Developing a Project Technical Criteria Document - Design-Build for Water and Wastewater Projects - page 171

waived to allow for innovation and likely cost savings? This is an important consideration,
because if alternative bids are accepted, each of the proposers should be designing and
ultimately proposing their alternative to meet identical criteria, so that the evaluation of
alternative bids is straightforward and fair.
If a performance-based approach is taken, proposers have the flexibility to develop
one or more bids, and the evaluation of those is based on meeting the performance criteria
(as well as any other criteria that the owner wants to include).
The owner's tolerance for risk and how risk will be allocated will also impact what
is included in the technical criteria document. There are instances of performance guar-
antees not compatible with prescribed technical criteria—why would a proposer take the
risk for a design element that they did not select? For example, if the owner specifies a
certain filter media or process for treating a water with iron and manganese yet requires
the design-builder to guarantee a finished water iron and manganese concentration, bid-
ders may not be comfortable with that risk, which could result in them not submitting a
proposal or adding cost to account for the risk.
Performance guarantees align well with the performance technical criteria approach.
The design-builder selects the technology or equipment to meet the performance guaran-
tees, and this helps to minimize risks associated with meeting those guarantees.
SUMMARY
The technical criteria document for a DB project outlines the technical requirements for
the project, and this typically is issued with the RFP for the project. The extent of the
technical detail and criteria for a project varies: some owners prefer to develop detailed,
or prescriptive, technical criteria whereas others set boundary criteria and let the design-
builders develop the design to meet those criteria. Owners that develop extensive design
criteria (e.g., specifying pump manufacturers and model numbers, pipe diameters, and
equipment manufacturers) should recognize that time spent on writing and reviewing this
document could delay the release of the RFP to proposers and the date that the price for
the project is known (if using a best-value bid, or an open-book GMP development in a
qualifications-based selection project). If the completion date for the project is a priority,
a less prescriptive technical criteria document may be more beneficial.
By carefully evaluating the information in the technical criteria document, owners
can tailor the risk allocation and responses they get from proposers. Thorough project
information helps proposers plan and define risks. The design criteria establish the frame-
work for the response from the proposers. The performance guarantees indicate the own-
er's expectations of performance as well as risk allocation for the project.
REFERENCES
Canney, S. 2006. Perspective on Performance Guarantees. Design-Build Dateline. Wash-
ington, D.C.: Design-Build Institute of America.
Leligdon, D., and S. Canney. 2010. Seven Key Elements to Performance Guarantees. In
Proceedings of the Design-Build Institute of America's Water/Wastewater Conference. Dal-
las, Tex. April 19-21. Washington, D.C.: Design-Build Institute of America.