THE SELECTION OF THE

CIVIL ENGINEERING

BASIS FOR SELECTION

The

client should establish administrative policy and

criteria for the selection of qualified Civil Engineers for
particular projects. The clients first step is to define the
propose scope of the project. In some cases, this ay be a
general statement of the performance requirements of
the project. At other times, the task to be performed
maybe individually identified and define.

FACTORS THAT SHOULD BE

CONSIDERED IN THE SELECTION
PROCESS:
1.

THE PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL REPUTATION OF THE CIVIL

ENGINEER AND HIS STAFF AS DETERMINED BY INQUIRIES TO
PREVIOUS CLIENTS AND OTHER REFERNCES.

2.

RESPONSIBLE CIVIL ENGINEERS AND ITS EMPLOYEES MUST BE

REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL CIVIL ENGINEERS.

3.

CIVIL ENGINEERS SHOULD HAVE DEMONSTRATED

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERTISE IN PERFORMING THE SERVICES
REQUIRED FOR THE PROJECT.

4.

CIVIL ENGINEERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO ASSIGN QUALIFIED

ENGINEERING STAFF WHO WILL BE IN RESPONSIBLE CHARGE OF
THE PROJECT AND WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AND COMPLETE
THE REQUIRES SERVICES WITHIN THE TIME ALLOTTED.

5.

CIVIL ENGINEERS SHOULD HAVE THE NECESSARY FINANCIAL

AND BUSINESS RESOURCES TO ACCOMPLISH THE ASSIGNMENT
AND PROVIDE CONTINUING SERVICES.

QUALIFICATION-BASED
SELECTION (QBS) PROCEDURE
THE

SELECTION PROCEDURE IS CONSIDERABLE

ENHANCED WHEN THE CLIENT IS FULLY FAMILIAR WITH
THE PURPOSE AND NATURE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT,
CAN DESCRIBE THE PROJECT IN DETAIL, AND CAN
PREPARE A PROJECT SCOPE AND OUTLINE OF SERVICE
EXPECTED OF CIVIL ENGINEER. IN SOME CASES THE
CLIENT MAY NOT HAVE PROFESSIONAL STAFF AVAILABLE
TO DEFINE THE PROJECT SCOPE AND DESCRIBE THE
REQUIRED SERVICES.

1.

BY INVATATIONAL OR BY PUBLIC NOTICE, STATE THE

GENERAL NATURE OF THE PROJECT, THE SERVICE
REQUIRED, AND REQUEST STATEMENT OF
QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE FROM CIVIL
ENGINEERING WHO APPEARE TO BE CAPABLE OF
MEETING THE PROJECT. THE CLIENT MAY ISSUE A
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION (RFQ) OR REQUEST
FOR PROPOSAL (RFP).

2.

PREPARE A BUDGET FOR TH STAFF TIME AND COST

THAT CAN BE EXPECTED FROM POTENTIAL CIVIL
ENGINEER PRIOR TO RECIEPT OF RFQs OR RFPS.

3.

EVALUATE THE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

RECEIVED. SELECT THREE CIVIL ENGINEERS OR FIRMS
THAT MAY APPEAR TO BE BEST QUALIFIED FOR THE
SPECIFIC PROJECT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OFTEN
MORE THAT THREE CIVIL ENGINEERS OR FIRMS MAY
APPEAR TO BE EQUALLY QUALIFIED. IN WHICH CASE
MORE CIVIL ENGINEERS OR FIRMS MAY BE

4. ON RECIEPT OF PROPOSAL, INVITE CIVIL ENGINEERS OR

FIRMS TO MEET INDIVIDUALLY WITH THE SELECTION
COMMITTEE FOR INTERVIEWS AND DISCUSSION OF THE
DESIRED END RESULT OF THE PROJECT AND THE
ENGINEERING SERVICES REQUIRED.
5. CHECK WITH RECENT CLIENT OF EACH CIVIL ENGINEER
0R FIRM TO DETERMINE THE QUALITY OF THEIR
PERFORMANCE. THIS CHECK NEED NOT BE LIMITED TO
REFERENCES LISTED BY CIVIL ENGINEERS.
6. INVITE THE CIVIL ENGINEER CONSIDEREDTO BE THE
BEST QUALIFIED TO DEVELOP A DETAILED SCOPE, LIST OF
DELIVERABLES AND SCHEDULE, AND TO NEGOTIATE FAIR
COMPENSATION FOR THE SERVICES.
7. WHEN AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED ON SCOPE,
SCHEDULE AND COMPENSATION, THE CLIENT AND
SELECTED CIVIL ENGINEERS SHOULD FORMALIZE THEIR
AGREEMENT IN A WRITTEN CONTRACT.

