A collaborative project is any method to execute a project other than the typical design-bid-build; such as Construction Manager At Risk, Fixed-Price Design-Build, and Progressive Design-Build. The number of water and wastewater projects executed with a collaborative delivery method is at an all-time high, and industry surveys indicate even larger growth in the next 5 years. Many owners have limited understanding of the process, which leads to challenges and decision-making. This presentation will cover industry best practices for strategies and tools to increase the chances of collaboration and project success for collaborative delivery projects. These guidelines and tips will encourage the project team to be assembled early and promote input from all stakeholders (Owner, Engineer, Contractor, Operator, etc.) in the early stages of design. Team chartering sessions can be extremely valuable to fully integrate the Owner, Engineer, and Contractor for the mission of the project and build trust and lines of communications between team members. A Team Charter outlines a team’s purpose, goals, and how they will work together. For best results for water/wastewater projects, it is important to encourage the participation of operations & maintenance (O&M) staff early in the design process. An open and transparent Cost Model is a valuable tool that is available in CMAR and Progressive Design-Build but lacking in the typical design-bid-build. The Cost Model is a very useful tool for the team to make value engineering decisions and discuss the potential reduction/addition to project costs. Another useful tool is a Drawing File Revision Log to document all changes to the design drawings. This tool allows the construction estimating team to identify changes in the design documents and update the cost model accordingly. This presentation will also provide specific examples of design tools and techniques, such as Studio Sessions, that promote collaboration and transparency among the team members. Studio Sessions are cloud-based collaborative tools that allow content to be shared across multiple organizations and typically include the Owner (directors, managers, engineers, operators), Owner Advisor, Contractor, and Engineer. This type of cross-organizational collaboration allows each user to suggest edits to the drawings and specifications and track the history of all changes. A Document Management System is another tool that can be implemented by purchasing software. This type of software can be expensive with added costs to the project; therefore, this presentation will focus on the development and implementation of a custom dashboard built to each specific project to meet the needs of the team and improve collaboration.