(1) For each proposed project, the agency or a committee designated by the agency shall evaluate current statements of qualifications and performance data of firms as are on file with the agency, together with those that may be submitted by firms regarding the proposed project, and shall conduct discussions with, and may require public presentations by no less than three firms, regarding their qualifications, approach to the project, and ability to furnish the required service.

(2) Any committee designated by the agency shall have among its membership at least one person whose profession represents that particular field of endeavor being considered.

(3) The agency or committee designated by the agency shall select, in order of preference, no less than three firms deemed to be most highly qualified to perform the required services after considering such factors as the ability of professional personnel, past performance, willingness to meet time and budget requirements, location, recent, current and projected workloads of the firms, and the volume of work previously awarded to the firm by the agency, with the object of effecting an equitable distribution of contracts among qualified firms, as long as such distribution does not violate the principle of selection of the most highly qualified firms.

(4) This section shall not apply to professional service contracts for (a) a project whose basic construction cost is estimated by the agency to be four hundred thousand dollars or less or (b) a planning or study activity when the estimated fee for professional services is forty thousand dollars or less. The Department of Administrative Services shall adjust the dollar amounts in this section every four years beginning January 1, 2002, to account for inflationary and market changes. The adjustments shall be based on percentage changes in a construction cost index and any other published index relevant to operations and utilities costs, as selected by the department.