ASHRAE Guideline 0 and most commissioning guidelines and process handbooks suggest hiring a CxA before the MEP engineer, if possible, in order to kick off the commissioning process at the beginning of the project, and ensuring the OPR is adhered to throughout design development. However, most RFP processes for commissioning agent begin after the architect and MEP engineer have been hired. The RFP process should involve the architect and mechanical engineer to be sure that it accurately reflects the project’s requirements. The mechanical engineer lists all the building systems equipment to be commissioned and identifies the required sampling rates in the RFP. If the systems are not yet defined, a description of the mechanical design direction would be included in the project intent and RFP.
