Insufficient funding for critical infrastructure threatens public safety and human health. Communities can face unsafe roads, unreliable transit, poor-quality drinking water, and increased pollution, which impede economic growth and prosperity. Robust funding to repair, maintain, and modernize critical infrastructure provides the foundation for a strong economy, which attracts investment and creates high-wage jobs.

Challenge

Using cost as a determining factor for architectural and engineering services during procurement threatens the quality, safety and long-term viability of projects the public relies upon in their daily lives.

Solution

Protect CCNA, the Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA) Florida Statutes s.287.055, where the determining factor in procurement is based on the qualifications of the firm, rather than cost.

Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA) Florida Statutes s.287.055, is the process of procuring architectural and engineering (A/E) services based on the qualifications of the firm, rather than cost. Firms are ranked based on their qualifications before negotiations begin with the highest ranked firm. If a mutually satisfactory price cannot be reached, the local government can then move on to the next highest ranked firm.

The Benefits of CCNA:

CCNA Simplifies Projects

Studies have demonstrated that CCNA is a superior procurement method, particularly with projects that require community involvement, social components, or challenging and restrictive project sites.

While larger local governments may have the capacity to hire and retain highly qualified staff that can create a fully defined scope of work, smaller jurisdictions are at imminent risk of accepting low bids that are based on a poorly defined scope and can benefit tremendously from the expertise obtained from highly qualified design professionals. By utilizing CCNA rather than a cost-based method, project owners can benefit from the expertise of the design professionals responding to the project before negotiations even begin.

CCNA Saves Money

CCNA enables the project owner to obtain the services of a highly qualified architect or engineer at a fair and reasonable cost, which is an investment in quality that will result in substantial savings over the life of the project. A 2022 study found that cost growth on projects that utilize CCNA for procuring engineering services is half the national average. This study also found that devoting more effort toward the design of a project with a highly qualified firm has been shown to reduce the project’s final cost from early estimates.

CCNA Saves Time

Utilizing CCNA results in fewer project delays and outperforms the national average for schedule adherence. A recent study found that on average, nearly half of all projects using CCNA met all construction milestones with no adjustment in schedule necessary.

CCNA Promotes Innovation

External factors and unforeseen challenges often necessitate the rework of project designs; however, a recent survey found that 57% of project owners utilizing CCNA stated that their design professionals were able to avoid rework. While project owners may believe that low-bid procurement would yield greater innovation given the fee-based structure that their design professionals are required to work within, qualitative analyses have shown that higher qualified design professionals consistently produce more innovation and high-quality design documentation.

CCNA Drives Procurement

A recent qualitative analysis found that 89% of project owners reported “very high” or “high” satisfaction with the project’s success where CCNA was utilized for design professionals. CCNA also promotes a greater diversity of firms being considered for projects. Some large firms may have economies of scale that allow them to offer “loss leader” pricing that undercuts smaller firms that may have highly qualified design teams, but who also have higher overhead costs that they can’t simply absorb to win a contract.