Job Order Contracting Helps Konawaena High School Complete Overdue Replacements

Challenge: A Much Needed Fix Stuck in Backlog

The Big Island of Hawaii can experience harsh weather, even acid rain caused by volcanic activity. The gymnasium at Konawaena High School, home to the winning Wildcats basketball team and named after astronaut and alumni Ellison Onizuka, is located on the Kona side of the island. The gym had suffered damage from acid rains, especially its gutters and downspouts. Over the years, rain that ran off the standing seam roof of the gymnasium created holes in the existing copper gutters and downspouts, allowing water to pour off the roof onto a beautiful mural and the perimeter of the building.

The replacement of the gutters and the partial replacement of the downspouts made the list of work the Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) needed to address. But with a large backlog, the project sat for nearly a decade while the failing gutters and downspouts remained in place. With anticipation of a new mural being installed, the gutters and downspouts needed to be replaced in collaboration with the school schedule and other enhancement projects already underway.

Solution: Beating the Backlog with Job Order Contracting

HIDOE officials turned to their new Job Order Contracting (JOC) program and locally awarded contractor Heartwood Pacific, LLC to quickly procure this aging project. Job Order Contracting dramatically reduces the construction procurement timeline by putting one competitively-bid contract in place for multiple projects. This process provides project owners with immediate access to qualified, awarded contractors, allowing work to begin much faster than traditional delivery methods. HIDOE wanted to complete the project during spring break, but since the JOC contracts were awarded in mid-January, the timeline was tight.

After eight years of sitting in backlog, the entire procurement process for this project took just 36 days from Joint Scope Meeting to Purchase Order.

Result: A Revitalized Roof in Record Time

The Joint Scope Meeting took place on January 28, and work included the removal of the existing damaged copper gutters and the upper portion of copper downspouts, the installation of new stainless steel gutters and the replacement of the upper portion of downspouts with PVC. The entire procurement process took just 36 days from Joint Scope Meeting to Purchase Order, and Heartwood Pacific, LLC completed the project the first week of April.

After eight years of sitting in backlog, the necessary repairs were finally completed. Students returned from break to new gutters on the gymnasium, clearing the way for work on the new mural to begin. With a beautiful mural framed by the new, shiny green gutters, the gymnasium is once again honorable of its dedicated name and the students that walk through its doors.