In 2014, Prince Georges County was faced with an enormous regulatory challenge in the management of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and its Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit that needed an innovative solution.
Traditional project delivery methodologies and procurement could have been utilized; however, given the magnitude of the challenge of retrofitting 2,000 impervious acres with Green Infrastructure, with the flexibility to potentially grow to 15,000 acres of untreated impervious area by 2025, and an estimated cost of $100 million, an alternative solution was sought. The County’s elected political leaders including the County Executive; Legislative Branch; and sponsoring agencies–Department of the Environment and Department of Central Services collaborated for the development of an alternative solution. That alternative solution was a Community Based Public Private Partnership or CBP3. As a result of the courage and leadership of the County’s elected officials Prince Georges County is the first municipality to utilize the CBP3 model as a solution to the challenges that are facing many jurisdictions across the US in meeting federal regulatory stormwater compliance requirements.
Prince George’s County utilized a Request for Qualification (RFQ) process in order to avoid the expensive upfront Request for Proposal (RFP) process that are typically overly prescriptive on the technical design and construction that favors firms experience in government contracting versus their ability to innovate and think outside of the box. The Request for Qualifications process focused on a company’s financial stability, management capabilities, experience with complex problem solving, and proven commitment and success with local small business utilization and creation. Instead of a traditional client-contractor relationship, the RFQ process allowed for the development of a business partner that shares in the risk and invests in the County’s goals.
| Qualification | Focus |
| Experience | Depth of Relevant Experience |
| Concept | Vision/strategy/approach |
| Financial Capabilities | Structure/arrange/manage |
| Organizational Capabilities | Qualified/experienced team |
| Financial Return | Plan/sources/risk/capped |
| Past Performance | Performance in relevant past partnerships |
| Proven Economic Development | Past performance / proposed value |