RFPs: Selecting the Design-Builder - Design-Build for Water and Wastewater Projects - page 190

also exist. Construction and operations may impact the surrounding community due to
increased traffic, odor, and other aesthetic issues. Financial challenges can include deliv-
ering the project within the appropriated capital and/or operational budget.
The source of funding the project should be clearly defined in the RFP. If any por-
tions of project funding are not yet secured, owners should specify how and when the
funds will be obtained. It is important for design-builders to know the financial stability
of the owner and the source of project funding.
Scope of Work
The RFP should summarize each element of the project's scope inclusive of facilities,
permitting, design and construction, acceptance testing, progress reporting, and all of the
performance requirements. The summary of services in the RFP should include the major
components for each phase of project delivery including hydraulic requirements, treat-
ment capacity, discharge standards, finished water quality, required completion date, and
other performance requirements (e.g., noise and odor limits, stormwater runoff require-
ments, and requirements with any other specific codes).
A list of all required permits and their status should be included in the RFP. It is
essential to specify whether the responsibility for obtaining these permits and approvals
is with the owner or with the design-builder. A permitting plan should be submitted by
design-builders in response to the RFP.
Technical Requirements
The next section of the RFP document contains technical requirements and functional or
performance criteria for the project. This includes all of the expected design, construction
and/or performance requirements for the infrastructure that is being built.
As discussed in chapter 13, the owner must decide on an approach to the techni-
cal criteria for the project. These criteria can be prescriptive or performance-based. The
former type of criteria will have the owner define all minimum requirements and pref-
erences, as well include a clear design definition for the solution. In the latter approach,
the owner may establish some design preferences but will focus the required elements of
the RFP on specific performance criteria that the proposer's solution must meet. Both
approaches are used throughout the industry with each offering competitive results to
owners.
Proposal Contents
It is important to outline the expected contents of the proposals from design-builders, so
that all of the proposals contain the same types of information. This continuity among
proposals improves the owner's ability to review and compare them. It also prevents
design-builders from inadvertently omitting certain information (e.g., safety record, insur-
ance documentation) that may be important in the evaluation of the proposal. Owners
who provide a structured and detailed list of proposal contents will also be able to review
and evaluate the proposals more quickly.