ACEC/PA Recognizes the PennDOT Multimodal Transportation Deputate as 2016 Client of Distinction

HARRISBURG, PA (03/12/2016)(readMedia)-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 11, 2016

ACEC/PA Recognizes the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Multimodal Transportation Deputate as 2016 Client of Distinction at Annual Diamond Awards Gala

Contact – Jenna Earley (800)651-1946 or jearley@acecpa.org

Harrisburg, PA - The Client of Distinction Award recognizes those public and private sector individuals or groups of individuals who make outstanding contributions to advancing and growing the consulting engineering profession. These clients exercise fair business practices, provide visionary approaches and practices toward team building, serve to influence on important issues, and avail themselves to the American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania (ACEC/PA) member firms for their engineering challenges.

ACEC/PA has announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Multimodal Transportation Deputate was selected to receive the 2016 Client of Distinction Award, which was presented at the ACEC/PA Annual Diamond Awards for Engineering Excellence Gala last night.

PennDOT's Multimodal Deputate demonstrates fair contracting and general business practices through transparency in the selection process and advocating for multi-disciplined teams to support PennDOT's growing program. Specifically, the Deputate has pushed organizational efficiencies especially for administrative functions. These efficiencies include how PennDOT contracts with and utilizes consulting engineering firms, initiating the use of performance-based professional services contracts at PennDOT. This process improves contracting for the entire Pennsylvania consulting community and ACEC/PA members by holding all firms accountable for quality standards in project deliverables prior to payment. During contract negotiation, the Deputate reacts quickly to questions and concerns from the consulting engineers and works with the firms to develop scope and fee schedules that meet each team's expectations.

PennDOT's vision of utilizing open end agreements that have a "One Contract Concept" provides flexibility for completing multimodal projects. These contracts can cover multiple modes of transportation and allow for environmental and preliminary to final design services. The "One Contract Concept" encourages consultants to build teams that include engineering, architectural, planning, and environmental partners. Through this contracting concept, PennDOT can ensure that projects are initiated quickly as a multitude of qualified firms are already under contract. This provides a cost-effective approach as various professional skillsets (prime and subconsultants) are at their disposal.

Engaging various stakeholders minimizes competing interests and promotes collaboration which delivers better projects more efficiently. The Deputate is also expanding PennDOT's vision on how to best deliver multimodal projects, considering the use of P3 project delivery methods for completing transit stations such as the Middletown and Coatesville Stations.

By contracting consultants directly, state funds can be optimized by promoting project efficiency as project successes can be replicated since knowledge is now centralized and technical staff oversee the projects. Streamlining enables PennDOT to monitor costs and allow teams to deliver more with less, thus spreading state funds to more projects. Additionally, The Deputy Secretary has been an advocate for ensuring that funding is available for transportation projects.

Under Toby Fauver's direction of the BPT (and the entire Multimodal Deputate), nearly $100 million in contracts have been awarded since 2009. His leadership and vision provides efficient transportation services/assistance to all modes and continues work opportunities for ACEC/PA firms.

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