QBS Tops "Lowest Bid" in Providing Lower Cost, Better Projects, National Study Shows A nationwide university study confirms what ACEC has long asserted—that Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) achieves lower construction costs and better project results. The quantitative study—An Analysis of Issues Pertaining to Qualifications-Based Selection—was conducted jointly by the University of Colorado and Georgia Institute of Technology, and co-sponsored by ACEC and the American Public Works Association (APWA). Key findings include that while the industry average for construction cost growth (total cost of change orders as a percentage of the final construction cost) is about 10 percent, on QBS projects it was only 3 percent. Construction schedule growth was also lower on QBS projects. Among the QBS projects in the study, 94 percent of the design firms and 93 percent of the owners had a high or very high perception of the projects’ success. “This nationwide study of Qualifications-Based Selection once again validates what has been known for some time and what the Brooks Act enshrined—namely that QBS saves money, leads to better project outcomes and more satisfied clients,” ACEC President Dave Raymond said. To purchase copies of An Analysis of Issues Pertaining to Qualifications-Based Selection, click here or call 202-347-7474.

ACEC Offers Reconstruction Assistance to USAID's Efforts in Haiti In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, ACEC has offered to assist the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in its recovery efforts. “On behalf of the American Council of Engineering Companies and our thousands of Member Firms covering the full range of infrastructure, environmental, and facilities services, I would like to offer our resources to assist your agency with Haitian relief and recovery,” ACEC President Dave Raymond wrote in a letter to USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. USAID is currently focused on emergency relief, but the agency is already looking ahead. “As we start getting organized to carry out assessments and program planning for the reconstruction efforts, we will get back to you,” said Jessica Rosen Tulodo, acting team leader for USAID’s Urban Programs & Engineering Services. “We very much value the support of ACEC and expect there will be considerable support coming from your members in the days, months, and years ahead that it is going to take to reconstruct Port-au-Prince.” For Member Firms or individuals looking to make monetary contributions to the Haiti relief efforts, USAID recommends either the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund or the American Red Cross.

NOLA Green Course Includes Storm Barrier Visit; Early-bird Pricing Through Jan. 26 Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities: Opportunities in New Markets Feb. 23-26, New Orleans Participants in ACEC’s Feb. 23-26 Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities: Opportunities in New Markets course will be guests of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a private briefing and special boat tour of the new $1.3 billion Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lake Borgne Storm Surge Barrier. The state-of-the-art structure is designed to bring the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System to 100-year levels of protection by the 2011 hurricane season. The four-day Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities course takes an in-depth look at the challenges of going into green markets, through recent examples of sustainable transportation, buildings, and water projects. The unique faculty mix of leading practitioners, academics and government experts will present a diverse curriculum that examines key environmental planning and design processes and showcases applications of sustainable engineering. Topics to be covered in the in-depth course include: Sustainability as Business Strategy The Business Case for Delivering Sustainable Projects Conducting Sustainability Audits and Assessments for Clients Use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Costing Risk Management for Sustainable Projects Application of BIM Software in Sustainability Sustainable Urban Water Management, Transportation Projects, Buildings. The afternoon field trip will also stop at the 9th Ward’s Field of Dreams project, which includes sustainable athletic fields and related infrastructure that were funded by contributions to replace facilities destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Click here for the course brochure with full agenda and faculty details. To register at the lowest advance price, click here.

Update Your A/E Business Survival Skills for the 2010 Business Environment The Business of Design Consulting: Managing for Success in a Climate of Change March 10-13, Salt Lake City, UT ACEC’s highly regarded course is a comprehensive update on the elements and functions of the successful A/E business, focusing on “things they don’t teach in engineering school.” The course will be presented March 10-13 in Salt Lake City, UT. The Business of Design Consulting: Managing for Success in a Climate of Change takes participants through an in-depth exploration of hands-on management practices in the context of a challenging business environment. Created for firm owners, principals, executives, and managers, this course is a timely, focused update in eight primary functional areas: finance, marketing, risk management, contracts, leadership, business management, human resources, and information technology, and a solid investment for success in an intensely competitive 2010 and the decade beyond. For the full agenda and faculty information, click here. For details and to register at the early-bird price, click here.

Engineering the Smart Grid: New Opportunities for Engineering Companies Engineering the Smart Grid—New Opportunities for Engineering Companies Feb. 10, 1:30-3 p.m. The Smart Grid is changing everything for energy utilities. This timely online seminar examines one of the industry’s hottest topics—the Smart Grid. What’s hype and what isn’t? How and where the Smart Grid will benefit engineering and utilities stakeholder groups? Participants will learn how the Smart Grid is creating opportunities for engineering firms to team with energy utility owner-operators in re-engineering the grid to meet 21st century needs, through new and more efficient ways to build it more quickly, more efficiently and at lower cost. Presenters Richard Zambuni, Bentley Systems, and Juan Torres, Iberdrola Engineering and Construction, will present the engineering and the utilities perspectives on the subject. Torres will outline his firm’s vision of the Smart Grid and show how it has impacted their approach to substation design and other projects. Participants in this interactive seminar will: Learn about the Smart Grid—hype or reality? Examine the physical infrastructure from "source to switch" Gain information to leverage Smart Grid funding from owner-operators and governments (Note the Administration’s commitment of $4.5 billion to Smart Grid projects) Hear how an international engineering company is taking advantage of Smart Grid opportunities Learn how new workflows and new information modeling technology will help engineers in delivering the Smart Grid more efficiently Engineering firms and consultants working with energy utilities and in environmental sectors will find this seminar of particular value. For details and to register, click here.

Get Online Sneak Peek at Industry Trends Survey Results, 2010 Expectations 2010 Industry Trends’ Hot Markets: Sustainability, Health Care, Water Projects February 3, 1:30-3 p.m. Ron Ewing, Dewberry, and Terry Bennett, AutoDesk, present an early look at the important statistics and industry expectations from ACEC’s upcoming 2010 Design & Construction Industry Trends Survey Report. The comprehensive study predicts that growth market opportunities for 2010 are particularly strong in several areas, led by green infrastructure and health care facilities. This online seminar delves into what’s hot and what’s not as reported by survey respondent firms. Soon to be available for purchase in both print and downloadable versions, the 2010 Report, which was co-sponsored by Autodesk, cites emerging market demands that are driving the need for projects in specific market sectors, and reveals firms’ aggregate responses to current business challenges, from flattening salaries to innovative company practices to boost efficiency to BIM adoption and more. Click here to register.

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The American Council of Engineering Companies 1015 15th St., NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20005-2605 Phone: 202-347-7474 - Fax: 202-898-0068 www.acec.org - E-mail:acec@acec.org Alan D. Crockett, Director, PR • Gerry Donohue, Designer