As progressive design-build (PDB) gains momentum for federal government clients, general contractors are evaluating what capabilities they need to compete successfully. The answer may be less about learning something new and more about recognizing what has always mattered. The skills that drive successful PDB delivery are the same skills that have long driven successful military construction design-build projects: rigorous planning, thorough investigation, disciplined cost development, clear communication and proven project execution.
These capabilities were not developed solely for federal clients; they reflect a broader design-build foundation built across transportation, water, energy and federal programs, where Stanley Consultants has supported integrated delivery for decades. This cross-market experience reinforces how our teams approach design-build today, bringing a practical understanding of cost, constructability and risk that carries directly into federal work.
As an Architecture-Engineering firm that has succeeded in progressive design-build, these are the four capabilities that separate a strong design-build partner from the rest: proven understanding of Department of War (DOW) standards, execution of contracts and completed designs in operationally complex environments, and excellent or very good performance levels on Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) evaluations across the full lifecycle of military construction delivery.
Why Phase 1 Demands More Than Design Experience
In progressive design-build MILCON pursuits, Phase 1 is where pricing, planning and execution take shape. Under USACE PDB contracts, this phase can include charrettes, DD1391 validation, field investigations, criteria-level design, technical performance specifications and the performance RFP that governs Phase 2. Contractors need an AE partner that can turn federal requirements into a constructible, UFC-compliant and priceable scope of work. Stanley Consultants has delivered that same front-end discipline on federal design-build RFP packages, translating early requirements into the technical criteria, investigations and execution plans contractors rely on to price work with confidence.
Stanley Consultants has applied these Phase 1 capabilities across military construction projects ranging from maintenance facilities and housing to specialized training facilities. On the Hill AFB F-35 Munitions Maintenance Complex, the team developed a complete design-build RFP package that included field investigations, design charrette support, DD Form 1391 validation, cost estimating and phasing plans for Sacramento District. For a military housing project for Little Rock District, the emphasis shifted to developing a complete design-build solicitation package with UFC-compliant performance criteria, structural and MEP specifications and Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection requirements under UFC 4-010-01. At the Aircraft Simulator Complex at NAS Kingsville for NAVFAC Southeast, Phase 1 planning also had to account for construction sequencing around active Navy flight operations through development of full technical solicitation documents for a specialized operational facility.
Each of those engagements required the same capabilities that the Phase 1 of a PDB contract demands: deep facility-type knowledge, UFC fluency, accurate pre-design investigation, rigorous cost estimation, and the ability to communicate technical requirements precisely enough that a GC can price and execute them.
Design-Build Execution in Complex Environments
Stanley Consultants has executed design-build contracts in some of the most operationally demanding environments in the DOW portfolio, including:
- Al Dhafra Refueler/KC-10 Aircraft Parking Ramp (UAE): A design-build execution engagement for the USACE Middle East District which included airfield paving, fuel infrastructure and site preparation at an active U.S. and coalition air base.
- Kandahar Airfield Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Ramp (Afghanistan): Stanley served as designer of record on the design of the project for the USACE Middle East District program.
- Sidi Slimane Air Base (Morocco): A design-build contract for the U.S. Air Force covering the installation of BAK-12 aircraft arresting systems as part of a larger airfield improvements program.
- Fort Leonard Wood (Missouri): Stanley supported USACE Kansas City District on the Range and Civil Construction design-build program, delivering design services for range infrastructure and civil construction that supported Army training mission continuity.
Across these projects, Stanley’s MILCON teams have consistently delivered what complex design-build work requires: coordinated design and construction integration, constructible drawings from the outset, proactive communication when field conditions shift, and disciplined quality control under compressed schedules. That is not a new way of working for Stanley; it is how our teams have delivered hundreds of federal projects across the U.S. and overseas.
Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) and CPARS Ratings as Partnership Currency
When evaluating design-build partners, the most authentic indicator of execution quality is the past performance questionnaire. Across Stanley's portfolio of design-build projects for the federal government, representing $227.70 million in construction value, every project has been rated Excellent or Very Good across project management, quality and schedule scopes. This record appears alongside a partner's own PPQs in a technical proposal evaluation.
Federal proposal evaluators reviewing submissions look at AE’s past performances as substantively as the contractors. Bringing a design partner with a verified, documented record of top-tier and highly rated CPARS and PPQs across the full lifecycle of federal design-build delivery is a competitive differentiator.
Breadth Across Districts and AORs
Military construction projects happen everywhere, and contract vehicles often span multiple districts or installations. An AE partner that holds strong relationships and institutional knowledge with all USACE districts can quickly mobilize and understand each district’s review culture, is a genuine operational asset. Stanley has delivered work across all 44 USACE districts over its history and holds active IDIQ positions with multiple districts, including Galveston, Louisville, Fort Worth, Tulsa, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Europe, Middle East and more.
This geographic presence reflects decades of sustained investment in USACE relationships at the district level, the kind that accelerates design review cycles and reduces the friction that costs contractors time and money during execution.
What This Means for Contractors Pursuing DB MILCON
As federal agencies increase their use of design-build contracts, contractors face an important question: who do they want defining project assumptions, evaluating risk and shaping procurement strategy before pricing is established?
Connect with Stanley Consultants to discuss upcoming federal design-build opportunities and how our experience can help strengthen your pursuit strategy before procurement begins.