I began thinking about how we currently use DBIA’s best practices, as well as how we can use them in the future. In this blog, I’ll dive deeper into two of those design-build best practices and how you can apply them on your project.
1.c. Owners should identify and involve key project stakeholders at the early stages of project planning, as stakeholder goals, expectations, challenges, constraints, and priorities should guide all project planning and procurement activities, including the determination and implementation of design excellence and sustainability goals
This is a best practice we use consistently on our projects. For the team at Prince George’s County Public Schools, a public-private partnership delivering six schools in three years, economic inclusion was a mutual goal and a key driver of success for the client. From the start, it was important to everyone involved that the workforce and businesses reflect the Prince George’s County community, which is 62% Black/African American according to the Prince George’s County Health Department. To meet the diverse participation goals established during the RFP stage, the design-build team identified design-build partners and design-build trade contractors at the time the RFP was issued and continued their involvement after project award. Their early participation ensured the whole team was deeply committed to every level of design and construction. This included developing solutions to reach economic inclusion goals.
Gilbane selected design-build trade partners that were aligned with our commitment to economic inclusion on the project. They worked with us to break up packages, which increased opportunities for small firms. They also engaged in our outreach strategy by participating in matchmaking sessions. By leveraging this design-build best practice, the six combined projects are on track to exceed our 30% MBE goals.
- a. Owners should, consistent with their overall procurement strategy, evaluate and use appropriate contractual incentives that facilitate the alignment of the performance of their design-build teams with the owner’s project goals
While Gilbane and others are utilizing shared savings and safety incentives on their projects, financial incentives are not as common. According to DBIA, only 3% of the 2022 DBIA Project/Team Award winners successfully used financial incentives on their projects. Identifying key performance indicators and tying them to financial incentives can be challenging. However, the design-builder can leverage tools, like Conditions of Satisfaction (CoS), to facilitate conversations with the owner and create an incentive structure that motivates and engages the entire project team.
Why not leverage the one team environment of a design-build project to create a structure where the entire team is focused on mutually beneficial goals and outcomes? Incentives can create an open discussion on project priorities, reframe challenges in a positive light and focus the team on finding mutually beneficial solutions. These incentives can be tied to schedule, quality, economic inclusion, design, sustainability, safety and any other team priority.
Interested in learning more? If you’re attending the 2022 Design-Build Conference & Expo next week in Las Vegas, NV be sure to check out any of Gilbane’s sessions below:
Thursday, November 3 – 3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. PDT
Track 3: Masterclass Team Dynamics
Gilbane and Corenic Construction will discuss Engaging Design-Assist Contractors to Meet Economic Inclusion Goals
Friday, November 4 – 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. PDT
Track 5: The New Frontier: Beyond the Limits
Gilbane, Perkins Eastman and the NYC Department of Design and Construction present Delivering Equity: Case Studies in Integrated Delivery Methodology for Emergency Response in Public Healthcare
Friday, November 4 – 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. PDT
Track 2: “Purpose-Driven” Design-Build
Gilbane and Perkins Eastman will discuss Developing an Incentive-Based Structure for Team Collaboration
Friday, November 4 – 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. PDT
Jennifer Macks will join industry partners for the Closing General Session: Whose Design Is It Anyway? Marriage Counseling for the Design-Build Team
