The selection process in this section may be used by public bodies certified under RCW 39.10.270. It may also be used by noncertified public bodies if this selection process has been approved for the project by the project review committee. As an alternative to the subcontractor selection process outlined in RCW 39.10.380, a general contractor/construction manager may, with the approval of the public body, select one or more subcontractors using the process outlined in this section. This alternative selection process may only be used when the anticipated value of the subcontract will exceed $3,000,000. When using the alternative selection process, the general contractor/construction manager should select the subcontractor early in the life of the public works project.

(1) In order to use this alternative selection process, the general contractor/construction manager and the public body must determine that it is in the best interest of the public. In making this determination the general contractor/construction manager and the public body must:

(a) Publish a notice of intent to use this alternative selection process in the same legal newspaper where the public solicitation of proposals is published. The general contractor/construction manager and public body are encouraged to post the notice in additional areas beyond the legal newspaper as required under this subsection, such as websites for business associations, the office of minority and women's business enterprises, and other locations and mediums that will further publicize the intent to use this alternative selection process. Notice must be published at least 14 calendar days before conducting a public hearing. The notice must include the date, time, and location of the hearing; a statement justifying the basis and need for the alternative selection process; and how interested parties may, prior to the hearing, obtain the following: (i) The evaluation criteria and applicable weight given to each criteria that will be used for evaluation, including clear definitions of what should be considered specified general conditions work and what should be considered the fee; and (ii) protest procedures including time limits for filing a protest, which may, in no event, limit the time to file a protest to fewer than four business days from the date the proposer was notified of the selection decision. The evaluation criteria, weights assigned to each criteria, and justification for using this selection process must be made available upon request at least seven calendar days before the public hearing;

(b) Conduct a hearing and provide an opportunity for any interested party to submit written and verbal comments regarding the justification for using this selection process, the evaluation criteria, weights for each criteria, and protest procedures;

(c) After the public hearing, consider the written and verbal comments received and determine if using this alternative selection process is in the best interests of the public; and

(d) Issue a written final determination to all interested parties. The final determination shall state the reasons the alternative selection process is determined to be in the best interests of the public and shall reasonably address the comments received regarding the criteria and weights for each criterion. Any modifications to the criteria, weights, and protest procedures based on comments received during the public hearing process must be included in the final determination. All protests of the decision to use the alternative selection process must be in writing and submitted to the public body within seven calendar days of the final determination. The public body shall not proceed with the selection process until after responding in writing to the protest.

(2) Contracts for the services of a subcontractor under this section must be awarded through a competitive process requiring a public solicitation of proposals. Notice of the public solicitation of proposals must be provided to the office of minority and women's business enterprises. The public solicitation of proposals must include:

(a) A description of the project, including programmatic, performance, and technical requirements and specifications when available, along with a description of the project's unique aspects, complexities, and challenges;

(b) The reasons for using the alternative selection process;

(c) A description of the minimum qualifications required of the firm;

(d) A description of the process used to evaluate qualifications and proposals, including evaluation factors and the relative weight of factors;

(e) Protest procedures;

(f) The form of the contract, including any contract for preconstruction services, to be awarded;

(g) The estimated maximum allowable subcontract cost; and

(h) The bid instructions to be used by the finalists.

(3) Evaluation factors for selection of the subcontractor must include, but not be limited to:

(a) Ability of the firm's professional personnel to deliver projects similar in size, scope, or complexity;

(b) The firm's past performance on projects similar in size, scope, or complexity;

(c) The firm's ability to meet time and budget requirements on projects similar in size, scope, or complexity;

(d) The scope of work the firm proposes to perform with its own forces and its ability to perform that work;

(e) The firm's plan for inclusion of business entities certified with the office of minority and women's business enterprises, including small businesses and business entities certified with the department of veterans affairs, to the extent permitted by law;

(f) The firm's proximity to the project location;

(g) The firm's approach to executing the project based on its delivery of other projects similar in size, scope, or complexity;

(h) The firm's approach to safety on the project;

(i) The firm's safety history;

(j) If interviews are part of the selection process, the solicitation shall describe how interviews will be scored or evaluated, and evaluations shall be included in the written selection summary; and

(k) If the firm is selected as one of the most qualified finalists, the firm's fee and cost proposal.

