PURPOSE
The purpose of this procedure is to provide guidelines for conducting the Pre- Bid Meeting and Job Walks.
REFERENCES
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RESPONSIBILITIES
Project Award and Control Division (PAC): PAC is responsible for scheduling the Pre-Bid Meetings (PBM) and Job Walks.
Project Manager (PM): The PM is responsible for attending the PBM and reviewing all project issues with the attending Contractors. The PM is also responsible for conducting Job Walks for projects, if necessary. The PM is further responsible for distributing and discussing the Partnering Charter, the Issues Resolution Ladder, and the Issues Resolution Policy (Code of Conduct) that is used on all Bureau of Engineering (BOE) projects. In some Programs, the PM may delegate the latter assignment to the Construction Manager (CM) and Project Inspector because both will be responsible for administering the Charter for the Department.
Bureau of Contract Administration (BCA), Office of Contract Compliance (OCC): If funding is provided and the PBM takes place in the Public Works Building (PWB) at 1149 S. Broadway in Los Angeles, OCC will conduct the PBM and provide training to prospective Bidders regarding the Business Inclusion Program (BIP) or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program requirements.
Project Engineer (PE): The PE assists the PM in documenting, compiling and resolving all questions raised at the PBM and Job Walk and issuing the answers to the Contractors through an addendum.
Construction Manager (CM): If a CM has been assigned to the project, it is recommended that he/she attend the PBM and the Job Walk. The CM may be asked to present and discuss the partnering documents.
PROCEDURE
Pre-Bid Meetings (PBM)
PAC staff typically does not attend the PBM. PAC does not post the minutes or agenda from the PBM. Attendance at the PBM is recorded by sign-in sheets attached as 13.4-2. These sign-in sheets have specific language that has been requested by the Board of Public Works. The PBM is conducted by the PM and the staff of OCC. The OCC staff reviews the requirements of the BIP or DBE Program with the Contractors. This training is critical for receiving responsive bids from Contractors bidding on BOE projects. The PM attends the meeting to review any special requirements, technical issues, and bid documents for the project. Clarifying issues at the meetings reduces confusion, improves the quality of the bids, and potentially provides cost savings to the City of Los Angeles.
The PM must also discuss the Bureau’s approach to construction management, in particular the Partnering Charter, Issues Resolution Ladder, an Issues Resolution Policy (Code of Conduct) that will be followed with the successful bidder. Generic versions of the latter documents are described in Procedure 15.2 -Partnering. It is BOE and BCA policy to partner cooperatively on all construction projects. It is important to discuss Partnering with all potential bidders so that any potential cost savings can be realized in their bidding decisions.
OCC will conduct the BIP training at the PBM. This training clarifies the requirements of the BIP in which bidders are required to outreach to and enter into subcontracts with Minority, Women, Small, Emerging, Disabled Veteran, and other business enterprises. Bidders who fail to meet the requirements for the BIP or DBE Program may be found to be non-responsive by the Board of Public Works and not be awarded the contract.
PBMs are an important step in the construction process. It is the responsibility of the PM to discuss any special requirements, if they exist on the project, at the PBM. The PM, accompanied by the PE and/or CM, attends the meeting and discusses the specific details of the project. The goal is to provide as much information to prospective bidders as possible.
The PBM date is established and incorporated into the bid package by the PAC. The PM attends the meeting and addresses the technical issues related to the project, clarifies issues to the extent possible, and highlights and reviews any special requirements included in the project specifications, such as:
Specific documentation that is required to be submitted with the bid
Special qualifications or experience required of the subcontractors
Unusual site conditions
Special schedules required to be met by the contractor
Any other unique features of the project
The PE may attend the PBM to give helpful details about the project design to the attending contractors and record all significant questions raised at the meeting. The PM must be careful about answering questions at the PBM. The PM may immediately answer questions about the project if the PM believes that the answers to those questions raised at the meeting are administrative in nature, are easily found in the Plans or Specifications for the project, and the answers do not give a competitive advantage to those attending the meeting. All such questions and answers must be documented in an addendum along with the meeting minutes (see Procedure 13.5 – Responding to Inquiries and Issuing Addenda).
If a question is highly technical in nature, or if the answer would give a competitive advantage to those attending the meeting, then the contractor asking the question should be asked to submit the question in writing. All questions submitted in writing and their answers may then be issued to all plan holders through the addenda process. This is necessary because all eligible bidders might not be in attendance at PBMs. Answering the written questions via an addendum will allow for all interested bidders to benefit from the response to the questions. Some Contractors who bid on the project may not have attended the meeting. All Contractors must have the same information to submit accurate bids for the project.
The PM should not answer any question asked at the PBM if they are unsure of the answer. Again, the contractor asking the question should be asked to submit the question in writing. The questions and answers may be provided to all plan holders by addenda. Answering questions through addenda is an important way of making sure that all Contractors have the same information for bidding on the project.
Job Walks
The PM decides whether a Job Walk is required for the project. Job Walks are scheduled by PAC and are typically held on the same day as the PBM. Job Walks are recommended for projects located outside of the public right-of-way, have restricted access to the public, are complex in nature, have site constraints, or involve retrofitting or rehabilitation of existing facilities. Typical projects that are appropriate for Job Walks are treatment plants, pumping plants, and projects with gates or easements that do not permit access to the public. Job Walks are appropriate for these projects to ensure that all bidders actually see the site where the project will be built. Job Walks for projects built in the public right-of-way are optional since bidders can visit the site at any time that is convenient for them.
The PM and PE should be available at the Job Walk to discuss the project. The PM should follow the same procedures for answering questions as they do at the PBM.
The Job Walk is an excellent opportunity to show potential bidders the conditions at the site that could affect the price of their bids. It also gives the PM the opportunity to point out technical issues that potential bidders should consider before submitting their bids. The PM should contact the PAC Manager with any questions regarding the Job Walk. The PM is also responsible for documenting any questions raised and answers given on the Job Walk. Again, answers that might give a competitive advantage to bidders attending the Job Walk should be issued to all plan holders by addenda. Should the Job Walk result in changes to the bid documents, such changes must be issued by addendum.
RELATED PROCEDURES
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