Celebrating 50 Years of QBS
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
Advancing the Interests of the American Engineering Business Industry
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Brooks Act - the law authored by the late Congressman Jack Brooks that codified Qualifications-Based Selection, or QBS.
QBS established an environment where engineering firms could compete for public works projects based on their experience and ability instead of a race to the bottom for the lowest cost. As a result, QBS has safeguarded scarce taxpayer dollars and saved lives by choosing skilled design teams.
ACEC was fortunate to have had the opportunity to celebrate the anniversary of this important law during its recent 2022 Fall Conference in Colorado. Jeb Brooks, the son of Congressman Brooks and the Chair of the Jeb Brooks Foundation joined us to honor his father's legacy and also present the 2022 ACEC & NSPE QBS Award for the State and Local Government Sector to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Watch the video of Jeb's presentation and the QBS award ceremony below:
Both Jeb Brooks and Illinois Secretary of Transportation Omer Osman sat down with ACEC's Engineering Influence podcast during the conference to discuss the importance of QBS. Those episodes can be heard below: