Effective and Efficient Implementation of Alternative Project Delivery Methods

Abstract

The multiple project delivery methods that exist today each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Some procedures within the methods have also been proven to be effective when applied to most project formats, specifically transportation projects. In order to improve the overall capabilities of a transportation agency, it would be advantageous to seek out these effective procedures and gather them in purpose to refine the existing procedures of the said agency. Through our own methods we, The Center of Excellence in Project Management at the Department for Civil/Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland, have done this very action. We have identified a multitude of best practices throughout the transportation construction industry and assembled them in a reviewable format in order to aid the Maryland State Highway Association (MDSHA). We conducted a thorough, comprehensive and objective literary review over many other state’s departments of transportation (DOTs) best practices involving each project delivery methods in use. In the following white paper review, we plan on achieving a few different objectives. Our first objective is to describe in detail what exactly we mean by the term ‘best practice’ and other related terminology. Our second objective is to describe what we found to be best practices in other states and to determine how those other states have employed them. Our final objective is to determine how the MDSHA could employ these techniques into their own repertoire in order to improve their overall effectiveness and abilities.