Building the right path to project success

Choosing the right delivery methods that serve the mission

By Cody Carpino , Director, Brailsford & Dunlavey

Across California, K-12 and community college districts are balancing bold facility goals with tight budgets, enrollment shifts, and public accountability. Whether building a new science complex or modernizing a decades-old high school, one decision consistently shapes every other: how the project will be delivered.

Delivery methods define relationships, responsibilities, and risks — and, ultimately, whether a project fulfills its promise. Yet too often, delivery decisions are made out of habit or market pressure instead of strategic intent. The choice of delivery method should never be automatic; it should be an extension of a district’s or college’s mission, values, and objectives.

Turning goals into a delivery roadmap

The process begins by defining what success truly means. Is it minimizing cost escalation? Accelerating schedules to meet a bond commitment? Maximizing local participation or sustainability? Desire for a more collaborative team? Establishing these priorities first allows teams to select a delivery strategy that aligns with institutional goals, market realities, and financial capacity.

From there, structured analyses, such as risk matrices and scenario modeling, help reveal how each delivery method supports those priorities. This transforms what can feel like a procedural choice into an evidence-based decision grounded in strategy rather than convention.

Building teams that reflect your vision

For many districts and colleges, the most effective approach isn’t purely one model or another but a hybrid structure. Hybrid models combine the internal strengths of institutional staff (like campus knowledge and stakeholder relationships) with the specialized expertise of external partners for design, construction, or procurement. The result: a structure that maintains owner control where it matters most while adding capacity where it’s most needed.

Whether the solution is Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, Lease-Leaseback, Construction Manager at Risk, or Integrated Project Delivery, the best outcomes come when owners are deliberate about how each model serves their goals. Transparency, collaboration, and accountability should anchor the process from start to finish.

For institutions navigating these choices, expert guidance can make all the difference. B&D works alongside education leaders to analyze options, evaluate risks, and match delivery methods to strategic intent — ensuring that every project is built not just to meet today’s needs, but to strengthen communities for decades to come.

Reprinted from The B&D Perspective, November 2025. The B&D Perspective addresses the most pressing issues facing PK-14 facility planning and implementation in California. Don't miss future issues by subscribing HERE. The B&D Perspective is published by Brailsford & Dunlavey, one of the country's leading development advisory and program management firms in the PK-14 sector. All rights reserved.