Options vs. Alternates

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Author Message Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 1174 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 01:16 pm:    Can someone with much more GSA experience than me (which is basically none in the past 20 years) explain to me the theoretical difference in GSA projects between an "Option" and an "Alternate"? Both division 01 sections say "An _____ provides an amount proposed by the Contractor and stated on the Bid Form for certain work that may be added by the Government to the project Work within a specific time after award of the Contract". Since they both give this as their explanation, I'm not certain what defines one or the other. I know this group -- and how we love explanations. Please contribute. Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 470 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 01:43 pm:    Anne, Alternate: A defined portion of the work that is priced separately and thus provides an "option" for the Owner in selecting the final scope of the project. The alternate can simply ba a choice between two products or can be the addition or deletion of a portion of the work. Means definition is "A specified item of construction that is set aprat by a separate sum. An alternate may or may not be incorporated into the contruct sum at the descretion and approval of the owner at the time of contract award. Oxford Short (Alternative): Stating or offering either two things...of two things...such that one or the other may be chosen...the choice of either involving the rejection of the other. Other (Alternative): A material, service, or tiem of equipment identified, priced, and recored in a bid, which differs from a similar functioning item specified in the bid documents. Alternatives may be solicited or may be unsolicited. Alternative is the term used in Canada EH. Alternate is used in the USEH. Not certain this answers the GSA meaning. Wayne Kathleen Alberding Senior Member Username: kalberding Post Number: 15 Registered: 06-2004 Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 02:20 pm:    Having done a fair amount of GSA work over the past 30 years here is my understanding. An alternate adjustes the Base Bid amount for the Work or 'committed funds'. This is work being done ILO other work. An option is not part of the base bid amount and would be an addition therefore requiring additional funding sources. This is additional work not replacing other work. Options are really a pricing exercise for additional scope. Jeffrey Wilson CSI CCS Senior Member Username: wilsonconsulting Post Number: 54 Registered: 03-2006 Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 02:26 pm:    It has been a while since I worked on a GSA project, too. From my recollection and a look at old GSA standard Division 01 sections (no longer available from ARCOM) "Option" is used to add a substantial or complex portion of work to the contract -- say, a bldg addition. "Alternate" is more commonly used for simple substitutions of one product type for another. The two procedures are otherwise identical contractually. David E Lorenzini Senior Member Username: deloren Post Number: 122 Registered: 04-2000 Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 04:13 pm:    Jeffrey's explanation conforms to my experience. I have only done one GSA project several years ago, but we were actually provided with a 12-page Division 01 section entitled 01260 OPTIONS by the CM. This was the Definitions article: "1.1 DEFINITIONS A. Option: An amount proposed by the Contractor and stated on the Pricing Sheets for certain work that may be added by the Government to the project Work within a specific time after award of the Contract. B. The amount for an option shall be the net total addition to the Contract price to incorporate the option work into the project Work. C. Option work shall include miscellaneous devices, accessory objects and similar items incidental to or required for a complete installation, whether or not mentioned as part of the option description." This was a restoration project and, with 12 pages of detailed descriptions, the options were very complex. David Lorenzini, FCSI, CCS Architectural Resources Co. Dave Metzger Senior Member Username: davemetzger Post Number: 397 Registered: 07-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 05:18 pm:    For a project we recently did for a federal agency, the difference was that alternates were accepted (or not) prior to signing the Agreement. Options could be accepted (or not) within a stated period of time after Contract Award, and would be incorporated via contract modification. This was not necessarily related to scope of the work defined by the option. Ronald L. Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 956 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 05:25 pm:    Is anybody surprised that the US Government made a simple process so complex? Ron Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 471 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 05:28 pm:    US Government and a simple process is an oxymoron. Eh? Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 1176 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 06:23 pm:    Thank you all, and Kathleen's explanation of committed funds versus "other" funds makes sense to me as well as Dave's explanation about the timing issues. The issue in the masters (from GSA) is that there are two sections and they both use exactly the same definition to define what is covered -- which didn't help me distinguish between the two. the funding difference explains a lot. Ken Moore, FCSI, CCS, SCIP Senior Member Username: kjmoore Post Number: 22 Registered: 06-2006 Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 09:33 pm:    Dave Metzer has it concisely described. Be sure each option has a specified time limit that the option is good for. Allow time for contractor to order material, submit shop drawing and also intergrate into constuction in a normal manner. Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 1277 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 09:26 am:    @Ron and Wayne - If "pro" is the opposite of "con", what is the opposite of "progress"? Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 472 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 10:08 am:    Congress Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 1177 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 03:01 pm:    yes, and definitely THESE days Paul Gerber Senior Member Username: paulgerber Post Number: 77 Registered: 04-2010 Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - 10:40 am:    Wayne, it's not just the American government that are living oxymorons when it comes to making a simple process complex. It happens in Canada too eh? Case-in-point...we are working on a new elementary school for a native-Canadian band. Part of the approval process is a submission to INAC (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) for various (read paralyzingly large numbers of useless) approvals. We submitted our drawings and short-form specs at the end of March for the 66% Working Drawings submission. We stil have not received approval for this submission. The PA is now in the process of revising his Design Brief per comments from INAC. The school is ONLY 21,800 SF, but his Design "Brief" is approaching 150 pages, as the person reviewing the submission wants information contained in various reports included in the brief. That works out to 1 page of design brief for every 145 SF of floor area!! Unbelievable!! And we still have 90% or 99% Working Drawings submission to make. Hopefully we will have approval to go out for Bid Call next spring at this rate!! Ride it like you stole it!!!