(a) This article provides for an alternative procurement procedure for certain projects performed by the Department of Water Resources.
(b) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to authorize the Department of Water Resources to utilize the Construction Manager/General Contractor method as a cost-effective option for constructing water resources projects.
(2) The Construction Manager/General Contractor method allows the department to engage a construction manager during the design process to provide input on the design. During the design phase, the construction manager provides advice including, but not limited to, scheduling, pricing, and phasing to assist the department to design a more constructible project.
(c) The Legislature finds and declares that utilizing a Construction Manager/General Contractor method requires a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each participant in the process. The Legislature also finds and declares that cost-effective benefits are achieved by shifting the liability and risk for cost containment and project schedule to the construction manager and by permitting the coherent phasing of projects into discrete contract increments.