MCPPO FINAL TEST 2026 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS GRADED A+
● Stages of Public Construction. Answer: The design and construction contracting process
for public construction projects in Massachusetts typically involves three stages: planning,
design and construction
● This project delivery method is often referred to as:. Answer: the design-bid-build
delivery method. Two alternative project delivery methods for public construction projects,
construction management at risk and design-build, are discussed elsewhere in these seminar
materials.
● Key Roles in a Design-Bid-Build Process. Answer: The design-bid-build process in
Massachusetts involves three key roles: the owner, the designer and the contractor.
● Public Owner. Answer: The public owner, or awarding authority, is responsible for defining
the project scope, budget, and schedule; procuring and managing the project design and
construction services; paying for the project; and operating and maintaining the completed
facility. No matter how many of these tasks are contracted out to private firms, the owner is
always responsible and accountable for the project.
● Owner's Project Manager. Answer: Before contracting for design services in connection
with a public building contract estimated to cost $1.5 million or more, your jurisdiction is
required to contract with or assign an OPM to serve as your jurisdiction's agent during the
planning, design and implementation of the construction work. Thus, the OPM role included
construction management. The OPM must be independent of the project designer, general
contractor, or any subcontractor.
● You may assign an employee to serve as the OPM:. Answer: only if that employee
meets or exceeds these requirements and has building construction and supervision
experience relating to projects of similar size and scope of complexity as the project to which
the employee is assigned. If you elect to contract for the services of the OPM, you are
required to use a qualifications-based selection process, which means that the OPM must be
competitively selected on the basis of qualifications, without price competition.
● Contractor. Answer: The selected contractor's job is to provide the means, methods, and
materials to construct the facility in accordance with the plans and specifications, a job that
often entails subcontracting out specialized portions of the construction work to
, subcontractors.
● Qualifications-Based Selection of Designers. Answer: "Qualifications-based selection,"
or "QBS." refers to a process by which designers compete for public contracts on the basis of
their qualifications, without fee competition. The awarding authority either sets the fee or
negotiates the fee with the highest-ranked applicant.
● Contractor and Subcontractor Certification. Answer: Under Massachusetts law, public
building contracts and public works contracts may be awarded only to responsible and eligible
contractors.
● Under M.G.L. c. 149, "responsible" means:. Answer: Demonstrably possessing the skill,
ability and integrity necessary to faithfully perform the work called for by a particular contract,
based upon a determination of competent workmanship and financial soundness in
accordance with the provisions of section forty-four D of this chapter
● "Eligible" means:. Answer: Able to meet all requirements for bidders or offerers set forth in
sections forty-four A through forty-four H of this chapter and not debarred from bidding under
section forty-four C of this chapter or any other applicable law, and who shall certify that he is
able to furnish labor that can work in harmony with all other elements of labor employed or to
be employed on the work. M.G.L. c. 149, § 44A(1).
● M.G.L. c. 149 requires contractors bidding on public building construction contracts
estimated to cost more than $150,000 and subcontractors submitting filed sub-bids on
public building construction contracts estimated to cost more than $150,000 to be:.
Answer: Certified by DCAMM, the state's professional asset management agency. The
certification system is intended to identify and disqualify those contractors and subcontractors
that pose an unacceptable risk to Massachusetts awarding authorities, based on a review of
their financial soundness, bonding capacity, size of previous projects, and most important of
all, their performance on public and private contracts.
● Public Records. Answer: You should be aware that the contractor and subcontractor
evaluations you prepare are public records. Your jurisdiction can use these records to conduct
due diligence on both general bidders and filed sub-bidders on M.G.L. c. 149 contracts.
DCAMM regulations require you to inspect DCAMM's certification file for any general bidder or
filed sub-bidder under consideration for a building contract.
● Design and Construction Contracting Challenges. Answer: While the risks of design
and construction contracting can never be eliminated, they can be controlled through best
practices such as careful planning, best value contracting, preparation of complete contract
documents that protect your jurisdiction's interests, and effective contract oversight.
