2017 Oregon Revised Statutes
Volume : 07 - Public Facilities, Finance
Chapter 279C - Public Contracting - Public Improvements and Related Contracts
Section 279C.110 - Selection procedure for consultants to provide services; compensation; applicability.
(1) A contracting agency shall select consultants to provide architectural, engineering, photogrammetric mapping, transportation planning or land surveying services on the basis of the consultant’s qualifications for the type of professional service required. A contracting agency may solicit or use pricing policies and proposals or other pricing information, including the number of hours proposed for the service required, expenses, hourly rates and overhead, to determine consultant compensation only after the contracting agency has selected a candidate pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.
(2) Subject to the requirements of subsection (1) of this section, the procedures that a contracting agency creates to screen and select consultants and to select a candidate under this section are at the contracting agency’s sole discretion. The contracting agency may adjust the procedures to accommodate the contracting agency’s scope, schedule or objectives for a particular project if the estimated cost of the architectural, engineering, photogrammetric mapping, transportation planning or land surveying services for the project does not exceed $250,000.
(3) A contracting agency’s screening and selection procedures under this section, regardless of the estimated cost of the architectural, engineering, photogrammetric mapping, transportation planning or land surveying services for a project, may include considering each candidate’s:
(a) Specialized experience, capabilities and technical competence, which the candidate may demonstrate with the candidate’s proposed approach and methodology to meet the project requirements;
(b) Resources committed to perform the work and the proportion of the time that the candidate’s staff would spend on the project, including time for specialized services, within the applicable time limits;
(c) Record of past performance, including but not limited to price and cost data from previous projects, quality of work, ability to meet schedules, cost control and contract administration;
(d) Ownership status and employment practices regarding disadvantaged business enterprises, minority-owned businesses, woman-owned businesses, businesses that service-disabled veterans own, emerging small businesses or historically underutilized businesses;
(e) Availability to the project locale;
(f) Familiarity with the project locale; and
(g) Proposed project management techniques.
(4) If the screening and selection procedures a contracting agency creates under subsection (2) of this section result in the contracting agency’s determination that two or more candidates are equally qualified, the contracting agency may select a candidate through any process the contracting agency adopts that is not based on the candidate’s pricing policies, proposals or other pricing information.
(5) The contracting agency and the selected candidate shall mutually discuss and refine the scope of services for the project and shall negotiate conditions, including but not limited to compensation level and performance schedule, based on the scope of services. The compensation level paid must be reasonable and fair to the contracting agency as determined solely by the contracting agency. Authority to negotiate a contract under this section does not supersede any provision of ORS 279A.140 or 279C.520.
(6) If the contracting agency and the selected candidate are unable for any reason to negotiate a contract at a compensation level that is reasonable and fair to the contracting agency, the contracting agency shall, either orally or in writing, formally terminate negotiations with the selected candidate. The contracting agency may then negotiate with the next most qualified candidate. The negotiation process may continue in this manner through successive candidates until an agreement is reached or the contracting agency terminates the consultant contracting process.
(7) It is the goal of this state to promote a sustainable economy in the rural areas of the state. In order to monitor progress toward this goal, a state contracting agency shall keep a record of the locations in which architectural, engineering, photogrammetric mapping, transportation planning or land surveying services contracts and related services contracts are performed throughout the state, the locations of the selected consultants and the direct expenses on each contract. This record must include the total number of contracts awarded to each consultant firm over a 10-year period. The record of direct expenses must include all personnel travel expenses as a separate and identifiable expense on the contract. Upon request, the state contracting agency shall make these records available to the public.
(8) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, a contracting agency may directly appoint a consultant if the estimated cost of the architectural, engineering, photogrammetric mapping, transportation planning or land surveying services for the project does not exceed $100,000.
(9) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (1) and (8) of this section, a contracting agency may directly appoint a consultant for architectural, engineering, photogrammetric mapping, transportation planning or land surveying services in an emergency. [2003 c.794 §91; 2003 c.794 §92; 2005 c.509 §§1,3; 2011 c.458 §4; 2015 c.565 §15]
