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Scope

Any University employee whose responsibilities include the maintenance, planning, design and construction of any campus facility, regardless of campus.

Reason for Policy

Facilities Planning & Development is a division within the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø¿ª½± System Office of Finance and provides support to the campuses in the planning, design and construction of facilities to maximize resources and minimize risk for the university.  We serve as the university’s building code authority (AHJ) and contracting officer for design and construction and are responsible for developing and maintaining university design and construction standards, policies, procedures, and standard design and construction documents; providing technical and policy support to campus staff on planning, design, and construction issues; developing/reviewing items to be presented to the Board of Curators for all facility related projects requiring board review/approval; administering and enforcing University Prevailing Wage policy; and fostering collaboration, education, and innovation on facilities issues with and between the campuses.

We are also responsible for preparing facilities related reports and coordinating the Annual Capital Project Plans and the submission of the annual State Capital Appropriations Request.  We serve as the liaison between the university and state agencies on facilities issues and capital budgeting.

To establish a system wide set of policies for standard design and construction practices to ensure University resources are used in a responsible manner and to establish delegation of authority on design and construction projects.

Policy Statement

The rules governing and controlling design and construction practices for the University have been established and approved by the Board of Curators in the Collected Rules and Regulations 70.060.  These include rules for Curator approval of projects and master plans, advertisement for bid and competitive bidding of construction contracts, establishment of a University building code, and the use of prevailing wage for construction work. As noted in the Collected Rules and Regulations 70.060, the Board of Curators has delegated to the President authority to hire consultants and administer facilities design and construction contracts and operations in conformance with CRR 70.060

Award of Construction Contracts
The University awards construction contracts to the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder or bidders based on pre-established criteria.  Responsibility is the bidders’ ability to satisfactorily perform the work.  A responsive bid indicates there are no defects in the bid, such as failure to include all the work in the bid documents or a bid irregularity.  The University, with the assistance of its Design Consultants, will thoroughly investigate both the responsibility of the low bidder and the responsiveness of the bid before an award of a construction contract.

Architects and Engineers will be selected using a Qualifications Based Selection Process.

Definitions

Accountabilities

Vice President for Finance/Chief Financial Officer and the Director of Facilities Planning and Development
The President has delegated design and construction policies, contracting activities, and operations management, in compliance with Board of Curators’ policies and administrative policies to the Vice President for Finance/Chief Financial Officer and to the Director of Facilities Planning and Development.  The Director of Facilities Planning and Development has authority for the following design and construction activities:

• Execution of design and construction contracts, including amendments to contracts not delegated to the campuses.
• Establishing design fee guidelines for all consultant services.
• Coordinating development of design and construction standards.
• Coordinating the presentation of projects to the Board of Curators and to the State.
• Acting as the University building code authority and providing code interpretation.
• Acting as arbitrator in resolving consultant or contractor disputes.
• Administering the Prevailing Wage requirements and monitoring compliance.
• Acting as liaison between the campuses and the General Counsel on design and construction matters requiring legal assistance.
• Coordinating the preparation of the University’s capital budget and its presentation to state agencies.
• Coordinating the development and maintenance of UM policy and procedures for facility planning and development.
• Monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of facility management operations at the campuses.

Campus Chancellors
The President has delegated to the Chancellors the following authority for design and construction:

• Execution of Architect/Engineer Agreements on projects where the construction value will be less than or equal to $500,000 and total fees less than or equal to $100,000.
• Execution of all construction contracts less than or equal to $500,000.
• Hiring Architects and Engineers and coordination of design for all projects.
• Manage campus design and construction projects, administer design and construction contracts including change orders, and maintain control and accounting for project funds.
• Soliciting bids for all construction work.
• Performance of construction work with in-house staff.
• Prepare and submit project status reports to Facilities Planning and Development.
• Prepare documents required for Board of Curators review and approval and submit them to the Facilities Planning and Development.
• Prepare and submit the campus capital plans and appropriations request approval and submit them to the Facilities Planning and Development.
• The day-to-day facility management of plant operations.
• Operate capital improvements following their completion.

Additional Details

Forms

https://umsystem.edu/ums/fa/facilities/

Related Information

Collected Rules and Regulations 70.060

History

Formerly Business Policy Manual 109 –Design & Construction – Delegation of Authority and General Policies (revised 9/18/2012).

Procedure

The UM Facilities Policy and Procedures Manual provides additional information regarding design and construction policies.