Page 186 - Sustainable On-Site CHP Systems Design, Construction, and Operations

The Engineering Pr ocess 159

project. The following is a list of some of the items typically requested in an engineering
RFQ:
• Business name and address
• Company telephone and fax numbers
• Primary contact information
• Company background and history
• Organization chart
• CHP (or applicable) design experience of the firm (sample projects)
• CHP (or applicable) design experience of the proposed team members
• A description of three similar projects completed in the last 5 to 10 years
• Technical/project approach
• A discussion of project management
• A discussion of the firms’ quality assurance/quality control program
• A discussion of the firms’ ability to support the owner during the construction
process
• The firms’ change-order history (lower percent change-orders is usually better)
• Subconsultant information
• Staff availability/work load
• Equal opportunity statements
• Disclosure of any past or pending litigation
• Disclosure of any past or pending bankruptcy
• Key team member resumes
• References
• List of any exceptions to the RFQ
The purpose of the response to a RFQ is to show that the engineering firm has

• The requisite knowledge and experience to develop a good set of plans and
specifications required to construct the CHP system
• Specific CHP design experience relevant to the project
• The tools and resources to perform the work
• The man power to get the work done in a timely manner
• Engineers who will work well with the owner’s team
The RFQ, which has a given due date, can be advertised to the public or can be
mailed to a list of known and/or qualified engineers. As noted, often, the CHP owner-
operator will provide with the RFQ the preset rating criteria (points and weighting) by
which the engineering firm responses will be judged and firms for interviews would be
selected. The rating criteria are typically similar to the RFQ, which may include prede-
termined points for project experience, points for technical approach, and so on.