The legacy of a capital-project leader is not simply the facility that gets built.

It is the standard that leader establishes for transparency, accountability and decision-making.

Real leadership recognizes when the old way is no longer good enough—and has the courage to implement something better.

A documented example from Mountain Home Air Force Base

On May 2, 2021, Kevin King, then serving as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Project Manager for the Defense Health Agency Medical Modernization Program, documented his experience with MySmartPlans on a $24 million design-build and initial-outfitting renovation at Mountain Home Air Force Base.

At the time of his statement, the project was approaching the end of Phase 2 of 3 and remained on schedule and under budget.

King wrote that MySmartPlans’ performance had “exceeded expectations.” He explained that the service did more than manage project documents.

Visibility changed the project

An Administrative Contracting Officer requested an unannounced government site visit because the project was reportedly running so smoothly. The visiting team included representatives from USACE and the Defense Health Agency.

According to King, the team found only a few minor issues and largely walked the project saying “wow” and “thank you.”

He credited the resident contracting representative, USACE quality assurance, facility personnel, Defense Health Agency representatives and the contractor team. He also identified another important contributor:

“MSP has created visibility where there has not been in the past.”

Governance created accountability

King documented that MySmartPlans audited, organized and presented project information in one location. In his assessment, that visibility saved the project time and money and helped hold the contractor accountable.

He provided specific examples. MySmartPlans participated in Project Delivery Team meetings and reviewed minutes before posting them, allowing incorrect or omitted information to be identified. MySmartPlans also managed supplemental-information review sessions and contacted the government project manager before simply following a contractor request to reopen a comment period.

This is what independent project-information governance looks like in practice. It is not passive document storage. It is the continuous work of ensuring that the project record reflects what actually happened.

Leadership makes transparency permanent

King carefully noted that the project was still underway and that success should be credited across the project team. Within that context, he stated that he believed MySmartPlans was one of the primary contributors to the project’s ongoing success.

That qualification matters. Credible project leadership does not make exaggerated promises. It observes the evidence, acknowledges the entire team and implements the controls that allow performance to be verified.

Technology will change. Contractors and project staff will leave. The facility will remain.

So will the governed record—and the legacy of the leaders who insisted on building a better way.

Leadership sees the better way. Governance makes it permanent.

Own the information. Know the facts. Build—but verify.

Explore Independent Information Governance for USACE Projects

Source: Written project testimony from Kevin King, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, dated May 2, 2021. Titles and project status reflect the date of the statement. MySmartPlans is an independent company; this article does not imply endorsement by USACE, the Department of Defense or any federal agency.