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HomeAbout DLANewsNews Article View

# Disposition Services Contracting Officer receives DLA award

By Kelly BurellDLA Disposition Services

                BATTLE CREEK, Mich.  –              
Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Contracting Officer Annette Graham was presented with the Excellence in Acquisition award during DLA’s 55th Annual Employee Recognition Awards Program Jan. 26 at its Fort Belvoir, Virginia, headquarters. 

                Disposition Services Contracting Officer receives DLA award                            Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Contracting Officer Annette Graham was presented with the Excellence in Acquisition award during DLA’s 55th Annual Employee Recognition Awards Program Jan. 26 at its Fort Belvoir, Virginia, headquarters.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Jace ArmstrongVIRIN: 230228-D-D0441-405Graham was recognized for her innovation in an international hazardous waste disposal contract that resulted in a successful contract agreement.

After solicitation failed for hazardous waste located at U.S. military sites in Turkey, Graham realized the contract needed a new approach. 

Shortly after the contract was reassigned to her, Graham identified a challenge that prevented Turkish companies from bidding on the contract. They did not understand the terms within the contract due to the language divide.     “A language barrier was identified in the process after soliciting a long-term contract and having it fail,” Graham said. “It was actually one of many problems working in the region, but the language barrier and Turkish internet limitations pushed me to think out of the box.”

DLA Disposition Services has sites in 14 countries and provides reverse logistics support to customers around the world. Assisting international customers and vendors is a common occurrence for employees like Graham. 

She researched different types of contracts and determined a multiple-award blanket purchase agreement would allow her to work with potential offerors. She held virtual pre-proposal conference via Zoom that included interested Turkish vendors and translators - to mitigate the language challenge. 

“The CORs [Contracting Officer Representatives] provided the translation help at the meeting and were instrumental in helping me understand the interested vendor’s issues,” she said. 

Additionally, she assisted Turkish companies with a requirement hurdle by explaining how to register in the System for Award Management. 

Graham’s innovation helped the failed solicitation overcome challenges and her diligent work resulted in an award to three separate contractors that met the warfighter’s mission needs in the region. 

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