Choosing design-build is not the same as being ready to lead it.
Successful design-build depends on more than selecting a delivery method and procuring a qualified team. Owners need people prepared to make timely decisions, processes that align stakeholders and define expectations, and organizational capabilities that support risk management and collaboration throughout project delivery.
Readiness can look different from one organization to the next. Some Owners have spent years building sophisticated design-build programs, while others are preparing for their first project. Even experienced organizations may find gaps between a project’s demands and the people, processes or capabilities available to deliver it.
At the 2026 Design-Build Conference & Expo, Nov. 4–6 in Cleveland, DBIA is giving Owners and practitioners an opportunity to examine what it takes for an organization to be ready to lead a design-build project from nearly every angle, through candid peer exchange, emerging research, a new assessment tool, Owner leadership discussions and real-world project lessons.
Peer Exchange Starts the Conversation
Wednesday morning begins with two popular, concurrent forums designed around peer exchange rather than traditional education sessions.
The Owners’ Forum, Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 8:00–11:00 a.m., gives Owners dedicated time to discuss project delivery challenges, pose questions, share solutions and compare experiences with peers. As a closed forum just for Owners, it offers the kind of candid exchange that can be difficult to find elsewhere and a chance to learn from others navigating similar organizational and project-delivery decisions.
At the same time, the Practitioners’ Forum brings design-build practitioners together for facilitated small-group roundtable discussions focused on a curated set of industry topics. Rather than listening to a series of presentations, attendees will spend most of the session working through issues alongside peers from across the country, with each table identifying key takeaways and selected groups sharing their insights with the full room.
The concurrent forums give Owners and practitioners separate spaces to address issues specific to their roles before the broader conference program brings those perspectives together.
What Makes an Owner of Choice?
The Thursday General Session, “Why the Best Teams Show Up: The Owner Leadership Behind Great Design-Build Project,” features leading Owners exploring the organizational capacities, leadership practices and decision-making approaches that define an Owner of Choice.
The session draws on emerging Owner Readiness research led by Bryan Franz, Ph.D., of the University of Florida and Carrie S. Dossick, Ph.D., PE, of the University of Washington, along with the experience of Owners managing design-build programs and projects.
The discussion will examine how Owner leadership, organizational structure and decision-making can affect an organization’s ability to attract strong teams and support effective project delivery. It also addresses a central question in Owner readiness: whether an organization understands what design-build will require of it and has the capabilities to meet those requirements.
Assessing Owner Readiness
Franz and Dossick’s two-year research effort has also resulted in a new web-based Owner Readiness Assessment Tool.
The tool evaluates how well an organization’s project management requirements, staff competencies and organizational capabilities align for design-build delivery. When it identifies gaps, it can direct Owners to relevant publications and training resources and identify areas where external Owner Advisor support may be appropriate.
During the Thursday afternoon education session “Owner Readiness Assessment for Design-Build,” Franz and Dossick will present the research behind the assessment and demonstrate its application through a case study.
Attendees can also explore the free online tool throughout the conference at the Owner Readiness Corner in DBIA Booth #421. The interactive demonstration area will show how the assessment evaluates organizational capabilities and develops tailored recommendations related to workforce development, training, resources and Owner Advisor services.
The assessment moves the discussion beyond whether an organization is ready for design-build to identifying specific strengths, gaps and areas for improvement.
Owner Readiness in Practice
On Friday, “Owner Readiness in PDB: Lessons from a First-Time Design-Build Project” examines Snohomish County’s Arlington Operations Center, a Progressive Design-Build (PDB) project delivered for an Owner new to design-build.
The County spent more than a year preparing before procurement and project kickoff, but their preparation was tested when field and design challenges required significant changes and rapid, coordinated decisions during construction. The session will examine how the County’s early preparation affected alignment, disruption and decision-making as those challenges emerged.
The case study provides a project-level example of how organizational readiness before procurement can influence delivery later.
Owner Readiness Across the Program
Owner Readiness also connects to education sessions addressing the individual capabilities and practices Owners need to manage collaborative delivery effectively.
“The Kiss of Death…Happens Before Design” examines gaps and oversights during early planning that can constrain what a project ultimately achieves through design-build.
“It’s Not the Contract, It’s the Culture — Ensuring Design-Build Successful Outcomes” focuses on the behaviors Owners and practitioners identify as important to successful delivery beyond the terms of the contract.
“Strategies for Stakeholder Engagement and Governance That Maximize Collaboration and Mitigate Risk” addresses stakeholder identification, roles, meeting structures, decision-making and escalation paths.
These topics are among the organizational capabilities that determine how prepared an Owner is to lead a design-build project.
Building More Capable Design-Build Owners
Owner Readiness begins before procurement, but its effects continue throughout delivery. The way an Owner prepares its organization influences how effectively it can lead the project when decisions need to be made or challenges arise.
The conference gives Owners a chance to examine that preparation against both research and experience. Peer conversations and project case studies provide context, while the new assessment tool offers a way to evaluate readiness within their own organizations.
Owner Readiness also affects the firms working alongside them. For design-builders, designers and Owner Advisors, understanding how an Owner is structured and where its capabilities may be limited can establish clearer expectations for the project team.
The 2026 Design-Build Conference & Expo, Nov. 4–6, brings those perspectives together through dedicated Owner Readiness programming and related education across the conference.
Join DBIA in Cleveland to explore the full Owner Readiness experience.
