Developing an Adaptable Best Value Contractor Selection Tool for Federal Construction Projects

Currently, there is no Air Force-wide best practice or standard for using an other-than lowest price source selection process for construction projects. Installations often award contracts using Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) because of perceived cost and time savings. However, a heavy reliance on LPTA often leads to long-term decreases in quality and value. To allow the Air Force to receive the best value for its construction funding, a simple and adaptable tool was developed that allows installations to pursue contractor selection for construction projects by other-than lowest price methods. This research conducted a systematic literature review to obtain a list of the most frequently used contractor selection criteria from research. Using the PRISMA Process guidelines, a research question was developed to identify evaluation criteria that could be used to assess and select construction contractors and subcontractors from those bidding on a construction project. Using these criteria, a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making tool was built that uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process to weigh each criterion. Multi-Attribute Utility Theory is then used to score contractor data for each criterion. The final Performance Index shows the most qualified contractor based on the inputs to the source selection tool. This source selection tool will allow the Air Force to maximize the value of its construction funds within federal guidelines and the aggregated list of most frequently used criteria may benefit other construction contractor selection research