Risks Involved in Using Alternative Project Delivery (APD) Methods in Water and Wastewater Projects

Abstract

There are risks involved in the design and construction of projects, and several studies have been conducted in identifying the risks involved in using traditional delivery method (Design Bid Build) in the design and construction of the projects. However, little research has been done in identifying the risks involved in using Alternative Project Delivery (APD) methods in the design and construction of water and wastewater projects. The identification of these risks could assist in improving project performance of future projects that use APD methods. A survey was conducted to identify the risks involved in using APD methods for the design and construction of water and wastewater projects. The respondents of the survey were owners, policy makers, utility managers and project managers who had used APD methods for their water and wastewater projects. The survey results showed that the top three risks in using APD methods were ‘discomfort with change from traditional delivery method’, ‘lack of qualified personnel within the organization’, and ‘loss of control of the design process’. One of the recommended approaches provided by the respondents to address these risks was to educate the owners’ policy makers and project staffs regarding the APD methods.