Communication is the foundation for the success of the design-build process as it is for any business activity. The owner may not be entirely experienced in preparing the necessary project definition documents. However, the owner's advocate has this experience through his traditional role of bridging the gap between the owner and the construction industry. The owner's advocate is well positioned to turn the owner's needs into design criteria for the design-build team to operate on. The owner's advocate creates a design criteria that defines the scope, function and quality of the desired project. The design criteria may also include cost and schedule parameters associated with the project. The owner's advocate may also create the design-build procurement package including terms and conditions, requests for qualifications, performance specifications and request for proposals. Additionally, the owner may elect to have the owner's advocate administer the procurement process including the negotiation evaluation and selection process. Essentially, the owner's advocate serves the traditional advisory role to the owner.

Lists of potential responsibilities that the owner's advocate
may accomplish are:

• Recommendations for design-build solicitation
• Request for design-build qualifications (RFQ)
• Request for design-build proposals (RFP)
• Instructions to design-build proposers
• Terms and conditions of the design-build contract
• Program of facility requirements
• Program narrative
• Function descriptions of facility operations
• Tabulation of programmed spaces and usuable floor area
• Environmental conditions of programmed spaces by type
• Performance specifications
• Technical evaluation and negotiation
• Final selection recommendations