Improving quality of life for Connecticut

More than 60 firms and 2,000 highly-skilled engineers addressing Connecticut challenges with the skills and expertise to improve quality of life through the built environment, including transportation, water infrastructure and vertical space.

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$ PER YEAR CT ROADS COST EACH DRIVER

% LOWER COSTS VIA CONSULTING ENGINEERS

CT BRIDGES THAT NEED IMPROVEMENT

$ IN BILLIONS NEEDED FOR CT POTABALE WATER

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​Featured Image:  Superstructure Replacement of US Route 1 Over I-95, Stamford, CT - WSP

Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS)

​When procuring engineering and related services, government agencies get the best value when they award
contracts based on the qualifications of offerers. In addition to delivering quality projects, government agencies
are responsible for safeguarding the public’s health and well-being while being accountable to taxpayers.
Selection of design professionals using qualifications as the initial criteria accomplishes these goals.

What is QBS...
QBS was codified in the Brooks Act in 1972 to protect the
interests of taxpayers. The Brooks Act requires any project that
includes any Federal Funding to use a QBS process to select
design professionals. Over the life of a project, engineering-
related services account for less than 0.5 percent of total costs.
Yet these services play a major role in determining the other
99.5 percent on the project’s life-cycle costs, as well as the
quality of the completed project.


Why Does QBS Make Sense...
Most individuals would not select medical or legal services
for a critical matter based solely on cost—these highly skilled
services are too important to leave up to the lowest bid.
Likewise, engineering is a highly skilled profession, and the
services that engineers provide directly affect public safety
and welfare.

QBS Works Because...

1. Results in Lower Overall Cost. QBS lowers
the overall cost of projects through better designs,
better bids, and lower risk of change orders during
construction while minimizing long term maintenance and
repair costs.

​2. Safeguards Public Interest. QBS allows
government agencies to protect the public’s health
and safety by focusing on qualifications to achieve
the agency’s requirements rather than lowest cost.
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3. Promotes Communication and Technical
Innovation. Using QBS, owners have the
opportunity to fully define the project scope during
the selection process. This process results in a project that is
fully thought-through, and fosters innovative, creative, cost-
saving and timesaving approaches to problems.

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For additional information visit:
ACEC Research Institute
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Active advocacy campaigns are noted below

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Additional Resources

ACEC/CT's Fact Sheet

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2023
QBS Information
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2020
ACEC CTDOT Liaison Committee Town Hall Presentation
ACEC to Governor Lamont 5.15.20
DOT Liaison Committee Update

2019
Legislative Wrap Up

2018
Final ACEC Candidate Questionnaire
ACEC Joint Task Force Memo
12-17-18 CTDOT Wage Freeze
CTDOT wage freeze ltr_12-03-18 FINAL Ltr only