Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
14
The Request for Qualifications:
Attracting and Selecting the
Best Qualified Design-Builder
John A. Giachino, Synagro Technologies Inc.and
Oscar A. Khoury, PE, DBIA, Riverside Public Utilities, Calif.
INTRODUCTION
The selection processes used today by owners for their DB projects include either (1) a
one-step process (as for qualifications-based selection [QBS] or “negotiated” as referred
to in the
Design-Build Manual of Practice
, DBIA 2008); or (2) a two-step process or “com-
petitive” according to the DBIA (2008), where a specified number of qualified firms are
short-listed and invited to submit technical and price proposals (as for price-based selec-
tion, which can be a low bid or best-value selection [BVS]). In a “negotiated” process,
program and project definition, technical criteria, budget, and schedule requirements are
developed by the design-builder selected by the owner at the outset. In the “competitive”
process, design criteria are generally developed by the owner or its consultant and an RFP
is developed and issued to several design-builders (DBIA 2008).
In both approaches, a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) document is issued by the
owner to gather information about the proposing teams so that a selection can be made
(either as a final selection in a QBS approach or to short-list teams in a two-step approach).
Proposers respond to an RFQ with a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) document that
addresses all of the information that was requested in the RFQ.
The RFQ step in procuring or selecting a DB team is a critical component for any
procurement approach. How it is written, how it is structured, and what it includes or
excludes impacts how the proposers will respond. RFQs and SOQs represent a consid-
erable amount of effort by owners and proposers: owners can spend weeks or months
finalizing RFQ requirements, and proposers likewise can spend months for SOQ prepa-
ration. This chapter highlights the structure and content that are often used for water and
wastewater RFQs.
173
Search WWH ::
Custom Search