Design-Build and Integrated Construction Project Delivery Course

Course Introduction

The Design-Build and Integrated Construction Project Delivery Course provides a comprehensive, practical framework for planning, procuring, managing, and delivering construction projects through integrated approaches that align design, construction, commercial management, and project governance. Design-build and other integrated delivery models are increasingly used to improve coordination, accelerate project schedules, strengthen accountability, and reduce the fragmentation associated with traditional design-bid-build arrangements. This course equips participants with the knowledge and practical skills to select appropriate delivery models, establish clear contractual relationships, manage multidisciplinary teams, and achieve project objectives while maintaining cost control, quality, safety, sustainability, and regulatory compliance.

Successful design-build delivery begins with selecting an appropriate procurement and contracting strategy that reflects the client's priorities, project complexity, risk appetite, performance requirements, and available market capacity. Participants explore design-build, progressive design-build, integrated project delivery, construction management at risk, and other collaborative approaches, examining their governance arrangements, commercial structures, risk allocation, and suitability for different project environments. The programme emphasizes the importance of defining project outcomes, establishing measurable performance requirements, preparing effective employer's requirements, and aligning procurement decisions with the desired balance between cost certainty, design flexibility, innovation, and delivery speed.

A central focus of the course is the integration of design development with construction planning and execution. Participants examine how to coordinate architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, and specialist engineering disciplines while maintaining alignment with constructability, cost targets, procurement lead times, site conditions, and operational requirements. The programme addresses design maturity, design reviews, value engineering, building information modeling, design coordination, technical interfaces, and management of changes during delivery. Participants learn how early contractor involvement, multidisciplinary collaboration, and structured decision-making can reduce design conflicts, minimize rework, and improve the transition from concept development to construction, commissioning, and handover.

Commercial management and risk allocation are equally important in integrated construction delivery. Participants examine lump-sum, target-cost, reimbursable, guaranteed maximum price, and incentive-based arrangements, considering how payment mechanisms influence behavior, accountability, and project performance. The course explores contract administration, design liability, performance guarantees, change management, contingency management, insurance considerations, claims prevention, and dispute avoidance. Emphasis is placed on establishing transparent governance, clear approval procedures, effective reporting, and proportionate risk allocation so that responsibilities are understood and project decisions are made using reliable technical and commercial information.

The programme also addresses the practical challenges of coordinating owners, designers, contractors, specialist subcontractors, suppliers, regulators, and end users within a shared delivery environment. Participants learn to establish integrated schedules, interface registers, risk controls, quality management systems, procurement strategies, and performance dashboards that support timely decision-making. Contemporary approaches involving digital twins, common data environments, 4D and 5D building information modeling, construction analytics, and AI-assisted coordination are considered alongside cybersecurity, data ownership, information reliability, and responsible technology use. The course also incorporates sustainable design, whole-life cost assessment, carbon reduction, resilience, and lifecycle performance as increasingly important considerations in modern project delivery.

By the end of the course, participants will be better equipped to evaluate integrated delivery options, develop procurement strategies, structure collaborative contracts, coordinate design and construction activities, and monitor performance across the project lifecycle. Through practical case studies, procurement scenarios, design coordination exercises, risk allocation discussions, and project delivery simulations, the programme connects strategic decisions with implementation requirements. It is designed to help organizations improve delivery certainty, strengthen stakeholder alignment, reduce avoidable disputes, enhance value for money, and deliver construction assets that meet technical, operational, financial, and sustainability objectives.

Duration

10 days

Who Should Attend

• Project owners and client representatives responsible for selecting construction delivery models and managing project outcomes.

• Design-build project managers overseeing integrated design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover activities.

• Construction project directors responsible for governance, commercial performance, risk management, and delivery assurance.

• Architects and design managers coordinating multidisciplinary design development and technical interfaces.

• Civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and specialist engineers involved in integrated project planning and design coordination.

• Procurement and supply chain managers developing design-build tender strategies, bid evaluations, and supplier engagement plans.

• Contract administrators and commercial managers managing contract obligations, variations, payment mechanisms, and claims prevention.

• Quantity surveyors and cost engineers responsible for estimating, cost planning, value engineering, and financial forecasting.

• Construction managers and site managers coordinating constructability, work packages, sequencing, and contractor interfaces.

• Planning engineers and project controls professionals managing integrated schedules, budgets, risks, and progress reporting.

• Legal advisers and contract specialists supporting procurement strategy, risk allocation, contract drafting, and dispute avoidance.

• Risk managers and project assurance professionals overseeing design liability, contractual exposure, and delivery risks.

• BIM managers and digital construction specialists supporting collaborative design coordination and integrated information management.

