Associated Schools of Construction
Region V - South Central Region
Competition Rules and Guidelines
Purpose:
To establish detailed procedures and guidelines for implementation of the ASC Region V Student Competition in accordance with the existing procedures as modified by the Post-Competition Coaches Meeting of February 3, 2002 and the Regional Business Meeting of Sept.7th, 2002.
Governance:
The competition governance team shall consist of the ASC competition coordinator and the Host representative as appointed by their respective organizations. The team’s responsibility shall be to:
- Identify the problem sponsors for the competition and awards.
- Establish criteria for problem sponsor selection.
- Establish criteria for sponsor awards to the top three teams in each division.
- Assist the problem sponsors as necessary to assure a successful competition.
- Approve sponsor selection and the appointment of judges.
- Ensure compliance with the competition rules and timeline.
Divisions:
There shall be three competition divisions: Commercial Building, Design/Build, and Heavy-Civil. Each division shall have a competition problem developed by a problem sponsor. Each regional member may provide one team to compete in each division.
Sponsors:
Problem sponsors shall be selected by the competition governance team. Problem sponsors shall conform to these General Rules and Guidelines as posted on this ASC Region V web site. Problem sponsors may develop the competition problems and judging criteria for their competition division providing they do not conflict with these General Rules and Guidelines.
- Sponsors shall be provided from within the membership of the Host.
- Sponsors shall provide a three-year commitment to problem management.
- Year One: Provide a representative to participate in the competition process as a learning process.
- Years Two & Three: Development and administration of competition.
Judges:
Problem sponsors shall select the judges. An effort should be made to choose judges from within Region V and who are not alumni of one of the participating schools. Judges shall be restricted from having direct access to competitors before or during the competitions. The ASC competition coordinator shall be informed of the judges in advance of the competition to confirm judges have knowledge and access to competition information, and should insure that the judges are fully aware of the competition process, rules, and criteria.
It is preferable that judges are owner personnel but regardless, judges are expected to assume the role of the client and score proposal packages as defined in the competition problem package. Each judge will provide a brief bio about themselves and their role in the company/panel for inclusion in the respective competition packets given to competition teams.
Coaches:
Each regional member shall designate one coach who shall accompany and represent each team at the regional competition. The coach’s job is to encourage and support in any way deemed appropriate. However, once the competition begins, the coach’s role is limited to ensuring the competition rules have been followed. Coaches shall be able to communicate with their teams concerning business not related to the competition problem.
Teams:
The following criteria shall apply to all teams:
- Each participating program shall sponsor no more than one team for each competition consisting of not more than six student members per team. There will be no alternatives involved with the team in any way after the competition begins. A team member may only be on one team.
- All team members shall have been enrolled in an ASC member construction curriculum as undergraduates on a full time basis, unless they are in their graduating semester at the time of the Regional competition. (Exception for Design/Build teams: Two members of this team may either be full time undergraduate design students from any other program.)
- A team member can be replaced before the start of the problem-solving period. Any or all members of a team may be carried over from previous years.
- Non-member schools may participate by paying the non-member entry fee of $250.00. Fee is to be deposited into a scholarship account within the QUOIN Foundation in the name of Dorothy Shaw.
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Problems:
The competition problems shall be generated from real projects that are good examples of the project delivery system proposed. Care should be taken that the problem conforms to these rules and guidelines. Problems shall be written that clearly define the expected deliverables and whom the presenters shall be addressing.
- Teams choose their own name and related logo or graphics.
- School colors and logos are permissible in proposal packets and presentations.
- All team members are expected to contribute to the problem solution.
- There shall be no outside assistance from any group, individual, association, contractor, or other outside entity unless provided for within the competition problem provided by the problem sponsors.
- Web access is permitted as long as no dialog takes place with anyone outside the team unless prohibited within the competition problem provided by the problem sponsors.
- The Commercial Building Competition
- The project selected should be primarily a building and may be public or private in nature. The problem should involve the application of all manner of project planning.
