DBIA DBIA - Design-Build Institute of America Quality Management and Project Controls Questions and Answers 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In design-build projects, what is the primary purpose of a Quality Management Plan (QMP)?
- To document the owner's aesthetic preferences for the completed facility
- To establish procedures ensuring design and construction meet contract requirements (Correct answer)
- To outline the contractor's profit margin and overhead recovery strategy
- To specify the sequence of subcontractor procurement activities
Correct answer: To establish procedures ensuring design and construction meet contract requirements
A QMP establishes systematic procedures that verify all design and construction activities conform to the contract's technical and quality requirements.
Question 2: Which earned value metric indicates that a design-build project is behind schedule when its value is less than 1.0?
- Cost Performance Index (CPI)
- Budget at Completion (BAC)
- Schedule Performance Index (SPI) (Correct answer)
- Estimate to Complete (ETC)
Correct answer: Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
SPI = EV/PV; a value below 1.0 means less work has been accomplished than was planned for that time period, indicating a schedule delay.
Question 3: During the design phase of a design-build project, a Design Criteria Package (DCP) discrepancy is discovered. Who bears primary responsibility for resolving the conflict?
- The lead designer working independently
- The owner's legal counsel
- The design-builder through the design review and RFI process (Correct answer)
- The independent third-party commissioning agent
Correct answer: The design-builder through the design review and RFI process
Under design-build delivery, the design-builder assumes responsibility for coordinating and resolving design conflicts through formal channels such as the design review and RFI process.
Question 4: What is the correct formula for calculating Cost Variance (CV) in earned value management?
- CV = Planned Value (PV) – Actual Cost (AC)
- CV = Earned Value (EV) – Actual Cost (AC) (Correct answer)
- CV = Budget at Completion (BAC) – Estimate at Completion (EAC)
- CV = Earned Value (EV) – Planned Value (PV)
Correct answer: CV = Earned Value (EV) – Actual Cost (AC)
Cost Variance equals Earned Value minus Actual Cost; a positive CV means the project is under budget, while a negative CV indicates cost overrun.
Question 5: In a design-build contract, a 'bridging' approach typically means:
- The owner completes 100% construction documents before design-builder engagement
- The owner develops preliminary design documents that the design-builder must complete and build (Correct answer)
- The design-builder constructs temporary structures to maintain site access
- A third party mediates disputes between the owner and design-builder
Correct answer: The owner develops preliminary design documents that the design-builder must complete and build
In bridging, the owner hires a design professional to develop preliminary design (typically 30–60%) which the design-builder then completes and constructs.
Question 6: Which project controls document formally tracks approved changes to scope, schedule, and budget throughout a design-build project?
- Basis of Design (BOD) report
- Submittal register
- Change control log (Correct answer)
- Commissioning plan
Correct answer: Change control log
A change control log records every approved, pending, and rejected change order to maintain an accurate baseline for scope, cost, and schedule.
Question 7: Under DBIA best practices, when should the design-builder first engage in constructability reviews?
- Only after 100% construction documents are finalized
- During the procurement phase after award
- Early in the design phase, beginning at the conceptual or schematic level (Correct answer)
- Immediately before the certificate of occupancy inspection
Correct answer: Early in the design phase, beginning at the conceptual or schematic level
DBIA advocates early and continuous constructability reviews starting at conceptual design so that construction knowledge informs design decisions when changes are least costly.
DBIA DBIA - Design-Build Institute of America Quality Management and Project Controls Questions and Answers 4
In design-build projects, what is the primary purpose of a Quality Management Plan (QMP)?