FTA Oversight Procedures - Federal Transit Administration - U.S. ...
FTA Oversight Procedures - Federal Transit Administration - U.S. ...
FTA Oversight Procedures - Federal Transit Administration - U.S. ...
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U.S. DOT <strong>Federal</strong> <strong>Transit</strong> <strong>Administration</strong><br />
TPM-20 Office of Engineering<br />
Project Management <strong>Oversight</strong><br />
<strong>Oversight</strong> Procedure 45 – Small Starts Review<br />
______________________________________________________________________________<br />
1.0 PURPOSE<br />
The purpose of this <strong>Oversight</strong> Procedure is to describe the review, analysis and recommendation<br />
procedures and reporting requirements expected by <strong>Federal</strong> <strong>Transit</strong> <strong>Administration</strong> (<strong>FTA</strong>) from the<br />
Project Management <strong>Oversight</strong> Contractor (PMOC) as regards Small Starts projects: the<br />
reasonableness, quality, completeness, and reliability of the project scope, cost, and schedule and the<br />
technical capacity and capability of the Grantee to execute the project. This PMOC may be directed to<br />
perform this review at various milestones during the project development, including:<br />
• Approval for entry into Project Development (first design phase)<br />
• Approval for a Project Construction Grant Agreement (PCGA) / funding<br />
• When issues arise that may impede project progress or successful implementation<br />
2.0 BACKGROUND<br />
<strong>FTA</strong> conducts oversight of major capital projects receiving federal funds to assess Grantee compliance<br />
with federal requirements and ensure projects are completed within budget and on schedule. The<br />
project management oversight (PMO) program also has an important role in providing technical<br />
assistance to Grantees, helping them address problems and other issues that arise during the various<br />
phases of project development, from preliminary engineering through construction and start-up.<br />
Initially, prior to the passage of SAFETEA-LU, formal oversight was limited to New Starts projects<br />
(Major Fixed Guideway Capital Investments) funded through 49 U.S.C. Section 5309 and generally<br />
with a capital cost of at least $100 million and $25 million or more in Section 5309 program funding,<br />
although most projects exceeded these thresholds. SAFETEA-LU amended the Section 5309 program<br />
to provide funding for a new category of projects designated Small Starts (Capital Investment Grants)<br />
in addition to New Starts.<br />
Small Starts are smaller in scale than New Starts and/or are requesting a lower level of Section 5309<br />
program funding. Small Starts projects are defined as projects requesting under $75 million in Section<br />
5309 Capital Investment Grant funding with a total cost of less than $250 million, both in year of<br />
expenditure dollars (YOE). The Small Starts program is designed to fill a funding gap in Section 5309<br />
funding and offer streamlining of project approvals, including Small Starts project evaluation and<br />
rating.<br />
Small Starts projects can vary considerably in size—from tens to hundreds of millions— and the level<br />
of oversight that <strong>FTA</strong> requires can also vary. Some projects may only entail a general overview of the<br />
Grantee’s project development program. Others may involve periodic targeted reviews at certain<br />
milestones. Larger, more complex projects may have continuing oversight at intervals directed by<br />
<strong>FTA</strong>. The work order will indicate the frequency and type of review.<br />
OP 45 Small Starts Review<br />
Revision 0, June 2008<br />
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