Project Management Plan Guidance

Gregory G. Nadeau
Federal Highway Administration
7 November 2016

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 215 (Monday, November 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78257-78258]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26815]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[FHWA Docket no. FHWA-2016-0024]


 Project Management Plan Guidance

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice requests comments on draft Project Management Plan 
Guidance outlining the purpose and contents of Project Management 
Plans, when such plans are required, and the preferred form and 
procedure for submission of these Project

[[Page 78258]]

Management Plans to FHWA. The proposed Project Management Plan Guidance 
clarifies prior guidance on the Project Management Plan process, 
including when to prepare plan updates.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 7, 2016.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that you do not duplicate your docket submissions, 
please submit all comments by only one of the following means:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is (202) 366-
9329.
     Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket 
number at the beginning of your comments. All comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice 
contact Mr. James Sinnette, FHWA Office of Infrastructure, (202) 366-
1561, Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., 
Washington, DC 20590, or via email at james.sinnette@dot.gov. For legal 
questions, please contact Ms. Jennifer Mayo, Assistant Chief Counsel 
for Program Legal Services, FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 
366-1523, Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001, or via email at jennifer.mayo@dot.gov. 
Business hours for the FHWA are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., e.t., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access and Filing

    A copy of the proposed Project Management Plan Guidance is 
available for download and public inspection under the docket number 
noted above at the Federal eRulemaking portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. You may submit or retrieve comments online through 
the Federal eRulemaking portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. The Web 
site is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. Electronic 
submission and retrieval help and guidelines are available under the 
help section of the Web site.
    An electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded from 
Office of the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register and the Government Publishing Office's Web page at: 
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/. Late comments will be considered to the 
extent practicable.

Background

    Major projects are defined in 23 U.S.C. 106(h) as projects 
receiving Federal financial assistance with an estimated total cost of 
$500,000,000, or other projects as may be identified by the Secretary. 
Major projects are typically large, complex projects designed to 
address major highway needs and require the investment of significant 
financial resources. The preparation of a Project Management Plan, as 
required by 23 U.S.C. 106(h), ensures successful project delivery and 
the maintenance of public trust, support, and confidence throughout the 
life of the project. Project Management Plans clearly define the 
responsibilities of the agency leadership and management team. Further, 
such plans document the procedures and processes to provide timely 
information to project decision makers.
    When finalized, the proposed Project Management Plan Guidance will 
replace the existing January 2009 Project Management Plan Guidance. 
Current guidance is over 7 years old and in need of clarification. This 
new, proposed guidance is less prescriptive, in light of an increased 
understanding of Project Management Plans by FHWA and Project Managers. 
Further, a recent DOT Office of Inspector General audit expressed the 
need for more clarity in the guidance on when Project Management Plan 
updates should be prepared.\1\ Finally, while current guidance includes 
best practices for managing major projects, these practices will not be 
included in the new guidance. Rather, best management practices will be 
developed as a separate resource to be shared with project sponsors and 
FHWA staff.
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    \1\ FHWA Met Basic Requirements but can Strengthen Guidance and 
Controls for Financial and Project Management Plans, FHWA, Report 
No. ST-2015-018 (Jan. 2015), available at https://www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/32336.
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    Comments on the proposed Project Management Plan Guidance are 
welcome from any interested party, including Federal, State, and local 
agencies; industry groups; and the general public. A copy of the 
proposed Project Management Plan Guidance is available for download and 
public inspection under the docket number noted above at the Federal 
eRulemaking portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. The FHWA requests 
that commenters cite the page number of the Guidance for which each 
specific comment to the docket is concerned, to help make the FHWA's 
docket comment review process more efficient. The FHWA will consider 
all comments received during the comment period prior to finalizing the 
Project Management Plan Guidance.

    Authority:  23 U.S.C. 106(h); 49 CFR 1.85.

    Issued on: October 31, 2016.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
FHWA Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2016-26815 Filed 11-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P