• Quality, health, safety, and environmental professionals integrating compliance requirements into design and construction decisions.

• Infrastructure programme managers overseeing complex building, transport, energy, water, and industrial construction investments.

• Public-sector procurement professionals involved in infrastructure procurement, competitive tendering, and value-for-money assessment.

• Sustainability and asset management professionals responsible for whole-life performance, resilience, operational readiness, and lifecycle value.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate design-build and integrated project delivery models against project complexity, client objectives, market conditions, delivery timelines, and risk appetite.

• Develop procurement strategies and employer's requirements that define measurable outcomes, technical standards, performance criteria, and clear acceptance obligations.

• Establish governance structures, decision-making procedures, responsibility matrices, and communication protocols for integrated design and construction teams.

• Allocate design, construction, procurement, coordination, cost, schedule, quality, and performance risks in a manner consistent with contractual responsibilities and organizational capabilities.

• Develop integrated project plans that align design milestones, procurement lead times, construction sequencing, commissioning activities, and operational handover requirements.

• Apply multidisciplinary design coordination and constructability review techniques to identify technical conflicts, improve buildability, and minimize avoidable rework.

• Evaluate commercial models, including lump-sum, target-cost, reimbursable, guaranteed maximum price, and incentive-based arrangements, for their suitability and implications.

• Implement effective cost planning, value engineering, change control, contingency management, and forecasting procedures throughout the integrated delivery lifecycle.

• Integrate BIM-based coordination, common data environments, and digital project controls to improve information quality, design visibility, and construction decision-making.

• Identify and manage contractual, technical, financial, environmental, stakeholder, and interface risks that may affect integrated project performance.

• Establish performance measurement and reporting systems that assess schedule, cost, quality, safety, collaboration, sustainability, and operational readiness against approved targets.

• Develop practical strategies for collaborative problem-solving, dispute avoidance, project assurance, lessons learned, and continuous improvement across integrated delivery teams.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Fundamentals of Design-Build and Integrated Project Delivery

• Principles, characteristics, and applications of design-build, integrated project delivery, progressive design-build, and related collaborative models.

• Differences between design-build, design-bid-build, EPC, construction management at risk, and other construction procurement approaches.

• Evaluating delivery models against project complexity, design uncertainty, budget constraints, schedule priorities, and client capability.

• Benefits, limitations, implementation challenges, and success factors associated with integrated construction delivery.

Module 2: Procurement Strategy and Delivery Model Selection

• Translating business needs, stakeholder expectations, project objectives, and operational requirements into procurement strategies.

• Developing delivery model evaluation criteria covering cost certainty, time, design flexibility, innovation, risk, and market capacity.

• Conducting procurement option appraisals, market engagement, delivery readiness assessments, and value-for-money evaluations.

• Establishing procurement governance, approval thresholds, procurement schedules, competition requirements, and decision records.

Module 3: Employer's Requirements, Brief Development and Performance Specifications

• Developing project briefs, employer's requirements, output specifications, design criteria, and measurable performance standards.

• Defining scope boundaries, exclusions, technical interfaces, design obligations, testing requirements, and acceptance criteria.

• Establishing requirements traceability, design compliance matrices, stakeholder sign-off procedures, and change authorization processes.

• Managing incomplete requirements, performance ambiguities, conflicting specifications, and risks arising from unclear client expectations.

Module 4: Integrated Team Formation, Governance and Collaboration

• Defining roles and responsibilities for owners, design-build contractors, designers, subcontractors, suppliers, and end users.

• Establishing integrated governance structures, decision rights, responsibility assignment matrices, and escalation protocols.

• Designing collaborative workshops, interface coordination meetings, issue registers, and structured decision-making processes.

• Building a culture of transparency, shared objectives, accountability, early problem-solving, and coordinated delivery performance.

Module 5: Contract Structures, Commercial Models and Risk Allocation

• Comparing lump-sum, target-cost, reimbursable, guaranteed maximum price, and incentive-based contractual arrangements.

• Allocating design responsibility, construction obligations, coordination duties, performance risk, and interface accountability.

• Evaluating payment mechanisms, cost-sharing arrangements, pain-and-gain provisions, performance guarantees, and contingency treatment.

• Addressing insurance, professional indemnity, liability limitations, warranties, indemnities, and contract-specific risk provisions.

Module 6: Integrated Design Management and Multidisciplinary Coordination

• Coordinating architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, and specialist engineering design deliverables.

• Establishing design management plans, design review gates, deliverable registers, approval workflows, and design maturity criteria.

• Managing interdisciplinary interfaces, technical queries, design clashes, conflicting requirements, and outstanding design decisions.

• Aligning design development with procurement packages, construction sequencing, site conditions, and commissioning requirements.

