PDB programs were designed to give owners greater influence over design and cost. But that influence only works if the owner has the documentation, decision records, and controls to exercise it. Generic project management tools weren't designed for this.
Progressive Design-Build shifts more design responsibility and cost influence to the owner — but only if the owner has the systems to manage it. Here is where control gaps appear.
PDB owner decisions at scope definition milestones are binding. Without documented decision records, owners expose themselves to scope disputes when design evolves across phases.
PDB preconstruction requires tracking design development milestones, owner review checkpoints, and scope definition decisions — not just RFIs and submittals. Most tools only handle the latter.
Owner-developed bridging documents define the performance requirements the design-builder must meet. Tracking revisions, interpretations, and owner clarifications is an owner responsibility — and it requires structured documentation to be defensible.
PDB doesn't end at GMP or full NTP. Construction phase RFIs, submittals, change orders, and owner decisions continue — and the controls record must be consistent with the design phase record to be useful in disputes.
Many PDB programs involve open-book cost transparency during preconstruction. Owner-side tracking of design development costs, design-builder cost submissions, and owner decisions requires structured documentation — not shared spreadsheets.
PDB programs often require owner board approval at design milestones — 30%, 60%, 90% design, or GMP authorization. Producing defensible board presentations from program data — not manually assembled — is essential for public accountability.
Progressive Design-Build changes the owner's controls responsibilities in fundamental ways. This is what your PMIS must account for.
| Controls Dimension | PDB (Owner Requirements) | Traditional DBB (Owner Requirements) |
|---|---|---|
| Design milestone tracking | PDB Owner tracks design development milestones, review checkpoints, and approval records — across all design phases |
Designer submits to owner; review tracked informally or through separate contract admin system |
| Scope definition documentation | PDB Owner must document and version-control bridging documents, performance requirements, and all owner-directed scope changes |
Scope is fixed in contract documents before construction; change orders capture deviations |
| Owner decision records | PDB Owner decisions during design phase carry contractual weight — each must be documented with date, basis, and outcome |
Owner decisions primarily during bid clarification and construction phase |
| Cost transparency and tracking | PDB Open-book cost processes require owner-side tracking of design-builder cost submissions, comparisons, and owner approvals |
Cost known at bid; owner tracks change orders against fixed contract price |
| GMP or full NTP documentation | PDB Transition to full NTP/GMP is a major owner decision requiring documented board authorization, program record, and clear contract amendment |
Single contract award followed by construction; no mid-project authorization milestone of this complexity |
| RFI and submittal management | PDB RFIs and submittals begin during design phase, must be tracked continuously through construction without interruption in the controls record |
RFIs and submittals begin at construction start with a defined contract baseline |
| Risk register requirements | PDB Risk register must track design-phase risks (scope, performance, cost) separately from construction-phase risks |
Risk register focuses primarily on construction delivery risks and contingency |
| Change order management | PDB Change orders during design phase relate to scope definition — must be tracked against performance requirements and bridging documents, not just contract price |
Change orders tracked against fixed scope in contract documents |
| Board reporting cadence | PDB Board reporting at design milestones (30/60/90% design, GMP authorization, full NTP) — not just at construction milestones |
Board reports primarily at award and construction milestones |
| Contingency management | PDB Owner contingency tracked separately from design-builder contingency; open-book processes require visibility into both |
Owner contingency managed against fixed contract; design-builder contingency is internal |
| Document version control | PDB Design documents evolve across multiple phases — owner must track versions, owner review status, and design-builder response to each |
Contract documents are fixed at bid; revision tracking applies to RFIs and ASIs only |
| Closeout requirements | PDB Closeout must capture the full project record from design phase through construction — including all owner decisions, design milestones, and GMP documentation |
Closeout captures construction-phase record from NTP to substantial completion |
These are the non-negotiable capabilities for owner-side PMIS in any Progressive Design-Build program.
Structured tracking of design phase milestones — concept, schematic, design development, 30/60/90% design, GMP package — with owner review status, approval records, and comment resolution log.
AMP Essentials includes configurable milestone tracking built for PDB design phase structure — separate from construction phase controls, but linked in a continuous project record.
Owner-controlled version management for bridging documents and performance requirements — tracking revisions, owner clarifications, design-builder interpretations, and resolution records across all design phases.
AMP's Document Library module includes version-controlled document management with owner-side permission controls, linked to the project milestone record.
Structured logging of owner decisions during design phase — with date, decision basis, impact on scope or cost, responsible party, and follow-on actions. Creates the defensible record for any future scope dispute.
AMP Essentials includes an owner decision log module linked to milestone records, RFIs, and change events — creating a complete audit trail of owner influence on program outcomes.
Structured tracking of design-builder cost submissions during open-book preconstruction — with owner-side comparison records, adjustment documentation, and progression toward GMP authorization.
AMP's Contingency and Change Order modules are configured for PDB's dual-cost-tracking structure — separating owner contingency from design-builder contingency with full audit trail.
Automated generation of board-ready program status reports at design milestones — pulling directly from program data without manual assembly. Covers budget status, design phase progress, risk summary, and schedule.
AMP's Reports Hub generates board-ready outputs on demand — formatted for public agency governance requirements, with full traceability to program records.
Seamless controls continuity from design phase through construction — same RFI log, same submittal tracker, same change order register, same risk register — so the project record is unbroken from preconstruction through closeout.
AMP Essentials uses a single unified project record across design and construction phases — no re-platforming at GMP or NTP, no data migration, no loss of historical context.
AMP Essentials ships with Progressive Design-Build delivery templates — configuring every module for PDB's phased structure, owner decision requirements, and board reporting cadence.
AMP ships with a complete PDB template set — milestone structure, decision log, design review workflow, and board report format — configured for the design-build lifecycle from day one.
Design-phase RFIs, submittals, design review comments, and owner decisions are tracked in distinct modules — but linked to the same project record so nothing is lost at phase transition.
AMP provides a structured GMP authorization record — capturing the cost package, owner approval, board documentation, and transition to full NTP in a single auditable event.
After GMP, AMP continues tracking RFIs, submittals, change orders, and risk in the same platform — no re-entry, no re-platforming, no loss of design-phase context.
At project completion, AMP facilitates the transfer of asset records to your CMMS — closing the loop from owner-side construction tracking to operations management.
AMP Essentials provides every owner-side control a PDB program requires — from design phase through closeout — in a single unified platform with role-based access and full audit trail.
The AMP PMIS Readiness Score evaluates your current project controls against the requirements of alternative delivery programs — including PDB. Five minutes. Immediate results.