REDUCING CAPITAL COSTS THROUGH IMPROVED PROJECT DELIVERY TECHNIQUES

In the 1980's and 1990's the City of Los Angeles' Bureau of Engineering (BOE) implemented two large capital programs, one to cease ocean discharge of sludge and one to achieve full secondary treatment of all wastewater. The former program experienced high change order costs during construction and the latter had several construction contracts end in protracted litigation. By 1999, it also became apparent that the BOE was facing a substantial loss of senior personnel to retirement within a few years. The City Council had recently commissioned a Best Practices Study with the objective of implementing best practices throughout the wastewater program. The BOE took advantage of these various events to further improve its project delivery and prepare for the transition of senior staff. This paper describes some of the key themes and efforts directed toward improving project delivery.