Construction Support Office
The Construction Support Office (CSO) shared service provides standard procedures,
guidance, general assistance, training, and oversight of universities' facilities
projects contracting programs. The core services provided include:
- Program standardization for procurement and administration of the System's design professional services and construction contracts.
- Establishing and publishing revisions to contracts and procedures required by changes in statutes, executive orders, management directives, policies, and best practices.
- Monitoring compliance by the System and universities with the requirements of statutes, policies, and procedures/standards that govern the execution of facilities projects. Maintenance and management of the University Construction Authority process.
- Administration of the contract dispute process for protests and claims that arise under design professional services and construction contracts being administered by universities; leading the review process and participating on the review panels and in decision making.
- Procurement and administration of centrally held open-ended contracts for various design professional services, for use by universities. Those contracts currently include: architectural and engineering design services, commissioning services, construction management services and roofing management program services.
- Conducting periodic training conferences for university construction contract specialists and for university facilities project managers. Providing additional training and guidance as needed.
- Assisting in the coordination of Commonwealth Capital projects with the Department of General Services (DGS).
- Managing vendor relationships and providing information for vendors seeking work with the System and universities.