January/February 2018

NSPE Today
NSPE Seeks Nominations for QBS Awards

NSPE is now seeking nominations for the 2017–18 Qualifications-Based Selection Awards. The deadline for nominations is February 21.

Every year, NSPE and the American Council of Engineering Companies partner on the QBS Awards, which recognize public and private entities that make exemplary use of the QBS process at the federal, state, and local levels. Winners serve as examples of how well the QBS process works, and they help NSPE and ACEC promote the practice of QBS in jurisdictions that do not use, or underuse, QBS to procure engineering services.

For years, NSPE has supported the use of qualifications-based selection as the best way to procure the services of design professionals. It’s a process, however, that’s not always followed. In 2017, Alabama, Florida, and Kansas faced attempts to eliminate QBS processes. All were challenged by NSPE and its state societies.

Florida legislation introduced in February 2017 would have eliminated QBS and replaced it with a “best value selection process” that would have allowed price to influence as much as 50% of the selection process. After legislators heard the objections of NSPE and the Florida Engineering Society, the bill was withdrawn from consideration.

In Topeka, recommendations from an audit firm suggested the elimination of QBS could be a money saver for the state Department of Transportation. NSPE and the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers notified top legislators with a rebuttal, and the recommendation was later rescinded.

This year’s QBS Awards have three categories: the federal government sector, the state government sector, and the nongovernment sector. Evaluation criteria for the awards includes a market survey, a public notice, a request for qualifications, evaluation methodology, an interview, debriefings, and negotiations.

The winners will be recognized during NSPE’s 2018 Professional Engineers Conference in July at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Read about NSPE’s work on QBS and other issues.