Delegated design assigns defined project components or systems to a qualified specialty professional or supplier under established criteria.
Definition
Delegated design assigns specified design work for a component or system to a qualified specialty professional or supplier. The project design team establishes criteria and interfaces, while contracts and applicable requirements determine who prepares, reviews, and approves the delegated work. For an engineering firm owner, delegation can affect scope, fee, schedule, insurance considerations, and coordination duties. Firms may define the delegated portion and review role differently based on delivery arrangements, project documents, and jurisdictional requirements. The term does not automatically transfer every design responsibility, remove the need to coordinate interfaces, or establish that the delegated work has been accepted. It is also not the same as ordinary subcontracting, since the defining feature is assignment of design responsibility for specified work. Clear records identify the delegated scope, criteria, submittals, and review boundaries, while leaving the parties' obligations subject to their agreements and applicable requirements.
How owners use it
- Identify delegated components, design criteria, submittal requirements, and review roles in project documents.
- Coordinate interfaces between delegated work and the engineer of record's design.
- If a scope has 3 delegated components and 2 retained components, then 3 + 2 = 5 components need responsibility assignments.
