Contract Negotiation Tools for Professional Services on Highway Projects (0-4297-1)

Increased use of professional services firms for engineering and related services created the need for tools and methods that can support and improve TxDOT negotiation of contracts and management of professional services firms. A data availability and applicability analysis identified a wide variety of types and sources of historical data that might be useful for developing and populating database tools. However, the lack of information in the specific interactions among existing data prevented full development of tools based on historical data. Work to develop tools for structuring cost proposals of professional services firms that can also facilitate proposal analysis by TxDOT personnel produced two prototype spreadsheet tools. Initial feedback and testing at a TxDOT district indicate that the tools can improve negotiations and provide the basis for the development of database tools. Additional development and training in tool use are recommended.