The Owner’s Selection Committee - Design-Build for Water and Wastewater Projects - page 205

• How the price and related data will be handled and evaluated. Industry best
practices indicate that, for either a best-value or low-bid selection process, the
price data, including data for any alternate proposals, should be provided by each
proposer in a separately sealed envelope, which is not opened by the committee
until evaluation and scoring of the nonprice criteria are completed and submitted
to the committee's chairperson. This approach prevents the price from influenc-
ing the nonprice technical evaluation and scoring.
• How price and nonprice criteria will be combined and calculated for final scores,
and how the award recommendation will be developed and supported. Outline
what formula and/or weighting criteria will be utilized, and how the data will be
presented. For example, determine whether straight number scores or ordinal
ranking will be used in the determination of the award recommendation.
• The process and documentation that are required in the final recommendation
for award
THE EVALUATION AND SELECTION
PROCESS SCHEDULE
The schedule for the evaluation and selection process will vary depending on the size and
complexity of the project, the type of procurement process, applicable statutory or leg-
islative requirements, and each organization's internal approval requirements. The time
needed to evaluate proposals, make an award recommendation to the applicable approv-
ing authority, and obtain approval is normally from four to eight weeks. Up to three weeks
may be devoted to the selection committee reviews and meetings. An additional week is
required if there are oral presentations. For large utility organizations, another three to
four weeks can often be required to obtain final approval for award. There may also be a
waiting period to allow award protests to be submitted and resolved before the award is
finalized.
ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE
EVALUATION COMMITTEE
The committee chairperson should arrange for logistical, administrative, technical, com-
mercial, and legal support to the committee, including any separate agency support such
as for small business. The scope and specific areas of support will depend on the evalua-
tion criteria and the administrative and commercial requirements of the RFP. Support is
usually needed for tasks related to the items listed as follows:
• Professional and business licensing
• Project references
• Financial performance records
• Special affidavit requirements
• Small and minority business participation requirements
• Permit requirements