Basis of Design

The Basis of Design is a fundamental component of the design process for all projects, from advisory to design and construction. It provides input data, design guidelines and philosophies that guide the entire design process.

Note

The Basis of Design may also be called Design Basis or may be partially covered by the client Design Brief.

When to use this guide

Use this guide when you need to establish a Design Basis for KBR Infrastructure design projects, including projects where KBR manages design carried out by sub-consultants.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• The scope of work and/or contract design basis
• Proposal clarifications
• Client requirements
• Regulatory requirements

Creating the Basis of Design

1) Obtain and distribute baseline documents

Obtain the scope of work, contract design basis and proposal clarifications from the client. Distribute these documents to the project team.

2) Review for completeness

Review the following documents with your Project Discipline Leads for correctness, completeness and suitability:

• Scope of work
• Contract design basis
• Client requirements
• Regulatory requirements

Tip

Consider asking one or more independent persons to review the scope of work and proposed Basis of Design. Choose someone highly experienced in project execution, such as another Project Manager or subject matter expert.

3) Select the appropriate template

Choose a template based on your project size:

• For very small projects: Use Design Basis - Very Small Projects
• For other projects: Use the Project Design Basis Outline for guidance

4) Incorporate proposal clarification

Include all relevant clarifications, assumptions and stated conditions from the executed tender proposal as the baseline starting position.

5) Identify and document gap

Identify any shortcomings, discrepancies or conflicts in the following:

• Scope of work
• Contract design basis
• Client requirements
• Regulatory requirements
• Other relied upon information

Caution

A complete Design Basis is critical as it contributes to clear scope and provides a solid basis for change management.

6) Request missing information

Document and request missing design basis information from the client:

• Determine if a site visit is required to gather Design Basis information
• Formally document all design basis requests and answers through the RFI or similar process
• Where conflicts arise, request clarification from the client and KBR subject matter experts

The client should provide required information or clarification in a timely manner. Determine if additional information, clarification or delays in providing required information constitute a change.

7) Review and approve assumptions

Review and approve all assumptions included in the Basis of Design.

8) Address design criteria

Ensure the Basis of Design addresses all relevant design criteria for your project. This should include technical requirements, performance standards and applicable codes and standards.

9) Issue the Basis of Design

Once complete, issue the Basis of Design to the project team according to the project distribution matrix.

Managing the Basis of Design

Change control

Once approved, the Design Basis is subject to change management.

Your responsibilities:

• Monitor required changes to the Basis of Design
• Approve all changes to the Basis of Design
• Revise and re-issue the Design Basis in accordance with the project distribution matrix when necessary

Note

All changes to the approved Basis of Design must follow the project change management process. Refer to PMDM 1011 Change Management Guidelines for change management procedures.

Projects with design sub-consultants

For projects where KBR manages design consultant(s), the Basis of Design shall address sub-consultant scope.

Where KBR has a project management role only, the Basis of Design may be the design consultant deliverable. You remain responsible for coordination and verification that project requirements have been met for the complete project scope.

Templates

Project Design Basis Outline Template for headings in a typical Design Basis document

Design Basis Very Small Projects Design Basis template for very small projects

Related documents

Infrastructure Design Desk Manual (DM-GL-KBR-INF-0501) Minimum technical requirements for Infrastructure Solutions Australia projects

Project Document Management (WM-AUST-KBR-DM-0307) Procedures for managing KBR project documents

Engineering Management Desk Manual (DM-GL-KBR-EM-0501) Global KBR engineering management requirements

Need help?

Contact your Discipline Lead, Chief Engineer or refer to the Infrastructure Design Desk Manual for additional guidance.