Module 7: Constructability, Value Engineering and Design Optimization

• Conducting constructability reviews to assess installation methods, site access, temporary works, sequencing, and construction constraints.

• Applying value engineering to optimize functionality, cost, reliability, maintainability, and lifecycle performance without compromising requirements.

• Evaluating alternative materials, construction technologies, modularization, prefabrication, and off-site manufacturing opportunities.

• Documenting design optimization proposals, technical approvals, cost-benefit assessments, risk implications, and implementation decisions.

Module 8: Integrated Planning, Scheduling and Project Controls

• Developing integrated schedules connecting design development, approvals, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, and handover.

• Applying critical path analysis, milestone management, look-ahead planning, resource forecasting, and schedule risk assessment.

• Establishing cost baselines, cash flow forecasts, earned value measures, progress rules, and integrated performance reporting.

• Monitoring schedule and cost variances, assessing emerging constraints, and implementing coordinated corrective and recovery actions.

Module 9: Procurement, Supply Chain Integration and Subcontract Management

• Aligning procurement strategies with design release dates, technical specifications, construction demand, and long-lead equipment requirements.

• Developing subcontract packages, tender evaluation criteria, technical compliance reviews, and supplier qualification processes.

• Managing supplier interfaces, material approvals, vendor documentation, logistics, expediting, and delivery readiness.

• Monitoring procurement performance, subcontractor capacity, commercial commitments, supply chain risks, and corrective action plans.

Module 10: Change Management, Contract Administration and Claims Prevention

• Establishing formal change control procedures for scope modifications, design revisions, variations, and client-directed changes.

• Assessing changes for cost, schedule, technical compliance, procurement, quality, safety, and operational consequences.

• Managing instructions, approvals, notices, payment applications, contractual records, and correspondence traceability.

• Preventing disputes through early warning systems, timely issue resolution, clear contractual interpretation, and documented decisions.

Module 11: Risk Management, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance

• Identifying and assessing design, construction, commercial, environmental, stakeholder, supply chain, and interface risks.

• Establishing risk registers, mitigation owners, escalation thresholds, contingency responses, and regular risk review procedures.

• Integrating quality plans, inspection and test plans, technical acceptance criteria, non-conformance management, and corrective actions.

• Managing building regulations, permits, occupational safety, environmental obligations, technical standards, and project assurance requirements.

Module 12: Digital Integration, BIM and Responsible AI in Project Delivery

• Applying building information modeling for coordinated design, visualization, clash detection, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

• Integrating 4D scheduling, 5D cost planning, common data environments, and controlled digital document workflows.

• Evaluating digital twins, analytics, and AI-assisted tools for forecasting, design coordination, risk identification, and reporting efficiency.

• Managing information ownership, interoperability, cybersecurity, data quality, access permissions, and human oversight of automated outputs.

Module 13: Sustainability, Whole-Life Cost and Resilient Asset Design

• Integrating energy efficiency, low-carbon materials, waste reduction, water conservation, and environmental performance into design decisions.

• Applying whole-life costing to evaluate capital expenditure, operating costs, maintenance requirements, and asset replacement needs.

• Assessing climate resilience, lifecycle emissions, resource efficiency, adaptability, and long-term operational reliability.

• Establishing sustainability targets, measurable performance indicators, verification processes, and handover documentation for asset operators.

Module 14: Construction Execution, Interface Management and Performance Monitoring

• Coordinating work packages, site logistics, construction access, labor deployment, temporary works, and contractor sequencing.

• Managing design-to-construction interfaces, technical queries, site instructions, material availability, and workfront readiness.

• Monitoring productivity, progress quantities, quality performance, safety indicators, cost trends, and milestone achievement.

• Resolving coordination conflicts, removing execution constraints, and escalating emerging issues through agreed governance channels.

Module 15: Testing, Commissioning, Handover and Operational Readiness

• Planning testing, commissioning, integrated systems verification, performance demonstrations, and acceptance milestones.

• Coordinating commissioning responsibilities among contractors, designers, specialist suppliers, client teams, and facility operators.

• Managing punch lists, defects, as-built drawings, operation manuals, warranties, training records, and asset information.

• Verifying contractual completion requirements, operational readiness, outstanding obligations, and final handover acceptance.

Module 16: Integrated Delivery Case Study and Implementation Roadmap

• Evaluating a simulated construction project and selecting an appropriate integrated delivery model using defined project criteria.

• Developing procurement documentation, governance arrangements, responsibility matrices, risk allocation, and commercial evaluation frameworks.

• Preparing an integrated design, procurement, construction, cost, schedule, quality, and risk management plan for the case study.

• Presenting delivery recommendations, performance measures, lessons learned, and a practical roadmap for organizational implementation.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.