Biddability, Constructability, Operability, and Environmental Checklist: Potential Role in Reducing Conflicts, Claims, and Disputes

Abstract

Conflicts, claims, and disputes can be considered unavoidable consequences of the construction process. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) created a checklist to ensure that all proposed government projects meet a minimum set of guidelines. They coined the “BCOE” checklist: biddability, constructability, operability, and environmental analysis. This project review process incorporates a plethora of constantly changing input from all USACE employees from around the globe. This includes the most current construction practices, the newest building configurations, and the most recent ingenious methods, which are all captured by the USACE database to support the BCOE process. This paper presents case studies that investigate how the proper utilization of the USACE’s BCOE project management process can potentially play a role in reducing conflicts, claims, and disputes that can inversely affect the successful outcome of a project. The methodology utilized in this study encompassed interdependent steps in which the authors: (1) observed five projects that were conducted in the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC); (2) analyzed the efficiency and effectiveness of the associated BCOE process; (3) collected additional data for another 15 ERDC projects for further investigation of the BCOE process; and (4) performed an in-depth analysis. When properly executed, the BCOE review process seems to be beneficial in ensuring the successful completion of a project. On one hand, results are conclusive that the implementation of a BCOE review at some time during the construction process significantly increases the likelihood of a complete and adequately constructed project. On the other hand, results are inconclusive with respect to project outcome for failure to implement a BCOE. The most important benefit of conducting a BCOE process is the capability to gain improved communication between all associated stakeholders. Through effective and efficient implementation of the BCOE review process, construction industry personnel can ensure and effectively manage projects to a desirable end state.