Implementation of Post-Award Contract Administration Tools in D-B and CM-GC Highway Projects: The State of Practice in the Design Phase

Many state departments of transportation (DOTs) are executing design-build (D-B) and construction manager-general contractor (CM-GC) projects. There is a need to identify and disseminate successful practices in administering these contracts, particularly in the post-award phase. The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) funded the development of guidebooks and implementation training related to tools and strategies for effective contract administration, including eight interactive workshops involving 235 participants from 33 DOTs. Training introduced participants to the tools for post-award contract administration and included peer-exchanges with 18 experts. This paper describes the workshops and shares experiences implementing these tools by various DOTs in the design phase. Qualitative content analyses identified reasons for use, processes, and examples of experts' implementation resulting in advice to inform practitioners. The paper contributes by providing guidance for efficient implementation of tools to achieve successful contract administration, enhanced communication, and better owner-contractor relationships in D-B and CM-GC projects.