Procurement methods for US infrastructure: historical perspectives and recent trends

This paper is concerned with emerging trends within the delivery systems and financing methods of public and private infrastructure projects in the US, and with the ongoing debate on public/private partnerships. Project delivery methods and more generally the procurement policies that currently drive the management of the US infrastructure system are explored. The historical evolution of government procurement policies of facilities indicates a wide variety of strategies including a dual-track procurement strategy that used a combination of different delivery methods and, in many instances, private financing. The methods ranged from the combined procurement of the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a facility, such as Design-Build-Operate (DBO) and Design-Build-Finance-Operate (known outside the US as 'BOT'), to the separate procurement of these services, such as Design-Bid-Building (DBB) and Design-Build (DB). In the last 50 years, there has been a shift toward the exclusive reliance on separate procurement such as DBB and the use of public funding. This approach is not sustainable financially, considering the widening gap between the availability of public funds and the increasing needs of the existing infrastructure system. Some drivers that foster a possible future shift in public procurement procedures are highlighted as well as the development of a more efficient infrastructure management practice.