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This handbook provides policy and procedures for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFACENGCOM) guide specification program and gives guidance to specification writers for preparing Naval Facilities Guide Specifications (NFGS).

This military handbook supersedes MIL-HDBK-1006/2, Policy and Procedures for Guide Specification Preparation of 31 January 1989.

NAVFACENGCOM is the designated design agency for the construction of Navy and Marine Corps shore facilities and is also responsible for the same functions for selected Air Force facilities. A list of NAVFACENGCOM criteria, including guide specifications, is contained in Military Bulletin 34 (MIL-BUL-34), Engineering and Design Criteria for Navy Facilities.

Guide specifications are manuscripts which are prepared for editing and incorporation into the contract documents of a specific construction project. A guide specification describes products and materials needed for construction projects. A guide specification facilitates the preparation of project specifications by standardizing products and processes and their order of presentation, allowing editing to adapt the guide specification to specific project requirements. A guide specification describes in detail:

a) The product or system to be provided;

b) The salient design features or performance requirements of the product or system;

c) The quality of that product or system;

d) The methods used to ensure the quality, including on-site and off-site testing;

e) The method used to incorporate the product or system into the project; and

f) Other features and activities necessary to satisfy project requirements.

NAVFACENGCOM has developed over 300 guide specifications for use in the construction of shore facilities. The goals of the NAVFACENGCOM Guide Specification program are:

a) To include all the specification sections needed for the majority of Navy construction;

b) To standardize the acquisition of facilities by offering specification sections which can be used as a basis for all construction projects;

c) To ensure the use of materials and methods which meet the essential needs of the Government at the lowest life-cycle cost;

d) To maintain a guide specification library in which each document is considered a "living document," reflecting the latest appropriate technology available in the marketplace.

e) To reflect an ever increasing quality and consistency in applying NFGS policy and format, to facilitate consistent and problem-free project specifications.

f) To implement and comply with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Part 10, and the Defense Standardization and Specification Program (DSSP), as applicable for facilities construction, including the application of commercial practice as promulgated by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI).

NAVFACENGCOM uses a specifications format and processing system called "SPECSINTACT," an acronym for "Specifications-Kept-Intact." SPECSINTACT is a part of the Construction Criteria Base (CCB) - a compact disc with a read-only memory (CD-ROM) published quarterly. The CCB also contains the text of the guide specifications, the reference specifications cited in them, and other criteria related to facilities construction. Prepare and revise NAVFAC Guide Specifications using SPECSINTACT.

Specifications establish the quality of materials and workmanship, the methods of installation, the equipment functions, and the testing required for the product. Drawings indicate the dimensions of construction, the relationship of materials, the quantities, and the location and capacity of equipment. Many of the claims made against the Government result from inconsistencies or ambiguities between specifications and drawings and, in some cases, within each of them. Since project drawings and specifications must be thoroughly coordinated, the author of a guide specification must consider the appropriate role of the drawings and specifications to confirm that:

a) Everything which will be appropriately shown on the drawings is specified properly in the specifications.

b) Those requirements not appropriately shown on the drawings, but necessary to complete the work, are specified.

c) Potential conflicts between the requirements of the drawings and the specifications are anticipated and minimized.

d) Information normally shown on the drawings is not specified, but is listed in the "drawings include" note.

Do not include in a guide specification information which normally is shown on the drawings. In questionable situations, include Criteria Notes, as needed, to warn that a conflict could occur if the drawings are not prepared properly. Drawings depict:

a) The architectural and engineering design;

b) The plans, elevations, details, and essential dimensions;

c) The designation of each portion by title or symbol to allow referencing;

d) The extent of the various materials by symbols or other means;

e) Notes giving the basic design data, assumed loads, allowable stresses, design references, and requirements; and

f) The quantity and limits of work.

The specification provides information governing:

a) The product or system to be provided;

b) The salient design features or performance requirements of the product or system;

c) The quality of that product or system;

d) The methods used to ensure the quality, including on-site and off-site testing;

e) The method to be used to incorporate the product or system into the project; and

f) Other features and activities necessary to satisfy project requirements.