improving project deliverystatus report

County of Fairfax, Virginia

Improving Project DeliveryStatus Report

Board of SupervisorsTransportation Committee

February 4, 2014

Department of Transportation


Background• Revenues for transportation have significantly increased:

– HB 2313– Tysons Transportation Funding Plan– Secondary Road Program (funding increase beginning in 2017)

• Other funding sources anticipated to continue:

– C & I– Transportation Bonds

• Six-year transportation project priorities approved by the Board on January 28, 2014.

• Increased workload requires ongoing evaluation of ways to increase efficiency and expedite delivery of new projects.

Department of Transportation 2


Background – Continued • VDOT staff resources limited due

to expanded VDOT funding and legislative limits on number of VDOT personnel.

• Project delivery will require expanded County role for both secondary and primary roadway, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects.

• The County has been successfully delivering transportation projects. However, there are opportunities to improve the efficiency of project delivery.



Background – Continued

• FCDOT staff have been meeting since June 2013 to discuss ways to improve project delivery. Meetings have included other agencies, such as VDOT and DPWES.

• Many ideas were suggested by staff. Some can likely be addressed in the short-term, and some are already underway.

• Others require longer-term coordination, particularly those involving outside agencies such as VDOT and DPWES.



Anticipated Timeframe

Suggested ideas were broken into the following timeframes:

• Actions Underway, and Short-term Recommendations:

– Could be implemented within 12 months.

• Mid-Term Recommendations:

– Could be implemented over next 2 to 3 years. Changes involve staff efforts, policy decisions, and outside agency cooperation.

• Longer-Term Recommendations:

– Could be implemented over next 3 to 5. Changes involve staff, policy decisions, legislative changes, and outside agency cooperation.



Major Themes

In addition, suggested ideas were divided into the following categories:

• Improve project budgeting and scheduling process.

• Identify project issues early.

• Improve communication.

• Expand staff capabilities.



Improve Budgeting and Scheduling

Project budgets and estimates must occasionally be modified due to unforeseen issues and project complexities which can be time consuming.

Actions Recommended: Programming

• Clarify and formalize staff procedures and responsibilities for appropriating funds.

• Prioritize and program individual projects within anticipated 6-year funding stream. Recognize funding source and associated requirements.

– FY 2014-2020 Cash Flow program in development.

• Investigate ways to reduce steps in the approval process.



Improve Budgeting and Scheduling - Continued

Actions Recommended: Project Level

• Improve accuracy of project cost estimates and develop realistic schedules.

− Fully scope and analyze benefits and impacts of projects prior to proceeding with project adoption/selection and implementation.

• Work with outside agencies, such as VDOT to expedite plan review time for internal and external agencies.

• Expand countywide permit tools with VDOT.

• Streamline agreements with external agencies.

– Funding agreement with NVTA approved by the Board on January 28, 2014.

– Development of ‘annual’ Request to Administer (RTA) agreements with VDOT is underway.



Identify Project Issues Early Unforeseen issues can delay projects.

Actions Recommended:

• Develop conceptual plans sufficient to ensure the project:

– Addresses utility, right-of-way, and environmental issues.– Project scope is acceptable to the community.

Actions Underway:

• Improve project scoping and field review process.• Identify utilities, right-of-way, and environmental issues earlier through a

more detailed and expanded scoping process.• Coordinate with VDOT and other agencies earlier.• Create Project Checklists.• Create GIS layer for pending projects.



Identify Project Issues Early – Continued

Other Recommendations (mid-term):• Identify legislative changes that would enhance project delivery.



Expand Staff Capabilities Project implementation technics and methods are complex and continue

to evolve.

Actions Underway and Short-Term Recommendations:

• Provide Additional Training on:

– Project Implementation and Scheduling– Contracting/Procurement – Technical Software– Environmental Issues/Regulations– Right-of-Way Impacts and Acquisition– Proffer Research and Allocation

• Formally document consistent implementation procedures from procurement to construction.



Expand Staff Capabilities – Continued

• Expand availability of technical and project management software.

• Strengthen design-build capabilities with new position approved by the Board in FY 2014.

• Inventory of in-house expertise was completed.

Other Recommendations (mid-term):

• Formalize mentoring program for junior engineers to assist senior staff on complex projects to build their professional experience.

• Develop standardized procedural documentation to provide consistent training and project delivery.

• Hire project managers with areas of special technical expertise.

• Better align right-of-way and construction management efforts with programming and design activities.



Improve Communication

Effective communication between multiple disciplines, divisions, and outside agencies is critical to efficient project delivery.

Actions Underway and Short-Term Recommendations:

• Expand project specific scoping meetings, and the participating agencies.

• Formalize project delivery teams.

• Improve productivity of meetings by:

– Formalizing team meetings at appropriate plan review stages.– Ensure that staff represented at meetings have authority to make

decisions, and ensure follow up on action items.



Improve Communication

Other Recommendations (mid-term)

• Continue to work with VDOT and DPWES to resolve project delivery issues.

• Create integrated system on GIS layer for data, such as traffic counts, proffers, VDOT permits, and environmental issues.



Other Alternative Delivery Methods• Investigation of other alternative project delivery methods could include:

– Use of specialized or imbedded consultants.– Work with VDOT to reinstall the ‘state construction forces.’– Use of land developers to implement certain projects.– Public-private partnerships.– Investigate other out-of-the box solutions.



Monitoring and Reporting

Establish a baseline for monitoring and reporting on the improved efficiency of project delivery.

Actions Identified:

• Develop measures to assess efficiency of project delivery, e.g., percent on-time, within budget, etc.

• Provide periodic progress updates to the Board Transportation Committee.


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