IQ Summer 2011: The Federal Issue - (Page 41)

35% 65% 95% the traditional linear design-bid-build process in which the owner reviews, comments and requires annotation of the 35 percent, 65 percent and an over-the-shoulder 95 percent review of design documents is a common mistake and will not achieve optimum results in design-build several alternative solutions may be considered as a means of achieving the design criteria specifications. However, such alternative(s) must fit within the predetermined budget and schedule and must achieve the contractual performance requirements. In fact, the production of various design alternatives should be expected. Value engineering is implicitly embedded in design-build. Such activity is a necessary function of design-build and owners should try not to preclude or unduly limit the trade space. The owner must be readily accessible and directly involved in the design development phase of the project to ensure optimum results. The design-builder shoulders the ultimate responsibility to achieve the agreed upon results within the budget and schedule. However, the owner must play an active role in the process. Because time is of the essence, significant and frequent input from the owner is needed to help facilitate the post-award phase. Such involvement is often established by the level of preliminary design provided in the RFP. Again, does the RFP rely on performance requirements or bridging documents? Too little or too much involvement by the owner can be an impediment to project success. This is another element that makes design management a critical but sometimes challenging task. The design-builder’s project manager must encourage the owner to strike a delicate balance beween being a control freak and being missing-in-action. That positive relationship must be effectively reinforced by the entire project team. Effective project managers fully understand the importance of not only collaboration, but also integration of the team. The traditional hierarchies of owner, architect and general contractor each operating within their respective “swim lanes” can be counterproductive in design-build. It is the project manager’s primary role to ensure that each participant understands and respects the critical importance of functioning as an integrated team. Design-build is about integration of processes. Unlike design-bid-build, where design precedes pricing and pricing precedes construction, in design-build these processes overlap and must be integrated. The goal is to provide best value and faster completion within the project budget—objectives that are often beyond the reach of traditional delivery methods. As referenced above, design-build done right entails primary post-award design development interfaces within the entire design-build team. Simply put, the traditional linear design-bid-build dbia.org summer//2011 41 http://www.dbia.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IQ Summer 2011: The Federal Issue

IQ Summer 2011: The Federal Issue