- The problem chosen for the competition should require each team to demonstrate skills in the following main categories: written proposal and compliance with proposal request, scheduling/problem solving, plan of construction as well as quality assurance and logic analysis and methodology, cost estimate/pricing, and risk management.
- Design/Build Competition
- The project selected by the sponsor should primarily a building and may be public or private in nature. Design/Build procurement is clearly distinct from all other delivery methods. At the core of the Design/Build process is the concept of interdisciplinary team effort to innovative problem solving. It is intended for designers and constructors to collaborate from the onset, providing any and all services necessary to prepare a strategic response to a Design/Build solicitation. The team may operate as a fully integrated firm, a partnership,
or an association, and can be either constructor or designer led. Unlike the traditional delivery methods where price is the predominant selection criteria, the Design/Build process should be more concerned with the creation of "best value."
- The problem chosen for the competition should require each team to demonstrate knowledge and skills in the design/build process including design process and design management, design phase cost analysis, value management, scheduling and construction planning.
- The RFP should incorporate a realistic and complete program using performance criteria wherever possible. Deliverables should be clearly articulated and appropriate for a preliminary Design/Build proposal.
- It should be noted that it has been the norm to state that each team has already been short-listed on the basis of responses to a RFQ.
- The preparation of a real Design/Build proposal requires considerable research and interaction with the site and client. The sponsors should either create a mechanism to interact with the teams in the role of clients or a mechanism for the teams to document decisions made on hypothetical communications with the client and others. In the latter case, the judges would have to carefully evaluate the proposals based on the assumptions each team made rather than on what undisclosed real conditions were.
- The Heavy-Civil Competition
- The problem should involve the application of scheduling techniques, excavation, pre-stressed concrete placement, asphalt paving, utilities, traffic control, and conventional concrete for a heavy civil project. The successful team should be required to demonstrate: full knowledge of the plans and specifications, problem solving and method analysis, technical ability, cost analysis and communication skills.
- The problem chosen for the competition should require each team and team member to demonstrate skills in the following main categories: quantity take-off, scheduling, cost estimate and pricing, contract questions, and written proposal format.
Competition:
The competition problems should be express mailed the problem to arrive on the day before the competition. This however is at the discretion of the sponsor and shall depend upon problem structure. The team shall then select a continuous 16-hour period on next day to complete all work. The problem package shall remain unopened until the start of the problem-solving session.
- Participants are expected to follow the rules on the honor system, so that not a lot of policing is involved. However, spot checks shall be done periodically, mostly to ensure that everything is running smoothly. Any questions or problems should be reported to the ASC competition coordinator.
- Prior to the competition, any registered students of the participating program may support the team in any way they deem appropriate.
- From the moment the problems are opened until the presentation, no one other than the six team members can participate in solving the problem. The teams should be isolated from other students as much as practical.
- Teams are allowed to use whatever equipment and publications they bring to the competition site.
- Internet access is permitted as long as no dialog takes place with anyone outside the team unless prohibited within the competition problem provided by the problem sponsors. Access or no access is up to the discretion of the competition sponsor.
- The Commercial Building and Design/Build Competitions
- Teams shall work on the problem at their home school on a Saturday, travel to the host facilities and work on their presentations Sunday. Presentations, judging and awards presentation shall be on Monday.
- Team members may leave their rooms and go anywhere at any time as long as they adhere to the honor system.
- The Heavy-Civil Competition
- Teams shall travel to the Competition facilities and work on the problem on-site Sunday. Presentations and judging shall be conducted Monday. Awards presentation shall be on Monday.
- Take note, the proposal preparation can be done with a calculator and a simple word processing program.
- Team members must stay in their rooms at all times. Unless receiving permission to leave the room from sponsor judges, failure to meet this requirement will result in disqualification.
