Engaging a DB Consultant for Design-Build Projects - Design-Build for Water and Wastewater Projects - page 123

10
Engaging a DB Consultant
for Design-Build Projects
Neil V. Callahan, SAIC Energy, Environment and Infrastructure
INTRODUCTION
A DB consultant, who may also be referred to as an owner's representative or owner's con-
sultant or criteria consultant (DBIA, 2001; DBIA 2010), is a company that owners can hire
to assist with the owner's responsibilities for DB projects. The extent to which an owner
needs assistance from a DB consultant to plan, procure, and implement a DB project is
largely a function of the owner staff's experience with DB and time available to implement
the project, as well as the project's complexity and criticality (WDBC 2010).
This chapter describes the aspects of DB projects that might cause an owner to
employ a DB consultant. The services of DB consultants (e.g., assistance with procure-
ment document preparation, design-builder selection, and design/construction oversight)
are also discussed. The skills needed on the owner's project team are also presented. Rec-
ommendations for how to select a DB consultant are also provided.
In this chapter and throughout the topic, the firm that is hired to assist owners with
best-value selection or fixed-price DB projects is referred to as the DB consultant . In most
cases, the main tasks for the DB consultant are related to project planning and prepara-
tion for procurement of a design-builder, although the work scope for a DB consultant can
also include other services, which are discussed in this chapter. Progressive DB, which is
described in chapter 7, has means and methods that are distinctly different from those of
best-value selection or fixed-price DB project delivery; thus, for owners who use progres-
sive DB, the role of a DB consultant will be different. Generally, an owner will employ a
DB consultant to evaluate the benefits of a progressive DB versus other project delivery
methods and for assistance in developing the design-builder qualifications that will be
evaluated for selection. If the owner proceeds with progressive DB, the owner's need for
the additional services of a DB consultant may be limited.
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