RURAL WATER AND WASTEWATER PROJECTS:
Getting to Success With Your Consulting Engineer
Participants will hear a variety of perspectives on working with paid consultants to get the services your community needs. Presentations will include effective development and use of requests for proposals, contract negotiation, capital improvement planning and ongoing project evaluation. Funders will also provide an update on available programs.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
- Elected officials of rural cities, towns and counties
- Infrastructure or Planning Advisory Board members
- Other Interested Individuals
NOTE: Attendance at this workshop by a local official will make the unit of local government eligible to receive 10 bonus points on applications to Rural Center infrastructure grant programs offered in FY 07-08.
WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND?
Board members, city council members, and other public officials of small communities are often in the position of having to hire engineering consulting firms to assist with water and wastewater infrastructure planning and project development. Having a clearly stated project scope and goal, using a strategic selection process and objective evaluation criteria are key in the process of hiring a consultant. Once an engineering consultant is selected, small communities face additional tasks that require careful decision making. These include developing a contract, monitoring and evaluating the work of the engineering firm, addressing potential problems, misunderstandings, or failures to uphold contract specifications.
The selection process and subsequent contract monitoring can have significant impacts on project development and project management. This workshop series on how to select, work with, and evaluate the work of paid engineers will provide decision makers of rural communities with tools, resources, and lessons learned and help to ensure the best use of future infrastructure funds of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center and other water and wastewater infrastructure funding agencies.