ANSWERS GRADED A+
● Stages of Public Construction. Answer: The design and construction contracting process
for public construction projects in Massachusetts typically involves three stages: planning,
design and construction
● This project delivery method is often referred to as:. Answer: the design-bid-build
delivery method. Two alternative project delivery methods for public construction projects,
construction management at risk and design-build, are discussed elsewhere in these seminar
materials.
● Key Roles in a Design-Bid-Build Process. Answer: The design-bid-build process in
Massachusetts involves three key roles: the owner, the designer and the contractor.
● Public Owner. Answer: The public owner, or awarding authority, is responsible for defining
the project scope, budget, and schedule; procuring and managing the project design and
construction services; paying for the project; and operating and maintaining the completed
facility. No matter how many of these tasks are contracted out to private firms, the owner is
always responsible and accountable for the project.
● Owner's Project Manager. Answer: Before contracting for design services in connection
with a public building contract estimated to cost $1.5 million or more, your jurisdiction is
required to contract with or assign an OPM to serve as your jurisdiction's agent during the
planning, design and implementation of the construction work. Thus, the OPM role included
construction management. The OPM must be independent of the project designer, general
contractor, or any subcontractor.
● You may assign an employee to serve as the OPM:. Answer: only if that employee
meets or exceeds these requirements and has building construction and supervision
experience relating to projects of similar size and scope of complexity as the project to which
the employee is assigned. If you elect to contract for the services of the OPM, you are
required to use a qualifications-based selection process, which means that the OPM must be
competitively selected on the basis of qualifications, without price competition.
● Contractor. Answer: The selected contractor's job is to provide the means, methods, and
materials to construct the facility in accordance with the plans and specifications, a job that
often entails subcontracting out specialized portions of the construction work to
, subcontractors.
● Qualifications-Based Selection of Designers. Answer: "Qualifications-based selection,"
or "QBS." refers to a process by which designers compete for public contracts on the basis of
their qualifications, without fee competition. The awarding authority either sets the fee or
negotiates the fee with the highest-ranked applicant.
● Contractor and Subcontractor Certification. Answer: Under Massachusetts law, public
building contracts and public works contracts may be awarded only to responsible and eligible
contractors.
● Under M.G.L. c. 149, "responsible" means:. Answer: Demonstrably possessing the skill,
ability and integrity necessary to faithfully perform the work called for by a particular contract,
based upon a determination of competent workmanship and financial soundness in
accordance with the provisions of section forty-four D of this chapter
● "Eligible" means:. Answer: Able to meet all requirements for bidders or offerers set forth in
sections forty-four A through forty-four H of this chapter and not debarred from bidding under
section forty-four C of this chapter or any other applicable law, and who shall certify that he is
able to furnish labor that can work in harmony with all other elements of labor employed or to
be employed on the work. M.G.L. c. 149, § 44A(1).
● M.G.L. c. 149 requires contractors bidding on public building construction contracts
estimated to cost more than $150,000 and subcontractors submitting filed sub-bids on
public building construction contracts estimated to cost more than $150,000 to be:.
Answer: Certified by DCAMM, the state's professional asset management agency. The
certification system is intended to identify and disqualify those contractors and subcontractors
that pose an unacceptable risk to Massachusetts awarding authorities, based on a review of
their financial soundness, bonding capacity, size of previous projects, and most important of
all, their performance on public and private contracts.
● Public Records. Answer: You should be aware that the contractor and subcontractor
evaluations you prepare are public records. Your jurisdiction can use these records to conduct
due diligence on both general bidders and filed sub-bidders on M.G.L. c. 149 contracts.
DCAMM regulations require you to inspect DCAMM's certification file for any general bidder or
filed sub-bidder under consideration for a building contract.
● Design and Construction Contracting Challenges. Answer: While the risks of design
and construction contracting can never be eliminated, they can be controlled through best
practices such as careful planning, best value contracting, preparation of complete contract
documents that protect your jurisdiction's interests, and effective contract oversight.
