Scattered email trails. Unnecessary costs. Gaps within project timelines. All are common workplace occurrences that tend to keep a project from advancing efficiently. Change begins when team members realize something within a process is not working. This type of friction can happen repeatedly, creating enough of a pause to ask - why do we do things this way? Occasionally, that pause prompts someone to find a better way to smooth over the wrinkle.
The Blueprint to Better competition is designed to encourage that choice.
Launched for the first time at the Sacramento District in May 2026, the Blueprint to Better competition rolled out via digital flyer and internal communications in which all team members were invited to propose practical and implementable solutions that could improve the way the District operates. Submissions rolled in. Team members were prompted to prepare and present their ideas to the District’s Executive Leadership Council, in the same way competitors present to the ‘Sharks’ in the popular television show Shark Tank. Participants had one month to develop, prepare and submit their proposals, with the top three submissions in each of the two competition categories receiving recognition: “Efficiency” and “AI Use”
Without counting the Executive and administrative offices, the District supports a massive regional footprint to match its more than $1.1 billion dollar portfolio for the 2026 fiscal year. Within the District are eight major operational divisions, each made up of numerous branches, sections, project offices and field offices responsible for delivering diverse missions across the region.
Team members shared ideas for improvement directly with District leadership from various sections, allowing the District to build momentum from within. Some collaborated with colleagues to submit ideas as teams, broadening participation and building traction around the possibility of new approaches.
The ideas submitted through Blueprint to Better demonstrate what can happen when employees are encouraged to question familiar processes and imagine what could work better.
The Financial and Accounting team, consisting of Malik Hill, Michael Trotter, Renee Miller and Ethan Makin, identified an opportunity to improve access to financial system support through their “CEFMS Fidget Proposal,” leveraging Army Vantage’s vast information network to provide more immediate, around-the-clock assistance while freeing financial experts to refocus on higher-value work.
“Your idea, no matter how small it seems, could be the key to unraveling a larger institutional issue or sparking a significant positive change,” said Makin.
Thomas Wright, a project manager with the PPMD Acquisition Support Team, identified an opportunity to streamline source selection boards by enabling specific personnel to lead proposal reviews, potentially improving resource use, reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
“Speak up, don’t assume an idea isn’t worth sharing,” said Wright.
Danielle Meaux Burks, an engineering technician with the Construction Division, identified an opportunity to use ‘Responsible AI’ to streamline construction delivery, reducing time spent researching large documents and analyzing issues and allowing teams to refocus on other aspects of their work.
“I almost didn’t enter because what I was doing didn’t feel like something huge,” said Meaux Burks.
Within PPMD, Brett James Parks, a budget analyst, identified an opportunity to streamline Corps of Engineers Financial Management System (CEFMS) invoice submissions through direct uploads, reducing system switching and file transfers while accelerating vendor reimbursement.
“If you see a way to make our work better or more efficient, your voice matters,” said Parks.
Anh Nguyen, a program management specialist, identified an opportunity to reduce project milestone bottlenecks through a single workflow for requests, tracking and status visibility. “At a minimum, it starts a conversation - even if it doesn’t get implemented, it helps the organization think differently about how we work,” said Nguyen.
Dan Killip, a program manager with the PPMD Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO) Program, identified an opportunity to use AI to support Source Selection Evaluation Board (SSEB) evaluations, with the potential to save thousands of hours for senior project delivery team members.
“Every idea has the potential to be a good one, and only through validation with those that will be impacted by this idea will you know whether or not it’s worthwhile - so speak up!” said Killip.
The Blueprint to Better competition arrives as the Sacramento District navigates broader organizational transformation, including the enterprise-level implementation of “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” (BINP), an Army Civil Works effort focused on improving how USACE delivers its mission.
Nearly a century into its history, the Sacramento District continues to evolve, with employees identifying opportunities to improve, streamline and rethink how the organization works.
With the next Blueprint to Better competition already on the horizon, the District is continuing to build momentum, one idea at a time.