Foreword The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Technical Subcommittee on Contract Administration is made up of members from various state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It was given the mission to review and update the 2005 AASHTO Partnering Handbook. The advent of alternative contracting methods like design?Cbuild@ construction manager/general contractor@ and public?Cprivate partnerships has fundamentally changed the way projects are being delivered across the nation. The handbook??s first edition was written against a context of traditional design?Cbid?Cbuild project delivery where highway projects were awarded to the lowest responsive bidder. That contracting environment was one that could be vulnerable to adversarial relationships and litigation. Partnering was developed to address the negative consequences of the low-bid system. Research on partnering clearly demonstrates that it provides a practical mechanism to positively resolve project issues@ averting litigation. A number of structural changes have taken place in the way highway projects are being delivered@ most of which involve increasing the level of integration and collaboration between the DOT and its partners in the design and construction industries. The most prominent change is the increase in early contractor involvement in the design process. The second edition of this handbook was commissioned to capture the national experience with increasing collaboration during the design phase found in the alternative contracting practices and integrate it into the partnering process. The second edition includes an organizational partnering maturity model that permits DOTs to assess themselves and determine those areas where additional guidance is needed to institutionalize the fundamental principles of partnering. This new handbook also defines three levels of partnering intensity that provide a means to tailor the partnering process to the agency??s particular requirements based on their assessed level of maturity. The overarching goal of this handbook is: To encourage public agencies to strive to create a project delivery environment where the principles of partnering have been institutionalized into routine business practices. The contents of the revised handbook have been rigorously vetted in the field and found to add value to existing partnering programs. This handbook wll help educate key customers and partners on the benefits and methods of adopting partnering principles. The subcommittee members have spent a great number of hours to make this handbook a reality. No matter what business you are in@ this handbook can help make partnering a way of life in everyday activities. Following the guidelines set forth in this handbook will help your company become a more valuable stakeholder in whatever business endeavor may be encountered.