Construction Program Management and Inspection Guide

Appendix C: Process Review/Product Evaluation Guidelines
CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTION GUIDE (5/01/04)
C–2 SAMPLE
California Division Office
Procedure Memorandum
SUBJECT: Program Review/Product Evaluation Program
D6101 February 10, 1993
I.Table of Contents
Section II: References
Section III: Purpose
Section IV: Background
Section V: Overview of Program Review and Product
Evaluation
Section VI: Developmental Procedures for the Annual
Review Schedule
Section VII: Milestones
Section VIII: Program Approval and Review Procedures
II. References
23 CFR 640.115 Evaluations
FAPG G6021.2 Monitoring of Federal-aid Highway
Design Projects
PM D6021 Design Monitoring Program
PM D6420 Construction Monitoring Program
PM D6520 Certification Acceptance Procedures
PM D1601 Program Review/Product Evaluation Program
Guide
III. Purpose
This issuance supersedes the December 9, 1982, Procedure
Memorandum “Process Review - Engineering Management
Assessment Plan.”
The purpose of this Division Office Procedure
Memorandum is to describe the Program Review/Product
Evaluation Program (PR/PE). The program provides a basis
to fulfill requirements for the administration of the Federalaid
program as prescribed in regulations and directives. The
program also evaluates the quality of the work performed
and maintains lines of communication with responsible State
and Local Agency representatives for the transfer of
technology. Additionally, the program facilitates a continual
evaluation of the Division’s operations to ensure quality
engineering and environmental processes and products.
IV. Background
In 1977, the California Certification Acceptance (CA) Plan
was approved for Local Agency projects and amended in the
same year to include all State-administered projects not on
the Interstate system. This was the beginning of the
California Division Office’s process review program for
conducting oversight responsibilities on CA projects. The
process review program continued until 1991 when the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
was implemented. Major changes to Title 23 USC in
program direction and permissive delegations to the States
were introduced. A major provision of the new Act allowed
the States to accept increased levels of authority that
exempted various types of Federal-aid highway projects from
FHWA project review and oversight. In response to the
authority granted by this provision, FHWA entered into
agreement with Caltrans, approved May 12, 1992, that
provided Caltrans with the maximum delegation of authority
allowed by law. This authority, granted through Stewardship
agreements, delegated oversight authority to Caltrans for
“Exempt” projects. In order to better address these program
changes and new directions, it is FHWA’s policy to
increasingly rely on the State organizations for detailed,
project-related actions. In keeping with this policy, the
Program Review/Product Evaluation will be the California
Division Office’s primary mode of operation in carrying out
its program oversight responsibilities. This does not preclude
the use of other program monitoring techniques, including
project-specific activities when appropriate.
Factors to be considered in advancing this policy include:
▼ Level of Federal Interest
▼ Technical Complexity
▼ Local Circumstances
▼ Risk Management
▼ Statutory Requirements
This Program Review/Product Evaluation Program will
cover all activities for exempt projects on the National
Highway System (NHS), projects administered under
Certification Acceptance, and non-Title 23 activities for
non-NHS projects.