The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overhauling its long-running value engineering program, moving it from a standalone function and weaving it directly into everyday project delivery workflows. Critics caution this shift could heighten the risk of wasteful spending, budget overruns, and delays.
According to USACE, the transition is already in progress, with full implementation targeted by September 30.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not dissolving, eliminating, or scaling back our dedication to value engineering. On the contrary, we are elevating and modernizing it by transforming it from a separate, parallel compliance effort into a built-in, fully integrated capability within our standard project delivery business processes,” the Army Corps of Engineers public affairs office stated in an interview with Federal News Network.
“Value engineering has a strong track record and is deeply embedded in how USACE delivers complex engineering solutions. Given this level of organizational maturity, we are incorporating these proven cost-and-function optimization methods directly into the daily routines of our project delivery teams and standard design reviews. This strategic change ensures USACE continues to fulfill the requirements of federal law under 41 U.S. Code § 1711, while cutting redundant administrative steps to efficiently deliver high-quality projects on time and within budget,” the office added.
Robert Stewart, immediate past president of SAVE International, noted that while the Corps publicly recognizes the value of value engineering, its decision to reassign the staff who managed the program sends a conflicting message.
Although the Corps insists the program is being restructured and modernized rather than eliminated, SAVE International—a professional organization dedicated to value methodology and value engineering—is calling on Army leadership to reverse the decision and reinstate the program’s dedicated organizational structure by July 1.
Value engineering is not simply about slashing costs. It is a systematic approach designed to enhance project outcomes by lowering lifecycle expenses, speeding up delivery schedules, and reducing risks and uncertainties—a discipline that demands specialized training and know-how. Since its launch, the Corps’ value engineering program has documented more than $24 billion in accepted cost savings.
“It’s proven, it has a long history of success, and it’s one of the most effective tools available to ensure taxpayer dollars are used wisely. I’m truly puzzled by this decision, especially given the ongoing efforts to make the process more efficient and streamlined. I believe senior leadership was aware of these initiatives, so this move caught many people off guard,” Stewart said.
Stewart explained that the decision to end the value engineering program in its current form was made around June 1, but the employees responsible for running it were only informed days later and told they would be reassigned starting July 1.
“From what I understand, those reassignments were expected to focus more on traditional project delivery, project engineering, and project management roles. There was no explanation from anyone about how value engineering would actually be incorporated into their project delivery workflows,” Stewart said. “It seemed like there was no clear plan for how the Corps would carry out its value engineering mission going forward. I think that’s still uncertain. Nobody really knows how this will work in practice, but I found it very surprising that the decision was made to eliminate all of those specialized positions.”
Workforce Changes
USACE emphasized that no technical capabilities are being lost and that “standalone, administratively isolated value engineering office roles are being transitioned into essential district- and project-level positions.”
“Our highly skilled, specialized VE workforce—primarily 0800-series technical subject matter experts—is being actively retained and placed into critical project delivery, engineering, and centers of expertise roles across USACE districts and major subordinate commands,” the Army Corps of Engineers public affairs office said.
“All core value engineering functions will continue, including life-cycle cost analysis, function analysis, and project cost/benefit optimization. Instead of being conducted as separate, external VE workshops, these analyses will now take place naturally during standard project design charrettes and planning phases. The external, contractor-driven value engineering change proposal process governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation remains unchanged,” the office added.
Stewart said it remains unclear how value engineering will be practically integrated into project delivery, even though the Corps had begun exploring integration methods prior to the reorganization.
Formal Analysis
When asked whether USACE performed a formal analysis before making the change, the agency responded that it had determined value engineering had become sufficiently embedded across the organization to no longer need a separate structure.
“We believe the VE Program has been instrumental in optimizing our project delivery, enhancing safety, and managing lifecycle costs. The next logical step in our organizational evolution is to stop treating it as a separate, parallel process. To implement this change, VE responsibilities will be distributed across other areas of expertise throughout the USACE enterprise,” the public affairs office said.
Incorporating value engineering into routine project delivery is not a new concept—it has been practiced for years in other organizations, and the Corps had recently begun identifying specific ways to do so. However, embedding value engineering into everyday workflows does not remove the need for dedicated specialists.
“The concern comes down to specialized knowledge and expertise. This isn’t a typical engineering task. It’s a process that requires people to think differently, and that takes training and experience. It simply doesn’t make sense to discard that and assume people will be able to handle it as part of their regular duties,” Stewart said.
If you would like to contact this reporter about recent changes in the federal government, please email anastasia.obis@federalnewsnetwork.com or reach out on Signal at (301) 830-2747.
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