There has been a lot of newspaper coverage about the recommendations of the construction reform panel in the past few days. I firmly believe that the writers are trying to capture the facts of a very complex issue in such a way that their readers will be interested. Unfortunately, there are several articles that have an error here or there that changes the meaning entirely.
I've also read a number of blog entries or comments on the articles that don't grasp the issues as well as they should, or could. A number of these deal with the incentive issues. Some of them discuss the nature of the project delivery methods. There have also been several letters written to our political leaders that, while intended to express concern, do not address the facts of the report. They warn of the elimination of competitive bidding and waste of taxpayer dollars.
I would suggest that the best way for those of us actually involved in the design and construction industry to understand the recommendations, is to obtain and read the report. My intent with this post is not to try and influence your thinking in any way. I merely wish to point you to the unfiltered information and allow you the opportunity to make up your own mind. The report is available on the State Architect's Web site at www.ohio.gov/sao and if you click on the green box on the upper left corner under the banner, you can download a PDF copy.
The truth about the panel is that a very diverse group of individuals representing a wide array of constituencies got together, discussed how to improve the ways the state manages the public construction process in Ohio, and actually agreed on enough items to provide meaningful reform. The panel was also very interested in seeing how the recommendations would be implemented and demanded to see the legislative language before they would finalize the report.
The bottom line is a carefully negotiated set of recommendations that are incredibly integrated and provide the first chance for meaningful change in this industry in our state. The panel members have agreed to work together to pass the legislation intact. If someone starts picking at loose threads, the whole garment could begin to unravel. This isn't a plan that would work anywhere but our state. The elements are unique to Ohio.
Read the report, make your own decision about it, and let's move our state into the 21st Century. See you soon.
