DBIA Progressive Design-Build Process 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Progressive Design-Build, who typically owns the design documents produced during the preconstruction/validation phase if the project does not proceed?
- The design-build team retains all intellectual property regardless of outcome
- The owner, as specified in the contract, often retains rights to use the documents for the project (Correct answer)
- A neutral third-party escrow agent holds the documents permanently
- Design documents are destroyed if no GMP is reached
Correct answer: The owner, as specified in the contract, often retains rights to use the documents for the project
PDB contracts typically grant the owner rights to use design documents produced during the early phase, especially if negotiations fail and the owner terminates.
Question 2: Which statement BEST reflects the role of open-book estimating in Progressive Design-Build?
- Open-book estimating is prohibited to protect subcontractor pricing privacy
- It allows the owner visibility into cost components, supporting trust and collaborative GMP development (Correct answer)
- It replaces the need for an independent cost estimator on the project
- Open-book estimating is only used after the GMP is established
Correct answer: It allows the owner visibility into cost components, supporting trust and collaborative GMP development
Open-book estimating provides the owner transparency into costs during design development, which is fundamental to the collaborative trust model of PDB.
Question 3: In the context of Progressive Design-Build, what does 'design assist' from trade contractors primarily mean?
- Trade contractors take over all design responsibilities from the architect
- Specialty subcontractors contribute technical expertise during design to improve constructability and cost certainty (Correct answer)
- Design assist refers to owner-supplied design standards that the team must follow
- Trade contractors review completed designs only after construction documents are 100% finished
Correct answer: Specialty subcontractors contribute technical expertise during design to improve constructability and cost certainty
Design assist involves specialty subcontractors providing input during design to enhance constructability, reduce waste, and improve cost reliability.
Question 4: How does risk allocation in Progressive Design-Build compare to a traditional lump-sum design-bid-build project?
- PDB places all financial risk on the design-build team from day one
- PDB shares risk more collaboratively between owner and team during design, with risk transferring at GMP (Correct answer)
- PDB eliminates all financial risk for the owner by guaranteeing cost certainty at contract signing
- Risk allocation in PDB and design-bid-build is identical
Correct answer: PDB shares risk more collaboratively between owner and team during design, with risk transferring at GMP
PDB distributes risk during early design phases collaboratively, with clearer risk transfer occurring when the GMP is established.
Question 5: What procurement document is MOST commonly used to select a design-build team in a Progressive Design-Build procurement?
- Invitation for Bid (IFB) requiring a fixed lump-sum price
- Request for Qualifications (RFQ) or combined RFQ/RFP focused on team qualifications and approach (Correct answer)
- Request for Information (RFI) to clarify existing construction documents
- Notice to Proceed (NTP) issued directly without competitive selection
Correct answer: Request for Qualifications (RFQ) or combined RFQ/RFP focused on team qualifications and approach
PDB procurement typically uses an RFQ or RFQ/RFP process focused on qualifications, past performance, and project approach rather than fixed price.
Question 6: Which phase of the Progressive Design-Build process involves the team refining cost estimates as design progresses from conceptual to schematic?
- Post-occupancy evaluation phase
- Preconstruction/design development phase (Correct answer)
- Punch-list and closeout phase
- Commissioning and systems startup phase
Correct answer: Preconstruction/design development phase
The preconstruction/design development phase is when the design-build team progressively refines cost estimates as design moves from concept through schematic levels.
Question 7: What is a key advantage of Progressive Design-Build for owners dealing with tight or uncertain market conditions?
- It locks in subcontractor pricing at the earliest possible stage, regardless of market
- It allows cost to be established once market conditions and design are sufficiently clear, reducing contingency (Correct answer)
- It eliminates the need for contingency budgets entirely
- It forces all market risk onto the design-build team at contract inception
Correct answer: It allows cost to be established once market conditions and design are sufficiently clear, reducing contingency
By delaying price commitment until design and market conditions are better understood, PDB reduces the contingency premium that would otherwise be added for uncertainty.
DBIA Progressive Design-Build Process 3
Under Progressive Design-Build, who typically owns the design documents produced during the preconstruction/validation phase if the project does not proceed?