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Following project management procedures during the selection process for engineering consultants is crucial. The process includes preparing a request for proposal (RFP), evaluating responses, and assessing past employment references. A well-written RFP defines the project’s purpose, scope, work breakdown plan, deliverables, quality control expectations, and timelines. The selection committee must evaluate multiple written documents and investigate previous projects to ensure the best consultants are chosen. Project review by uninvolved experts can highlight missing information or wrong assumptions in the original RFP.
Determining the best engineering consultants for a project is easier if formal project management procedures are followed during the selection process. Engineering consultants are hired for a wide variety of jobs ranging from applied research tasks to the design and construction of large structures. The consultants’ services are acquired through the preparation of a request for proposal (RFP) and subsequent evaluation of the responses. The RFP process, which can also be written by consultants, must be managed by people who are well qualified in their field and knowledgeable about the desired outcomes. Quality control measures require that the selection team evaluate past employment references of leading contenders for the job.
The project management procedures followed by the selection team include timely preparation of the RFP, establishment of a means to communicate with interested bidders, and a mechanism to allow or disallow additional work or a different approach by the bidder. In addition, planners must communicate their schedule for response submission and analysis. Often, but not always, the evaluation criteria are also revealed.
The RFP is the document that conveys the project to the interested engineering consultants. The purpose of the job is the most decisive element of the RFP and of the selection process as a whole. When the project goal is clearly defined, engineers themselves often decline to bid if they realize the project falls outside their area of expertise.
The scope defines the start and end points of the project. It will include what is known and unknown about the process or project, enabling engineers to build test or experimental work to include in their proposal. A well-written scope will outline the project outcome in such detail that it is easy for all parties to know when the project is complete and of acceptable quality. The remainder of the RFP will describe the work to be performed, deliverables, quality control expectations, and timelines required for the various milestones.
Work activities are usually outlined in a hierarchy of goals and sub-goals called a work breakdown plan (WBS). The work of drafting a WBS assures designers that the project is complete and that nothing has been forgotten. Bidders use the WBS as an easy-to-understand way to present their response and completeness checklist.
The selection committee must evaluate the contestants on multiple written documents to have confidence that the best engineering consultants are chosen. Previous projects of a similar nature, if available, should be investigated to determine the consultants’ ability to deliver timely, high-quality results. Many projects incorporate evaluation milestones to determine if the results are on target. Incentives are sometimes applied to promote compliance with schedules.
Once the RFP process is complete, the project may not necessarily be awarded. Many times, management discovers missing links in the project that have become apparent after reviewing the responses. Project review by several teams of uninvolved experts can highlight deficient or missing information. Sometimes, the best engineering consultants get caught by reading the answer enumerating the incomplete data or wrong assumptions of the original RFP.
