DBIA Book Club: Design-Build Manual of Practice

This Book-of-the-Month focuses on the Design-Build Manual of Practice, an authoritative guidebook about single source responsibility contracting including narrative instructions, procedural guidance, sample formats, and best practice recommendations.

A two-volume set containing 26 completed documents, the publication includes basic definitions, selection procedures, project execution checkpoints, tenets of professional ethics, risk management guidelines, contract formats, licensure data, and regulatory and legal information.

DBIA’s Bookstore posed questions to Ridge Dixon, a customer who purchased the MOP. Mr. Dixon represents RTKL Associates Inc., an international full service A/E design firm operating in various sectors, including civic/public, healthcare, commercial, and corporate.

DBIA: How and when did you first learn about the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA)?

Dixon: “RTKL has been a member of the DBIA for years. I became interested in the design-build process and particularly interested in DBIA when I heard that Lee Evey had joined the Institute as President. Lee led the Pentagon reconstruction Phoenix Project. I was involved in that project as well, and I was very impressed by Lee’s approach to design-build project procurement at the Pentagon.”

DBIA: How did you hear about DBIA’s Design-Build Manual of Practice (MOP)?

Dixon: “In training sessions at the DBIA conferences, there were frequent references to terms or concepts that were accepted within the industry, and when someone would ask where they could find out more about them, the answer was almost always ‘the MOP’.”

DBIA: What led you to purchase the MOP?

Dixon: “As RTKL has gotten involved in more and more design-build projects of various types that are set up using different procurement approaches and contractual arrangements, we felt it was important that we be as consistent as possible in our process. The MOP provides the fundamentals that can be applied to most of the projects in which we’re likely to be involved.”

DBIA: What information from the MOP have you found the most valuable?

Dixon: “The MOP is an extremely valuable resource for many purposes - from serving as reference for the most basic design-build terminology for employees not yet familiar with the process, to providing guidance in developing RFQs and RFPs, to serving as a reference source for best practices throughout all phases of our projects.”

DBIA: How have you utilized the MOP as a tool in your business?

Dixon: “At first I used the MOP as a learning tool to get up to speed with design-build basics. Now, I use it as a desk reference and checklist, and as a teaching tool for younger staff.”

DBIA: Did you find the information presented in the MOP relevant to the construction industry?

Dixon: “Yes, definitely. The MOP is set up to be a resource for all participants in the construction process, including owners, designers, contractors, and subcontractors. Its purpose is to establish an industry-wide understanding of the design-build process and to provide a repository of best practices for everyone’s benefit.”

DBIA: Would you recommend the MOP to a friend or colleague?

Dixon: “Certainly. The MOP is very useful as a primer for anyone considering getting involved in design-build for the first time, and it continues to be a valuable reference for all stages of a project.”