Procedure for Securing Consultant Services

Procedure for Securing Consultant Services

Georgia DOT uses Professional Engineering Consultants (Consultants) for three primary reasons:

1. 
   Accommodate peaks in design workload,
   
2. 
   Accelerate project development on high priority projects, and
   
3. 
   The need for special expertise not available or limited within the Department.
   

In order to be eligible to perform consultant work for the Department, the prospective consultant must meet the following qualifications:

1. 
   All Prime Consultants must be prequalified with GDOT, on a tri-annual basis, in the area class or classes of work to be performed. However when teaming, a properly prequalified sub-consultant team member is an acceptable alternative to the prime consultant having that pre-qualification.
   
2. 
   All consultants performing structural design or checking must be prequalified with the Department.
   
3. 
   Sub consultants do not have to be prequalified. Their work is performed under the supervision of a prequalified Prime Consultant.
   

There are several types of consultant contracts used by the Department. The most common is a negotiated contract. For the negotiated contract, consultant selection is a “Qualifications based process.” See other TOPPS prepared by the Office of Program Delivery and Consultant Design for the current specifics on this and the other consultant processes. But in general, the negotiated process is as follows,

1. 
   The Project Manager and the Office Head determine a need exists for the use of a consultant.
   
2. 
   The Project Manager submits a request for authorization for the use of a consultant. See example below. The request is processed as follows:
   
   1. 
      Request thru the Office of Financial Management, with a copy to Budget, for concurrence to ensure adequate funds are available,
      
   2. 
      Division Director for recommendation, and
      
   3. 
      Chief Engineer for approval.
      
3. 
   Notify the Legal Services Division Director.
   
4. 
   Draft the consultant selection criteria for the project.
   
5. 
   Draft a public notice of the intent to seek consultant services for the project.
   
6. 
   Advertise and seek consultant interest in the project.
   
7. 
   Review and analyze consultant submissions and prepare a short list of the most qualified consultants for the Division Director’s concurrence and the Chief Engineer’s approval.
   
8. 
   Negotiate the contract.
   
9. 
   Obtain the approval of audits and legal.
   
10. 
    Obtain the concurrence of the Chief Engineer of the negotiated contract and send a copy of the contract and the negotiated cost proposal to the Treasurer’s Office, Department of Audits for auditing, and to the Office of Financial Management.
    
11. 
    Issue a Notice to Proceed (NTP).
    

Work order contracts (also known as Task Order contracts) have become an increasingly important part of GDOT's consultant services program. In a work order contract, the Office of Program Delivery and Consultant Design (OPD/CD) executes a master work order agreement for a stated maximum amount of money for a stated period of time with a consultant firm or consultant firms. After the OPD/CD issues a Notice to Proceed for the Master Contract, individual work orders can be issued as needed by Project Managers for specific tasks (e.g., project concept development, utilities design, preliminary bridge layout, etc.). Work order agreements are not intended to circumvent the normal consultant selection process, nor are individual work orders normally issued for tasks that would require conventional consultant contracts. Nevertheless, work order contracts have become very beneficial in cases where the GDOT staff cannot meet project schedules without assistance with certain elements of project development or where special expertise is required that is not found within the GDOT staff.

• 
  After selection of the work order consultant, developing a scope of services and entering into fee negotiations are not required for the master agreement. The maximum contract cost has already been established, with the scope of services and fees to be developed and negotiated for each individual work order.
  
• 
  Individual work orders do not require signatures above the Division Director level.
  

The steps to be followed to obtaining a Work (Task) Order are as follows:

1. 
   Project Manager requests the Director of Preconstruction to issue a work order for a specific task or scope of work.
   
2. 
   The Director of Preconstruction approves, disapproves, or requests additional information.
   
3. 
   The Office of Program Delivery and Consultant Design (OPD/CD) notifies the Project Manager of the status of approval.
   
4. 
   If approved, the OPD/CD in coordination with the Project Manager drafts a work order:
   
   1. 
      Description of the project,
      
   2. 
      Required scope of work,
      
   3. 
      Information and materials available for the consultant,
      
   4. 
      Specific deliverables identified, and
      
   5. 
      Schedule.
      
5. 
   OPD/CD assigns the appropriate consultant, notifies the Project Manager, and transmits the preliminary scope of work to the consultant.
   
6. 
   The consultant and the Project Manager visit the project site, review data available, and discuss the scope of work.
   
7. 
   Consultant develops and finalizes, with the Project Manager, the scope of work, deliverables, man-hour estimates, and schedule, and submits a proposal to the Project Manager and the OPD/CD.
   
8. 
   The OPD/CD, Project Manager, and the consultant may require several iterations of the proposal before it is satisfactory to GDOT.
   
9. 
   The consultant transmits four (4) signed copies of the proposed work order to the Project Manager who transmits the work order over the Office Head’s or District Engineer’s (as appropriate) signature recommending approval of the work order to the OPD/CD.
   
10. 
    The OPD/CD will obtain the approval, disapproval, or request for changes from the Director of Preconstruction.
    
11. 
    Upon approval, the OPD/CD will issue a “Notice To Proceed” to the work order consultant and forward copies to:
    
    1. 
       Project Manager,
       
    2. 
       Consultant,
       
    3. 
       Accounting Office, and
       
    4. 
       Retain a copy for their records.
       
12. 
    The Consultant will submit the monthly statements and supporting backup documents to OPD/CD with a copy to the Project Manager,
    
13. 
    The Project Manager will manage the work order consultant contract like any other consultant contract, to include:
    

1. 
   Timely review of the work in-progress,
   
2. 
   Ensuring work progresses and the project stays on schedule,
   
3. 
   Coordination, as required by the scope of work, with other GDOT offices or others,
   
4. 
   Review of monthly statements, and
   
5. 
   Immediately recommend to OPD/CD that payments be withheld when the consultant’s work is not satisfactory.