To assure completion of construction projects on time and within budget, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will make an important change in how it selects contractors for future construction projects and in how it selects firms to manage and oversee construction on its behalf.

Going forward, bidding firms’ past performance on previous port authority projects will become a decisive factor in contract award determinations. Poor performance will severely handicap firms’ ability to get future work, the agency warns. Good performance on past projects will continue to be a positive consideration in the selection process. 

Performance evaluations will be prepared for all contractors, subcontractors and construction management firms on all port authority construction projects, and less-than-satisfactory ratings received at any time during the previous three years will be formally considered in contract award determinations. performance evaluations will be performed during and at the completion of construction projects, and will be conducted by the port authority professionals overseeing the work.

"Making sure contractors and construction managers are held accountable for their past performance is an important tool in achieving our goal of on-time and on-budget performance in all of our projects," said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. "This also requires that the port authority step up its own game in managing projects to assure timely delivery against a project’s schedule and assure that project costs are tightly managed and hit budget targets."