The Request for Qualifications: Attracting and Selecting the Best Qualified Design-Builder - Design-Build for Water and Wastewater Projects - page 180

considered a benefit for the selection or short-listing of a team, as compared to a DB team
made of firms that have not worked together in the past.
Design-build experience. For this criterion, the past DB experience of each firm of
the team should be reviewed. This experience can be DB projects of similar type (e.g.,
size of WTP or WWTP; pipeline length/diameter), as well as any experience the complete
team has on past DB projects. The type, complexity, and unique features of past projects
should be compared to the needs of the owner's project. Some owners view this criterion
as more important than others when the projects are very complex.
Similar work experience. Any experience that demonstrates that the DB team has
performed construction of the same type, scope, and complexity as the project in question
should be evaluated. DB teams that do not have similar project experience are usually not
considered to be strong candidates.
Current workload. It is important to confirm the current workload of the DB team
members to verify that appropriate resources will be available to complete the project in
a timely manner.
Surety bond capacity. Typically, this criterion is scored as pass or fail. Lack of
evidence of adequate bonding capacity should exclude any team from being considered.
Schedule compliance on past projects. Timely completion of past projects should
be an important characteristic of the DB team. DB entities who have demonstrated the
ability to finish jobs on time or ahead of schedule when they have encountered conditions
differing from those represented in the plans, on current or past projects, should be given
greater consideration.
Experience of key personnel. The experience of proposed key personnel, particularly
those who will be in charge of the day-to-day work on the project, should be carefully
evaluated. This includes the key people in charge of design, construction, inspection,
testing, and QA/QC.
Safety record. The design-builder's performance relative to safety is critical. The
RFQ should request past safety performance on construction projects, citations by the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for safety violations and/or the
design-builder's Experience Modification Rate (EMR), which is a workers' compensation
insurance safety performance factor. A low EMR is best; the industry standard is <1. The
RFQ can also ask for experience with prevention through design (Borowski and Adams
2010) that would show how safety (i.e., adequate access, no confined spaces, etc.) has been
incorporated into projects during the design phase.
Design-builder's organization and regional experience. The location of the DB team
members during the project should be considered, and the selection committee should
determine if the distance between the site and the staff will cause any project delays or
issues. It is also important to assess the ability of the DB team and its subcontractor(s)
to work together as a unified team by requesting information on how and when they
have worked together on other projects. The proposer's experience with local and state
government, permit and regulatory agencies, and community groups should be evaluated,
as appropriate.
Environmental record. The performance of the proposers with respect to
environmental regulations should be evaluated. Proposers should be required to provide
information to illustrate compliance with environmental regulations and other concerns,