Define “quality”
Funny little quote buried in this article in the Times.
It’s about this highway construction guy who bid on the project to rebuild a collapsed ramp between Interstates 80 and 580 in Oakland, CA.
The state estimated that repairs to the 165-foot-long ramp between Interstates 80 and 580 would take 50 days and cost $5.2 million.
For every day short of the June 26 deadline, it promised a $200,000 bonus, not to exceed a total of $5 million. The highest bid came in at $6.4 million.
[C. C. Myers Inc.] won with the lowest bid — $867,075 — and completed the project in 17 days, winning the full $5 million.
Wow. A transportation project that came in under budget … and early?
Insane.
What do others think of the idea?
“When government excessively prioritizes its schedule, you can end up accepting quality below that which should have been insisted upon,” warned Frederick Salvucci, who as head of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation pushed for the Big Dig in Boston, … which turned into the problem-plagued and most costly highway project in the nation.
Having an incentive to come in on-time and on-budget may have its drawbacks.
Having NO incentive to come in on-time (or ever) and on-budget (or within 5x 8x the original budget) has its drawbacks, as well.
Right?
Complete story: A Miracle-Worker Highway Man Rides the Bonus Train – By Carol Pogash, The New York Times