Design-Build Project Development, County of San Diego, California

About the Program

Category: Planning (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

In response to building industry concerns over the cost and complexity of Design-Build (D-B) proposals, the County of San Diego Department of General Services implemented an improved D-B Project Development program. The procedural changes incorporated into the program meet County programmatic and State regulatory requirements and were crafted through extensive dialog with industry professional associations, industry design and construction partners, peer agencies, and internal counsel and procurement professionals. The program incorporates improvements in the Request for Proposal (RFP) preparation, the Proposal Pre-Submittal process, and the Pre-Award/Negotiation process. Program improvements do three things: increase flexibility to the D-B contractors in preparing their proposals; offer D B contractors more private progress review meetings to ensure they understand project objectives before submittal; and incorporate design and cost refinement discussions in the Best and Final Offer/Pre-Award/Negotiation process to demonstrate how to focus design management.