Under QBS, professional service firms are weighed first on competence, creativity and performance, and second on negotiation of a fair and reasonable fee. The process begins with the owner establishing evaluation criteria and soliciting statements of qualifications from professional service firms. The owner reviews these statements on the basis of qualifications, experience, reputation, current workload, and any other project specific factors.

The owner then selects the three to five most qualified firms to make brief presentations explaining their unique approach to the project. On the basis of these presentations, the owner ranks the most qualified firms numerically in order of preference. The owner and the top-ranked firm then negotiate a scope of services, which specifies the full range of services the firm will provide, the personnel it will commit to the project, and the schedule describing when the work is to be completed.

When agreement is reached on the scope of work, the owner and professional proceed to negotiate a fee that is fair and reasonable to both parties. If an agreement on compensation is reached, a contract is consummated. If an agreement cannot be reached, negotiations with the top ranked firm are terminated, and the owner attempts to negotiate a contract with the second ranked firm. The process can be repeated as necessary until the contract is negotiated. Refer to the flowchart below for a graphical representation of this process.

Note: Agencies may have specific requirements that vary from the QBS Process outlined above.