Options for Evaluating Design-Builder Proposals - Design-Build for Water and Wastewater Projects - page 219

scope is undefined, a QBS would be an obvious choice. If the owner wishes to minimize
cost and has a high level of scope definition, a best-value process with a significant weight-
ing on cost would be an appropriate choice. Low-bid or price-only approaches are not
considered a best practice, due to limitations of qualifications and technical input into
selection, but are sometimes mandated by the prevailing procurement regulations.
There are many options for evaluating DB teams and bids ranging from QBS to low-
bid procurement. For DB projects, BVS is often preferred because of the ability to award a
project based on both technical qualifications and price. The best-value approach requires
proposers to submit separate technical and price proposals. To be successful, a procure-
ment process must align with project goals and must have a clearly defined evaluation cri-
teria, evaluation rating system, and award algorithm. Ultimately, the DB selection process
needs to be fair and transparent.
REFERENCES
American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). 2008. AAS-
HTO Guide for Design-Build Procurement, Washington, D.C.: American Association of
State Highway Transportation Officials (January), 194.
Molenaar, K. and Bogus, S. 2000. Is the Price Really Right? Water Environment & Tech-
nology, 12(7):29-32.
Molenaar, K. R., S. M. Bogus, and J. M. Priestley. 2004. Design/Build for Water/Waste-
water Facilities: State of the Industry Survey and Three Case Studies. Journal of Manage-
ment in Engineering, 20(1)( Ja nuar y).
National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). 2006. Best-Value Pro-
curement Methods for Highway Construction Projects. National Cooperative Highway
Research Program Report 561. Washington, D.C.: Transportation Research Board.
Parvin, C. 2000. Design-Build: Evaluation and Award. Roads and Bridges, 38(12):12.
Shane, J. S., S. Won, and K. R. Molenaar. 2006. Variations in State Highway Agency Design-
Build Programs. Paper Number 06-2640 Prepared for Transportation Research Board
85th Annual Meeting, January. Washington, D.C.: Transportation Research Board.
US Air Force. 2001. IDIQ Family Housing DB Plus Services, Luke AFB Seed Project,
RFP F41622-01-R-0011 J, Brooks Air Force Base, San Antonio, Tex.
US Army. 2001. Army Source Selection Guide. Report, US Army Corps of Engineers,
Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Acquisitions, Logistics and Technology.
http://www.amc.army.mil/amc/rda/rda-ap/ssrc/fr_ssll.htm, Accessed Jan. 15, 2003.