Program

Few phrases have generated more buzz in the past few years than workforce development. COVID-19 has precipitated immense industry changes across every facet of our work and challenged our traditional thinking of what workers value. The world is truly a different place than it was just three years ago, and ensuring we can grow and retain the necessary workforce to support our projects is now an urgent crisis and not just a back-burner priority. And as we diversify our career pipeline and more women and workers of color are part of our project teams, cultivating a jobsite culture where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging will be essential. The BIL and USDOT Infrastructure Investments will be asking public agencies to include workforce planning in their grant applications, adding to the critical opportunity before us to examine the intersection between workforce development and jobsite culture. Join us as we leverage the experience and expertise of industry mavins to understand the key linkage between worker wellbeing and workforce development in a (post) COVID world. Hear strategies and tactics to foster and develop a healthy thriving project team culture to deliver project excellence.

The man who built and led the team that created the Microsoft Xbox, former Chief Xbox Officer Robbie Bach shows leaders, managers and teams how to build the creative, resilient, change-ready cultures required for the Future of Work — a future that is already here.

Among the secrets of Robbie’s success were his insistence on being led by strategy and an “intrapreneurial” approach to building an innovation-friendly Xbox culture distinct from that of Microsoft.

Equal parts storyteller, entrepreneur and strategy architect, Bach shows audiences why resilient, creative cultures don’t just happen, but must be built — and he gives leaders and teams a proven and actionable game plan. The 3P Strategic Framework that Robbie and his team designed to keep everyone focused on the Purpose, Principles and Priorities that mattered most is a rubric that seems prescient today, given how well it works to align distributed teams in a work-anywhere world.

Among our most popular events, the Owners' Forum allows open, honest discussion and provides Owners the opportunity to share views, answer questions and find solutions to project delivery challenges with peers. At this year’s Transportation and Aviation conference DBIA will reunite all Owners- New and Experienced- to come together in networking, learning and discussion around owner specific challenges and opportunities. Attendees will have the opportunity to network both as a small group and ask questions or industry panelists as a large group. (Industry professionals, including consultants, are not permitted in this session.)

"Owner Advisors are not allowed in the Owners Forum unless DBIA has obtained written confirmation from the Owner that the Advisor is at the conference specifically serving as an extension of the Owner.'

Industry professionals, including consultants, are not permitted in this session.

The Federal Highway Administration Office of Civil Rights has researched market-ready best practices of the DBE Program in the context of a Design-Build project and compiled findings in a handbook.This presentation will share practices from the handbook which support efficient, effective, and equitable integration of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program in Design Build contracting from project conception to completion.

The Washington State Department of Transportation is working to incorporate equity into all programs, processes, and procedures and working to dismantle racism within the organization - including the design and delivery of our construction program. Upon the arrival of WSDOT Secretary Millar, WSDOT began work to enhance inclusion. This has grown to WSDOT incorporating equity into their programs, processes, and procedures. WSDOT will discuss internal and external equity issues and how they interact with the transportation system.

Practitioners Forum

Design-build is no longer “alternative,” but instead a mainstream delivery method that continues to grow in popularity. With continued growth expected, DBIA leaders and members must constantly look for ways to evolve the organization to meet not only the needs of members, but to help advance the design and construction industry.

This years’ Practitioners Forum will take an up close and personal look at DBIA’s strategic goals, and why DBIA Board leadership feel they are drivers to our success.  In addition to soliciting your input, we’ll engage in polling on top concerns voiced by members in this highly volatile materials market and get a read on what teams have done to better manage risk.  Other issues to be discussed include trends in teambuilding, the emergence of progressive design-build, strengthening DEI in our industry, and more.

Discussions and input from this important forum will be used to help shape future organizational goals and direction as well as be shared with our Owner’s through various channels including Regions and Committees. Don’t miss your opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of design-build and DBIA.