(a)

1. (1) After selection of a design-builder and execution of the design-build agreement (DBA), the Arkansas Department of Transportation takes on the roles of contract administration and quality management during the project implementation phase.
2. (2) An example of an organization chart for the department personnel involved in the implementation phase is included as Appendix E-3.

(b)

1. (1) For the design-builder, the focus for contract administration should be on the project manager (PM).
2. (2) All aspects of the project for design and construction, as defined in the specifications, will pass through the PM throughout the life of the project.

3. (3) The PM will be responsible for management activities, including:

   1. (A) Progress reports;
   2. (B) Scheduling;
   3. (C) Communication;
   4. (D) Project direction;
   5. (E) Change management; and
   6. (F) Oversight of the design-builder’s quality control and quality assurance programs.

(c)

1. (1) The responsibilities of the department for contract administration will involve:

   1. (A) Monitoring contract compliance and schedules;
   2. (B) Processing progress payments;
   3. (C) Performing quality assurance activities;
   4. (D) Assisting in permitting and right-of-way acquisitions;
   5. (E) Negotiating contract amendments; and
   6. (F) Resolving disputes.
2. (2) Technical submittals by the design-builder will require review by the department for conformance to the technical criteria and conformance with the requirements of the DBA.
3. (3) In some cases, the design and construction will be overlapped and staggered (fast-tracked), requiring timely processing by the department to avoid impacts to the project schedule.
4. (4) The DBA should define review timelines that the department and any relevant third parties will be entitled to use for submittals.
5. (5) The DBA should also identify how many cumulative submittals the design-builder will be allowed to submit at any given time.

(d)

1. (1) Progress payment requests prepared by the design-builder will also require review by the department.
2. (2) The payment requests will require detailed review and comparison with the design-builder project schedule, the schedule of values (SOV), and field verification to complete the review and process the request.

(e)

1. (1) The focus of the department quality assurance program should be on product compliance with the DBA, verification of the design-builder’s quality control, and assurance measures along with limited verification inspection and testing and meeting federal quality requirements.
2. (2) Quality assurance activities focus on monitoring contract execution with respect to the project quality management plan (QMP) which is prepared by the design-builder and approved by the department after contract award.