designation from their company that they have that role. The type of project may dictate what their area of expertise should be,” said Lewis.
A structural engineer might be the system manager for a vertical construction project. Someone with an environmental background might be chosen for an environmental remediation project.
Expertise in the field will help them understand the true nature of the project, Lewis explained. And a project’s contract may specify how many years the system manager must have worked in their role or an equivalent field.
--Switching settings--
For more than 15 years, the Buffalo District has offered the CQM-C course.
From 2010 to 2019, the district taught an average of two classes per year, certifying an average of 24 students annually.
Then the pandemic forced a pause on classes for 2020.
“COVID was the catalyst that sparked moving the course from in-person to virtual learning,” said Lewis.
Her colleagues re-grouped and moved the course online in 2021.
“We had the flexibility of teaching it in the format we wanted,” said Lewis.
Year-after-year, the number of classes grew and so did the number of students.
In just four years, the district certified 299 contractors.
Lewis took over as the course’s primary teacher in 2024, with three other instructors available to assist. Historically, classes were scheduled when a certain amount of contractors reached out to express interest.
But in 2025, the district’s higher headquarters requested class dates be better advertised. Now dates are set first, and contractors can request seats in the scheduled course.
“That’s when I really saw an uptick,” said Lewis.
2024’s record was 110 certifications. By the end of fiscal year 2025, Lewis expects to certify 175.
Altogether, the number of contractors certified in the five years since 2021 will have doubled compared to the entire decade before.
--Virtual learning advantages--
The course is taught over two full days. When it was offered in-person, that meant more coordination for the Buffalo District and more barriers for contractors.
The class took up workspace at the district’s office, required physical materials, and pulled instructors like Lewis away from regular duties. And while the course was free to contractors, it came with the cost of transportation and hotels, as well as the time to travel to and from Buffalo.
In the virtual environment, Lewis can provide digital materials and teach in a video call rather than a conference room. She can also be available to her contracting administration team on breaks from instructing. Contractors only need a computer or mobile device to participate in the training and can join from wherever they are based, cutting down on the time they spend away from projects and the cost to their companies.
Those factors, along with word of mouth, are why attendance has skyrocketed.
“I’ve been getting calls from all over,” said Lewis.
Companies from coast to coast and around the world, including Maryland, Texas, California, Guam, and Japan, have had employees join Lewis’ class online. Students from the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy’s Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command have also joined.
--A broad resource--
Boosting the number of CQM-C-certified contractors in and outside of the Buffalo District’s 38,000 square mile area of responsibility makes the district a broader resource than ever before.
“It’s nice to help out the Corps of Engineers as a whole that way,” said Lewis.
For contracting companies, more certifications mean the potential for more work and the ability to delegate job site responsibilities.
“Someone in the upper level of the company would have to do it,” explained Lewis. “They don’t have the time.”
The certification is good for five years, so in addition to being an extremely valuable tool, it’s time well-invested for a long-term return.
As virtual classes continue, Lewis and the Buffalo District are looking for ways to make them even more efficient – from simpler sign-up processes to more streamlined testing.
New classes are being scheduled for the fall, and course dates will be posted online at www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Missions/Programs/Article/3660937/construction-quality-management/.
| Date Taken: | 07.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.03.2025 14:57 |
| Story ID: | 513565 |
| Location: | BUFFALO, NEW YORK, US |
| Hometown: | LOCKPORT, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 2 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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