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Federal Highway Administration / Publications / Focus / January/February 2005

Accelerating Infrastructure Innovations

Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-05-023
Date: January/February 2005

Alternative Contracting's Virtual Community

Find out what alternative, also known as innovative, contracting can do for you. Innovative contracting methods such as design-build and warranties that can improve project quality, accelerate construction, and save money are featured on the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) new Alternative Contracting Community of Practice (COP) Web site. "The site is designed to provide FHWA, State, and local highway agency staff with a forum for sharing information that can aid in the delivery of highway construction projects Nationwide," says Jennifer Balis of FHWA.

Open to all, the site includes a "Discussion" section, where questions and comments about alternative contracting can be submitted. The "Works in Progress" section, meanwhile, allows for posting and review of draft documents. A "Reference" section features links to useful documents and Web sites, including the National Specification Web site; National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 451, Guidelines for Warranty, Multi-Parameter, and Best Value Contracting; and the Primer on Contracting for the 21st Century, published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Also featured is information on State alternative contracting practices, such as innovative contracting methods used by the Ohio Department of Transportation. These methods include incentive/disincentive contracts, design-build contracts, and value engineering.

Visitors to the site can look up a directory of COP members. Both visitors and members can register to receive regular email notification of new items posted to the site.

For more information or to submit reference materials or draft documents for posting on the COP, contact Jennifer Balis at FHWA, 202-493-7302 (email: jennifer.balis@fhwa.dot.gov). To visit the COP, go to knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/hcx.nsf/home and choose "Alternative Contracting."

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Updated: 06/27/2017
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