The University of Washington: Capital Projects Office

PROJECT MANAGEMENT MENTORING

The Capital Projects Office has gained extensive experience in General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) contracting, Design Build and Job Order Contracting (JOC), as alternate methods of providing public works contracts. GC/CM and Design Build permit a more collaborative method to complete projects valued over ten million dollars. Job Order Contracting is for projects valued up to $150,000. GC/CM and JOC methods of project delivery are particularly useful when the facility must remain open while the work is in progress. CPO has gained a great of experience with the design build process through two recent campus projects, the Research and Technology Building and the Educational Outreach Building.

Due to CPO's experience, we provide mentoring services to other public owners interested in learning how to use these procedures. Both GC/CM and Job Order Contracting differ in process from other methods of procurement of public projects. It is important for public owners to share their experiences to ensure that these contract vehicles are successfully administered. The laws permitting their use are scheduled to sunset in 2007, and successful implementation and use will help obtain continued support from the contracting community and approval from Washington State Legislature.

Job Order Contracting

Job Order Contracting is a method of project delivery devised in the 1980s as a way to overcome problems with the traditional Design-Bid-Build method. In the past, every project, no matter how small, had to be designed and bid with the award going to the lowest bidder. This procedure was becoming impractical for small straight forward projects. It resulted in project delays and excessive administrative cost, which have been successfully reduced by Job Order Contracting. Job Order Contracting has been successfully used by the federal sector for more than a decade and has been authorized by many sate legislatures across the country.

Job Order Contracting also provides the benefit of establishing prices for each unit of work or materials, so it is fast and easy to arrive at a fixed price for each job. This process also allows the establishment of a long-term relationship with the Job Order Contractor. Communication is improved and the contractor becomes familiar with the needs and expectations of the owner. The Job Order Contracting process ensures that the contractor chosen is based on their experience with similar jobs and sites, the knowledge and capability of personnel and other factors that directly impact the quality of work to be delivered.

GC/CM AND DESIGN BUILD

Under certain circumstances, the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) or Design Build forms of procurement may best serve the public interest. These processes enable the public owner to contract with both design and construction firms at the same time. .

Having the construction firm involved in project design helps ensure that both budgets and schedules are met, complicated design issues are identified and resolved early, expectations ar made clear from the start of a project and teamwork begins at project conception

The state of Washington has detailed the process in RCW 39.10 Alterative Public Works. CPO has had extensive experience which will help other public agencies achieve project success.

How can CPO help you?

	1.	We can help you develop the Request for Qualifications, Request for Proposals process and process for evaluation.
	2.	We can help in developing contracts.
	3.	We can provide guidance in completing the public notification process mandated by RCW 39.10.
	4.	We can provide examples of the circumstances when alternative procurement method has worked successfully.
	5.	We can share our own experiences in administering these types of contracts.

Our Clients

CPO has provided mentoring services to the Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries, the Port of Seattle and Harborview Medical Center.]

Please contact Eric Smith, Associate Director of Capital Projects South, to learn more about our services. He may be contacted at 206 616-5497, or at ecsmith@u.washington.edu.