- Written proposal documents, working papers, support data, and bid forms shall be turned in together, for review by the judges. This means the doors will shut to the designated bid submission room at the stipulated submission time. If you are not inside, the judges will consider the team's bid non-responsive.
Proposals:
Team proposal packages should include only the information necessary to explain the team’s solution to the problem. Submissions should not include fictitious team or team member professional experience information.
- The Commercial Building and Design/Build Competitions
- Proposal packages shall be turned in to the team coach at end of the 16 hour period for submission to the judges. The coach may make copies at this time. The original proposal package may be in color. Additional copies shall be printed in black and white. Each team shall provide the requested number of copies. Submission packets shall be turned in at the Quoin office as determined by the problem sponsor's schedule.
- The Heavy-Civil Competition
- Proposal packages shall include written proposal documents, working papers, support data, and bid forms shall be turned in together, for review by the judges. This means the doors will shut and if the team is not inside the judges will consider your bid non-responsive. For scoring purposes this is a 200-point deduction from the team score. Please note there will be no opportunity to submit any required information after the bidding deadline.
Presentations:
No team member may be present in the presentation room or in the near vicinity prior to their school’s presentation. If a school has a representative in or near the presentation room prior to their school’s presentation, that person (s) will be asked to remain in the presentation room and not communicate with their school’s team in any way. Faculty representatives and friends should avoid conversations about previous performances during breaks. No member of the audience is permitted to coach a team based on previous presentations. Coaches may
observe their team presentation. A Team and Coach may observe another Team's presentation only after they themselves have presented. A door monitor will be assigned to ensure that the presentation room is locked down, to prevent observer traffic, during any and all presentations.
- The Commercial Building and Design/Build Competitions
- One computer, one overhead projector, one computer projection device, several easels, and one flip chart are allowed for the presentations. The Quoin office has a projection screen, an overhead projector, and a flip chart with an easel for presenter use. Presentation materials may enhance, explain and clarify proposal packages. They may not alter information presented in their proposal package. Each team member must speak during the presentation. Team presentations must adhere to the allowed time frame. At the
end of the presentation period, the timekeeper shall stop the presentation. At the end of the question and answer period, teams shall be allowed to finish answering the current question.
- The order in which the school makes their presentation shall be randomly selected prior to the presentation period. Presentation scheduling shall depend upon the number of entries and the needs of the problem sponsors. Each school’s presentation shall be allowed a total of 40 minutes. All six members of the team must speak a minimum of two (2) minutes. Of the forty (40) minutes, there must be a period of time assigned for question and answers, and five (5) minutes at the start for setup. Team presentations must adhere to the schedule.
A timer bell will indicate the end of the initial presentation and the beginning of the question and answer period.
- The Heavy-Civil Competition
- All teams shall submit oral presentation materials to the judges at noon on the second day. Teams shall be limited to only those items submitted for use during their presentation, no exceptions.
- The oral presentation environment shall emulate a typical bid review, discussion and presentation among fellow company employees and senior management. Each team member must speak during the presentation. The bid opening has been planned to simulate that of an actual bid process. Note – Closely follow the bidding information in your bid documents and specifications.
If possible the Host shall record all presentations on videotape and send a copy to all participating schools.
A debriefing shall be held, as directed by the schedule, after the judging is finished. This shall be done by the judges and shall take place in the presentation room. Teams are required to attend. The purpose is to enhance the learning experience for the students. This debriefing should focus on giving students feedback of a general nature on the proposals. Such as: what the judges liked best and least, issues that were not addressed and should have been, for Commercial Building and Heavy-Civil, the actual cost and schedule. For design/build,
what differentiated the actual Design/Builder’s proposal from his competitors? Copies of the actual proposals would be useful.
Awards Banquet:
On Monday evening, after the competition, a banquet honoring those participating in the competition shall be held. At this time, the Host recognizes and presents the winning team of each division with a certificate and a plaque for the school. First place shall receive $1000. Second place shall receive $750.00. Third place receives $500.00.
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