(4) The general contractor/construction manager shall establish a committee to evaluate the proposals. At least one representative from the public body shall serve on the committee. Final proposals, including sealed bids for the percent fee on the estimated maximum allowable subcontract cost, and the fixed amount for the subcontract general conditions work specified in the request for proposal, will be requested from the most qualified firms.

(5) The general contractor/construction manager must notify all proposers of the most qualified firms that will move to the next phase of the selection process. The process may not proceed to the next phase until two business days after all proposers are notified of the committee's selection decision. At the request of a proposer, the general contractor/construction manager must provide the requesting proposer with a scoring summary of the evaluation factors for its proposal. Proposers filing a protest on the selection of the most qualified finalists must file the protest with the public body in accordance with the published protest procedures. The selection process may not advance to the next phase of selection until two business days after the final protest decision issued by the public body is transmitted to the protestor.

(6) The general contractor/construction manager and the public body shall select the firm submitting the highest scored final proposal using the evaluation factors and the relative weight of factors identified in the solicitation of proposals. Scoring of the nonprice factors shall be added to the scoring of the fee and cost proposals to determine the highest scored firm. The scoring of the nonprice factors must be made available at the public opening of the fee and cost proposals. The general contractor/construction manager shall notify all proposers of the selection decision and make a selection summary of the final proposals, which shall be available to all proposers within two business days of such notification. The general contractor/construction manager may not evaluate or disqualify a proposal based on the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.

(7) If the public body receives a timely written protest from a "most qualified firm," the general contractor/construction manager may not execute a contract for the protested subcontract work until two business days after the final protest decision issued by the public body is transmitted to the protestor. The protestor must submit its protest in accordance with the published protest procedures.

(8) If the general contractor/construction manager is unable to negotiate a satisfactory maximum allowable subcontract cost with the firm selected deemed by public body and the general contractor/construction manager to be fair, reasonable, and within the available funds, negotiations with that firm must be formally terminated and the general contractor/construction manager may negotiate with the next highest scored firm until an agreement is reached or the process is terminated.

(9) With the approval of the public body, the general contractor/construction manager may contract with the selected firm to provide preconstruction services during the design phase that may include life-cycle cost design considerations, value engineering, scheduling, cost estimating, constructability, alternative construction options for cost savings, and sequencing of work; and to act as the subcontractor during the construction phase.

(10) The maximum allowable subcontract cost must be used to establish a total subcontract cost for purposes of a performance and payment bond. Total subcontract cost means the fixed amount for the detailed specified general conditions work, the negotiated maximum allowable subcontract cost, and the percent fee on the negotiated maximum allowable subcontract cost. Maximum allowable subcontract cost means the maximum cost to complete the work specified for the subcontract, including the estimated cost of work to be performed by the subcontractor's own forces, a percentage for risk contingency, negotiated support services, and approved change orders. The maximum allowable subcontract cost must be negotiated between the general contractor/construction manager and the selected firm when the construction documents and specifications are at least ninety percent complete. Final agreement on the maximum allowable subcontract cost is subject to the approval of the public body.

(11) If the work of the subcontractor is completed for less than the maximum allowable subcontract cost, any savings not otherwise negotiated as part of an incentive clause becomes part of the risk contingency included in the general contractor/construction manager's maximum allowable construction cost. If the work of the subcontractor is completed for more than the maximum allowable subcontract cost, the additional cost is the responsibility of that subcontractor. An independent audit, paid for by the public body, must be conducted to confirm the proper accrual of costs. The public body or general contractor/construction manager shall define the scope of the audit in the contract.

(12) A subcontractor selected under this section may perform work with its own forces. In the event it elects to subcontract some of its work, it must select a subcontractor utilizing the procedure outlined in RCW 39.10.380.

Sunset Act application: See note following chapter digest.

Effective date—2023 c 395 ss 1-30, 32-34, 36, and 37: See note following RCW 39.04.010.

Findings—Intent—2023 c 395: See note following RCW 39.04.010.

Effective date—2021 c 230: See note following RCW 39.10.210.

Effective date—2013 c 222: See note following RCW 39.10.210.