Ontario is preparing for a historic wave of infrastructure development, and public owners need smarter, faster and more sustainable ways to deliver projects. To support this demand, the Construction and Design Alliance of Ontario (CDAO) has launched its first-ever Guide to Design and Construction Procurement Best Practices — a practical blueprint created by top leaders across construction, design, residential building and municipal engineering. This guide aims to help public owners plan and procure projects more efficiently while cutting delays and boosting transparency.
1. What the New CDAO Guide Is About
The newly released Procurement Best Practices Guide offers public-sector owners a clear and modern approach to planning, sourcing and delivering construction projects in Ontario.
2. Why Ontario Needs Procurement Reform
With more than $250 billion in upcoming capital investments and a long-standing backlog of infrastructure work, Ontario needs streamlined processes to ensure projects are completed faster and with fewer setbacks.
3. Who Contributed to the Guide
Industry experts from construction, design, residential development and municipal engineering collaborated to build a unified, province-wide resource.
4. Key Goals of the Best Practices Framework
The guide aims to:
- Reduce delays
- Improve project outcomes
- Enhance collaboration
- Strengthen accountability
- Support more sustainable delivery models
5. Standardizing Contracts and Specifications
Ontario has 444 municipalities, many using different contract formats and specifications. This creates confusion, disputes and extra administrative work.
Standardization helps to:
- Reduce red tape
- Speed up procurement cycles
- Lower the chance of misinterpretations
- Improve fairness for all bidders
6. Encouraging Early Planning and Collaboration
The guide emphasizes the importance of clear project objectives and early communication between public owners and the industry.
Early planning helps to avoid:
- Mid-construction design changes
- Scope misunderstandings
- Budget overruns
- Delays that affect communities
7. Choosing the Right Procurement Model
The guide outlines several delivery models and encourages owners to select the one that best fits the project’s goals:
| Procurement Model | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Design-Bid-Build | Traditional projects | Clear separation of design & construction |
| Design-Build | Faster delivery | Single contract boosts efficiency |
| Construction Management at Risk | Complex builds | More flexibility & earlier contractor input |
| Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) | Highly collaborative projects | Risk and reward shared by all parties |
8. Effective Risk Management Practices
Risk should be assigned to the party best equipped to handle it — not simply pushed downstream.
The guide also encourages evaluating life-cycle costs, not just upfront pricing.
9. Why a Culture of Change Matters
CDAO stresses that modernization requires:
- Innovation
- Transparency
- Flexible thinking
- Accountability
- Strong partnerships
Owners and industry partners must embrace new ways of working, even if it feels a little bit tough at first.
10. A Living Document for the Future
The guide will continue evolving as the construction and design landscape changes. Updates will reflect new technologies, procurement tools, sustainability expectations and legislative adjustments.
11. Expected Impact on Ontario’s Infrastructure Sector
By adopting these recommendations, public owners can expect:
- Faster procurement cycles
- Better project performance
- Lower disputes
- Improved value for taxpayers
- Stronger relationships between government and industry
- More predictable timelines for communities
12. Conclusion
CDAO’s new guide is a timely resource offering practical steps to streamline procurement and improve infrastructure delivery across Ontario. With major investments on the horizon, adopting these best practices can help government partners build smarter, faster and more sustainably than ever before.