FAQs

• What Technical Assistance Do You Provide to State Agencies As Part of Implementing and Administering Major (and Minor) State Capital Building Projects?
  Answer:

  The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Construction Services provides technical expertise in the areas of facilities planning, design, and construction, including the following:

  • High Performance Building and/or Sustainable Design guidelines for capital projects;
  • Energy Retrofit Projects at existing state buildings; and
  • State Asbestos Program administration.
• What Types of Project Delivery Methods Do You Offer?
  Answer:

  DAS Construction Services provides the following project delivery methods for the construction of all infrastructure projects:

   

  1.  Design/Bid/Build

  This is the traditional option that is used to deliver a majority of DAS Construction Services projects. Architects, engineers, and professional consulting contract services are selected through the applicable Qualification Based Selection (QBS) Procedures For Major Project Consultant Contracts (Formal), Task Order Consultant Contracts (On-Call), or Minor Project Consultant Contracts (Informal) and a contract is awarded to develop design and construction documents that meet the goals, scope, and budget of the project. A Construction Administrator can be selected through the same procedures to represent DAS Construction Services during construction.

  Based on the completed construction documents, a general contractor is selected through the applicable Competitive Sealed Proposal Procedures For Major Construction Contracts (Formal) or Minor Construction Contracts (Informal) where the qualified and responsible general contractor with the lowest bid (cost) is awarded the contract to build the project.

   

  2.  Construction Manager at Risk

  In the Construction Manager at Risk (CMR) delivery option, there are two separate contracts: between the State and the architect, and between the State and the CMR.

  The selection of a CMR is based on qualitative aspects in addition to total cost, and the CMR contract requires the determination and acceptance of a guaranteed maximum price for the cost of the work. The CMR holds the trade contracts and takes on the performance risk. Again, there is no contractual relationship between the CMR and the architect.

  The CMR provides pre-construction services during the design phase, and oversees project management issues and the coordination of activities during construction.

  Other characteristics of the CMR delivery method may include overlapping design and build phases, specific contractual arrangements to define the tasks, and clear quality standards in the contract specifications.

   

  3.  Design/Build

  The Design/Build project delivery method option is used less frequently than the Design/Bid/Build or CMR project delivery method. It is generally only used when it meets the feasibility criteria (below), and the DAS Commissioner designates it a Total Cost Basis Project. The following are the feasibility criteria points for a Design/Build project:

  • The project has a clearly defined scope, design basis, and performance requirements.
  • The project is free from complicated issues such as utility conflicts, right-of-way acquisition, hazardous materials, wetland and environmental concerns, or other such issues.
  • The project has room for innovation in the design and construction.
  • The project is not an emergency project or a project that has overly tight time constraints.
  • The project involves a significant design effort and the potential to save cost and time in the design.
    

   

  When the DAS Commissioner designates a Total Cost Basis Project, the process must utilize the following Screening and Selection Procedures:

  • Design/Build Teams (General Contractor and Professional Service Consultant Architects/Engineers) compete in a QBS Design/Build Screening and a Competitive Sealed Proposal Selection based on the DAS Construction Services RFP.
  • The final design/build team is selected through the Competitive Sealed Proposal Selection procedure. Based upon the selection procedure utilized, a Design/Builder will be selected based on their “Best Value” Proposal and contracted to design and build the facility.

   

• How Do You Determine Which Project Delivery Method Will Be Used?
  Answer: At the project development stage, DAS Construction Services and the State Agency Representative jointly determine the appropriate delivery method for a specific project. This is of prime importance because it enables us to achieve project goals such as innovation, quality, schedule performance, cost conformance, and sustainability.