83° 
Architect/Engineer (A/E)
The Consultant hired by the city to develop the design criteria for projects. Depending on their area of expertise, the A/E is hired to design facilities, right of way projects, or utilities.
Best Value Procurement
The City implemented special criteria within the bid process in order to attract better contractors to work on capital projects. The Best Value Procurement (BVP) process is performance-based, so bidding contractors are evaluated on more than just their proposed cost. This process requires responders to bids, proposals or requests for qualifications to provide not only the usual materials and qualifications typically required in standard procurement, but also to provide items such as a risk management plan, performance surveys from past clients, and additional past performance information.
Basis of Design Report (BODR)
The BODR is prepared by the design consultant hired by the City and represents a master plan of proposed funded improvements for a particular neighborhood project. The design is based on input from residents (and businesses, if applicable) in the neighborhood and in conformance with regulatory requirements for construction.
Change Order
A change order is an amendment to a contract to make alterations to an original business agreement. Change orders are generated due to changes in scope or for additional work in a project. These changes or additions could be caused by unforeseen conditions, or by requests made after the contract is agreed upon. Change orders may also reflect reverse charges, resulting in reductions to original costs agreed upon in a contract.
Community Design Workshop (CDW)
A community meeting held when design drawings are typically at 30 percent completion. This is an opportunity for the stakeholders in any given project to view the preliminary designs to see if the project is heading in a direction that corresponds to the original requests from the neighborhood. The BODR is crafted based on input from CDWs.
Community Design Review Meeting (CDRM)
This meeting is held when the design plans are at 60 percent and are more detailed, following the completion of the BODR. Residents and stakeholders can view the more detailed plans in order to get a better idea of what specific improvements will be located in front of their homes, businesses or other areas of interest.
Design/Build
A project delivery system where both the design and construction are handled by the same team. By implementing a design/build project, certain risk is assumed by the team and not the City (project owner). Another benefit of this system is that by overlapping the design and construction phases it tends to reduce the delivery schedule. This approach is different from the more common Design/Bid/Build method, where a design package is prepared, an invitation to bid goes out, and then a contractor bids on, is awarded the contract, and does the work.
General Obligation (G.O.) Bond
General Obligation Bonds are voter approved municipal bonds secured by the taxing and borrowing power of the municipality issuing it. City G.O. Bonds were approved by Miami Beach voters in 1995 for parks and facilities and in 1999 to fund a variety of streetscape improvements throughout the City. The monies allocated through that G.O. Bond are specifically earmarked for these improvements and cannot be used for stormwater, water and sewer or underground utilities. Miami-Dade County voters approved a G.O. Bond in 2004 called the “Building Better Communities” bond, to also fund projects including infrastructure, water and sewer upgrades, parks, public facilities, and cultural amenities.
Invitation To Bid (ITB)
The public call for contractors to bid on projects. This form of competitive selection allows for a fair and equal means for qualified contractors to submit their proposals for scope of work, qualifications, experience and price of a project. A selection committee evaluates those candidates who meet criteria and who are deemed qualified and meet the “best” price.
Job Order Contracting (JOC)
This is a procurement method used for more common construction projects. The City pre-evaluates and approves contractors in various disciplines who are then placed on a rotating list. The contractors are selected from the list allowing relevant projects to move more quickly and easily into construction. A major element in the JOC contracting process is the use of a unit pricing book, which includes predefined costs for specific construction jobs and material line items. This book covers practically every construction material, from nails to concrete. The City recently renegotiated and reworked the unit pricing book and the newer prices are more reflective of current market conditions.
Request for Proposal / Request for Qualifications (RFP/RFQ)
These are the official invitations sent out by the City to qualified bidders seeking contracts for specific jobs. RFPs and RFQs are typically sent out for architects, engineers and design consultants who create the plan documents for Capital Projects, or for those who will oversee a certain type of project that requires specialized expertise.
The Right of Way (ROW) Program
The ROW program is a series of improvement projects that include streetscapes and any other work that affects the public right of way. This includes elements such as streets, curbs, drains, water lines, parking, swales, sidewalks, street lighting and other public elements.
Swale
Grassy area located between the edge of pavement in the public right of way and the right of way line (back of sidewalk in many cases). They provide a place for water to accumulate and to seep into the ground after a rain. They are also designed for retention, with the purpose of keeping streets from flooding. Swales serve as filters, so that the water that makes its way back into the water table is free of contaminants from road surface pollutants. They are vital to the success of the stormwater system.
Tuberculated Pipe
Unlined cast-iron pipes can, over time, develop an inorganic accumulation of hardened sediment. This can restrict the flow of water, but should not cause any harmful effect to potable water.
Value Engineering
This is a methodology that, when applied to construction, is designed to reduce capital costs, by considering alternate materials/equipment that perform similarly to the specified item. For Planned Progress, the City uses certain value engineering techniques to reflect changing markets and budget constraints. The primary purpose of value engineering is to get the most results from product budgets while maintaining safety and quality standards.
