1. CMSC Initiatives Update WTBA & WisDOT Contractor Engineer Conference January 21, 2010

2. Evaluation of WisDOT’s Transparency Effort Gary Whited Jera Jo Pashouwer Professor Awad Hanna

3. Overview • Background • Pilot program goals and projects • Project demographics • Study methodology • Results so far

6. Transparency Effort Goals • WisDOT managed construction projects and • Consultant managed projects are viewed as • being the same • Faster and more timely decision making • Consultant project managers have ready • access to the design consultant

7. Pilot Project Selection • Multiple state and Local Program projects in • each Region • Mix of bridge and roadway projects • Mix of complex, large, medium and small • projects • Variety of contracting methods for retaining • design firm

8. Project Demographics

9. Project Demographics

10. Project Demographics

11. Project Demographics • Transparency design contracts range from 0.03 – 0.45% of construction contract award amount • Overall approximately 0.1% of construction contract award amount • About $124,000 total transparency design contract amount

12. Goals for our Research Project • Determine the effectiveness and benefits experienced by the effort • Suggest improvements that could make the program better • Determine the most effective way to contract for the design involvement • Make recommendations regarding continued use

13. Study Methodology

14. Phone Interviews • Design Team • Contractors • Design Consultants • Consultant Project Leaders • WisDOT Project Managers

15. Contractor Responses • Most were unaware their project was a pilot • Most did not submit RFI’s to the Project Leader • Almost all felt they received timely responses • and there were no project impacts • Most felt their project was straight forward • with few issues • Most felt the transparency effort had value • and should continue

16. Design Consultant Responses • Most designers have used less than half of the Transparency contract cap • Most said they would handle the questions anyway • About half admit they were more motivated to answer quickly because of the contract • All surveyed believe the effort would prove beneficial for future projects

17. Observations So Far • Transparency Effort seems to have been well received • Some criticism of how the design contract was implemented • Recommendations to follow further research

18. Next Steps • Continue interviews • Compile and analyze data • Review similar techniques/trends used in industry • Summarize and make recommendations

19. Questions?