Introduction

Guide Overview

This Guide for Design-Build Procurement is intended to assist state transportation agencies in procuring design-build projects, including preparing requests for qualifications (RFQ) and requests for proposals (RFP) and selecting the successful proposer. Design-build procedures are rapidly evolving concurrently within individual states. Between 1990 and 2002, approximately 300 projects representing $14 billion were proposed using designbuild contracting under the Federal Highway Administration's Special Experimental Project No. 14 (SEP-14) by state and local transportation agencies in 31 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands. A survey of State DOTs in late-2007 revealed that over 700 design-build projects have been proposed, are active, or have been completed, and the number of state agencies participating in design-build delivery has increased to 39 (see Figure 1.1). Four of these states—Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas—have experience with 75 or more projects.

This Guide is based on best practices from experienced state transportation agencies and other public sector agencies. This Guide is intended to be flexible for varying project types, sizes, and procurement requirements. Finally, this Guide promotes a common design-build "vocabulary" for better dissemination of lessons learned and incorporation of continuous improvement.

It is important to note that this Guide is not intended to be a "procedures" manual. While a procedures manual provides a step-by-step process, this Guide supplies an overarching description of the strategies and methods for successful design-build implementation. Each state has its own laws and regulations that vary significantly between agencies in their execution of design-build. Therefore, this Guide is generically written for broad application, but it also offers specific examples of agency practices to assist with process implementation. While this Guide focuses on those transportation agencies that have less experience with design-build procurement, it also provides details on selected critical topics so it can be a valuable supplement to experienced agencies as well.

an overview of this Guide's approach to writing a successful design-build RFP and forms the basis for this Guide. While the four step approach of defining project goals, allocating risk, planning the evaluation, and writing the contract documents may seem overly simple, these four elements, and the order in which they are performed, are critical to project success. Transportation agencies must not overlook or improperly communicate these critical concepts when procuring design-build contracts. Following these four steps will 1) align the agency's team while writing the procurement and contract document, 2) align the design-builder's team with the end customer's needs when proposing on and performing the work, and 3) provide the most efficient use of both the agency's and the design-builder's resources.

This Guide is intended to be used as a reference when developing design-build project RFQs and RFPs. It also may be used as a reference for developing agency design-build manuals or establishing design-build policy. Chapters 1 through 4 will be helpful for all agency team members as an introduction to design-build. Chapters 5 through 7 and the Appendixes will be most helpful for those team members developing the design-build contract.

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