AWWA ACE54492

In 1996, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley greatly expanded a multi-year, major capital improvement plan to improve the City's aging infrastructure. Critical to the mayor's success, was the Chicago Department of Water (CDOW) Bureau of Water Engineering (BWE). CDOW, as the managing organization for the City's water system, was faced with the monumental task of managing, coordinating and designing over $150 million of capital improvements per year. To help the BWE be most efficient, cost-effective and flexible in managing the expanded capital program, the City decided to take an innovative step by organizing the engineering functions into a public/private partnership known as Chicago Water Partners (CWP). CWP's mission was to "Provide Flexibility While Improving Efficiency and Excellence". This mission was supported by several key objectives: improve performance; improve management techniques; increase accountability; improve reporting functions; provide a more focused and efficient approach; and, control costs of engineering and overall capital projects. The BWE/CWP partnership has experienced several challenges and successes to date. This paper details these items and presents the lessons learned for agencies considering this unique approach. Includes table, figures.