Phased by Design, our first 2026 live webinar, unpacks a real case study from the City of High Point, North Carolina, showing how a phased, financially grounded procurement process can produce more targeted, practical, and cost-effective outcomes for solid waste management planning.
Rather than relying on broad RFPs that lead to generic, full-scope proposals, the City intentionally sequenced its planning process to diagnose financial and operational challenges upfront. That first phase informed every decision that followed, allowing for a more focused scope and budget.
Hear directly from Melinda King, Assistant Public Works Director, High Point, NC, and Vita Quinn, SCS’s National Expert on Utility Finance and Rate Studies, as they translate lessons from solid waste into a broader City procurement strategy.
Why This Matters
Procurement teams often write an RFP because it’s on the annual calendar, and there may be pressure to move quickly. But they don’t always work side by side with the utility or department that needs the project. Consultants then respond to what’s written in the RFP. If the scope wasn’t written to address the issues, the proposal won’t address them either, resulting in plans that are broader than required, more expensive than necessary, and harder to implement. A targeted phased approach starts with procurement and sets realistic expectations for project elements and the timeline to project success. Consultants bid more specifically, solutions get sharper, and the final plan is easier to execute.
Who Should Attend?
The case study is based on a solid waste management plan, but the process can apply to any business, municipality, utility, or public works department.
What You Will Learn
How to consider underlying financial and operational drivers before releasing your initial RFP, so your procurement is informed, not speculative. How to scope feasibility and risk early through a feasibility analysis phase, reducing cost exposure and improving bidder differentiation.
How a phased implementation design logically sequences deliverables so each step earns its scope from the one before it.
How tailored procurement can help reduce planning costs and provide a clearer path to implementation.
You’ll Walk Away With
A repeatable procurement framework that integrates financial analysis, operational feasibility, and long-term strategy into a phased project roadmap.
A clearer understanding of how to structure scopes that protect your budget while still attracting innovative and differentiated consultant solutions.
As with all SCS Client Webinars, we’re here to answer your questions throughout the forum and afterward. As always, SCS Engineers does not share or sell your contact information. For those joining the live webinar, we will provide a Certificate of Attendance upon request.
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RSVP HERE, AND WE’LL SEND YOU THE RECORDING
