(1) The department must develop a construction program business plan that incorporates findings of the report required in section 3, chapter 18, Laws of 2015 3rd sp. sess. and also outlines a sustainable staffing level of state-employed engineering staff, adjusted as necessary by additional sustainable revenue and modeled and optimized to address long-term needs in preservation and improvement programs through multiple biennia.

(2) The sustainable staffing level recognizes that it is in the state's interest that periodic increases in workload due to increases in construction funding are best addressed through the use of contract engineering resources in conjunction with limited and flexible augmentations to department staffing levels as necessary for project oversight, accountability, and delivery.

(3) To provide the appropriate management oversight and accountability of the use of contracted services, the plan must also make recommendations on the development of a strong owner strategy that addresses state employee training, career development, and competitive compensation.

(4) The department must submit the plan to the office of financial management and appropriate committees of the legislature one hundred eighty days after the report in section 3, chapter 18, Laws of 2015 3rd sp. sess. is completed. The department must submit progress reports on implementation of the plan biennially beginning September 30, 2018, until September 30, 2030. The elements of the plan must include:

(a) Sustainable staffing levels to address long-term needs in preservation and improvement programs;

(b) Employee recruitment, retention, training, and compensation status;

(c) Project delivery methods for design and construction; and

(d) A comparison of Washington state to national trends and methods.

(5) To assist in the development of the plan, the department must convene an advisory group to be comprised of the following members:

(a) One representative of the professional and technical employees local 17 to represent the nonmanagement engineering and technical employees of the department;

(b) One member of the managerial engineering and technical staff of the department, who must serve as chair of the advisory group;

(c) One member appointed by the American council of engineering companies of Washington to represent the private design industry; and

(d) One member appointed by the associated general contractors of Washington to represent the private construction industry.

Effective date—2015 3rd sp.s. c 18: See note following RCW 47.20.780.