SELECT PROCEDURE FOR LEVEL

OF EFFORT CONTRACTS

IS A TYPE OF CONTRACT FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES IS

A CONTRACT PROCEDURE USED TO SUPPLEMENT A
CLIENT STAFF, EITHER BY PROVIDING AN EXTENSION TO
EXISTING DISCIPLINES AND CAPABILITIES ALREADY ON
BOARD OR BY ADDING SPECIAL DISCIPLINES NOT
AVAILABLE ON THE CLIENTS STAFF.

AS

APPLIED TO LEVEL OF EFFORT CONTRACTS, THE QBS

PROCEDURE SETS FORTH THE GENERAL NATURE OF
SERVICES TO BE RENDERED, THE TYPES OF SPECIALISTS
REQUIRED AND THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF OURS
REQUIRED DURING THE CONTRACT PERIOD FOR EACH
TYPE AND GRADE OF SPECIALIST, AND THEN REQUEST
PROPOSALS FROM QUALIFIED FIRMS.

BIDDING
PROFESIONAL

ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURAL

SOCIETIES, RECOGNIZE QBS AS THE PREFERRED METHOD
FOR PROCUREMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IN
FACT THE NEDA GUIDELINES REQUIRED THE
PROCUREMENT OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING AND
ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES ONLY BY A PROCESS SIMILAR
TO THAT DESCRIBED IN QUALIFICATIONS-BASED
SELECTION PROCEDURE,

THESE ARE MANY REASONS WHY BIDDING FOR

CONSULTING CIVIL ENGINEERING SERVICES
OFTEN PRODUCES UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS
FOR THE CLIENT.
1.

BIDDING DOES NOT RECOGNIZE PROFESSIONAL

JUDGMENT, WHICH IS THE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND THE FURNISHING OF
PRODUCT.

2.

IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSIBLE TO COMPLETELY DETAIL IN

ADVANCE THE SCOPE OF SERVICES REQUIRED FOR AN
ENGINEERING PROJECT ESPECIALLY FOR THE STUDY
AND PRELIMINARY PHASES, WITHOUT LENGTHY
DISCUSSIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS WITH SELECTED
FIRM. LACKING SPECIFICS, THE BIDDING FIRMS MUST,
IN ORDER TO BE COMPETITIVE, SUBMIT A PRICE FOR
THE LEAST EFFORT ENVISIONED. THE RESULTING
SERVICES PERFORMED IS LIKELY TO BE TAILORED TO
FIT THE MINIMAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE BID
DOCUMENTS AND WILL NOT NECESSARILY SUIT THE

3. IN-DEPTH STUDIES AND ANALYSES BY THE CONSULTING

CIVIL ENGINEER ARE NOT LIKELY TO BE PERFORMED. THE
CONSULTING CIVIL ENGINEER SELECTED BY LOWEST BID
WILL OFTEN PROVIDE ONLY THE MINIMUM SERVICES
NECESSARY TO SATISFY CLIENTS SCOPE OF SERVICES.
4. THE CONSULTING CIVIL ENGINEERS ABILITY TO BE
FLEXIBLE AND CREATIVE IN MEETING THE CLIENTS
REQUIREMENTS IS SEVERELY LIMITED.
5. THE ENGINEERING DESIGNS ARE LIKELY TO BE MINIMAL
IN COMPLETENESS WITH THE DETAILS LEFT TO THE
CONTRACTOR. THIS PRODUCES A LOWER COST DESIGN
BUT TENDS TO ADD TO THE COST OF THE COMPLETED
PROJECT. THE LACK OF DESIGN-DETAILS ALSO CAN AND
FREQUENTLY DOES, LEAD TO A GREATER NUMBER OF
CHANGE ORDERS DURING THE CONSTUCTION AND TO
CONTRACTOR CLAIMS AT A LATER DATE.

TWO-ENVELOPE SYSTEM

INVOLVES SUBMISSION OF A TECHNICAL PROPOSAL OF

A TECHNICAL PROPOSAL IN ONE ENVELOP AND A PRICE
PROPOSAL IN A SECOND ENVELOPE. THE CLIENT THEN
EVALUATES THE TECHNICAL PROPOSALS AND SELECTS
THE BEST CIVIL ENGINEER BASED ON THAT CONSULTING
CIVIL ENGINEERS TECHNICAL PROPOSAL.

IF

THE CLIENT FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE, THE NET

EFFECT IS AS OUTLINED IN QUALIFICATION-BASED
SELECTION PROCEDURE, PROVIDED THAT THE CLIENT
AND THE BEST QUALIFIED CONSULTING CIVIL ENGINEER
HAVE EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS TO REACH FULL
AGREEMENT ON THE SCOPE OF SERVICE. UPON
AGREEMENT OF SCOPE, THE PRICE OF SERVICE SHOULD
BE NEGOTIATED TO REFLECT CHANGES FROM ORIGINAL
SCOPE USED FOR OBTAINING PROPOSAL.