3.3 Project Scoping
Project scoping is part of the programming process that involves determining and documenting a list of specific project goals, objectives, deliverables, costs, outcomes and deadlines. Defining the project scope requires input from the project SMEs. SMEs work with the TxDOT PM to establish the key elements of budget, objectives and schedule.
It is important to clearly define the project scope when a project is first considered for programming. An accurate scope of work ensures the design addresses the project goals and objectives and is also necessary to develop a planning level cost estimate.
The project scope should be documented in the DSR (see
).
3.3.1 Project Scoping Meeting
Project scoping establishes the baseline project scope at the early stages of the project. The project scoping team is a multi-disciplinary team of appropriate District leadership and SMEs who evaluates the project needs, proposed outcomes, the working budget and the schedule for designing and developing the project as well as other project details during a project scoping meeting.
Outcomes from the project scoping meeting should include:
- Environmental impacts and potential mitigation measures;
- Evaluation of ADA barriers which have implications for the project scope;
- Evaluation of existing elements (e.g., existing alignments meet design standards, pavement scores, bridge condition reports, etc.);
- Identification of stakeholders;
- International bridge structures;
- Impacted navigable waterways or waterway activity;
- Other project data collection needed (i.e., type of survey needed, additional traffic counts, geotechnical needs, etc.).
- Project assumptions that are considered during the current project development lifecycle (e.g., no ROW to be acquired, type of construction, project limits, etc.);
- Project constraints that might limit the project team (e.g., funding constraints, resources, schedule, etc.);
- Project construction and total project cost;
- Project delivery method (i.e., traditional plans or digital delivery);
- Project goals and objectives;
- Project performance metrics (e.g., increased mobility, enhanced safety, improved operations, etc.);
- Project procurement method (i.e., design-bid-build or design-build);
- Project schedule;
- Proposed activities (e.g., add lanes, reverse ramps, extend culverts, replace bridges, etc.);
- Proposed design standards (i.e., 4R, 3R, 2R, Special Facilities, etc.);
- Multimodal needs as well as current and future demand (e.g., freight, rail, transit, bicycle and pedestrian);
- Traffic and safety analysis and procedures; and
- Traffic forecasting methodology.
Not all the outcomes may be determined at the time of the project scoping meeting
; however, the DSR provides the ability to document the desired outcomes and assign responsibility of project team members to compile the information.3.3.1.1 Statewide Planning Map Information
The Statewide Planning Map provides many details of the project area that should be reviewed and documented in the DSR as part of project scoping. The Statewide Planning Map displays data in support of planning operations at TxDOT. It contains the “Common Overlays” and other “Additional Overlays”. It can provide valuable information for project scoping and should be referenced for any source of information used in the DSR.
3.3.1.2 Stakeholder Identification
Project stakeholders should be identified during project scoping to ensure that projects are developed with local, regional and statewide goals in mind. Coordination with local, regional and statewide stakeholders can result in commitments to project development that must be carried forward throughout project development. All stakeholder commitments should be documented in the DSR.
Potential stakeholders may include:
- ADA complainants;
- Adjacent property and business owners;
- Bicycle advocates and/or local bicycle and pedestrian committee members;
- Chambers of commerce and regional economic development organizations;
- Community leaders;
- Councils of Government (COG)s/MPOs;
- Developers;
- Disability advocacy and interest groups;
- Economic development agencies;
- Municipal departments;
- Neighboring states and Mexico;
- Professional and nonprofit local organization chapters;
- Public housing;
- Public utilities;
- Railroads, ports/harbors, bus companies;
- Redevelopment and community development agencies;
- Regional transit authorities and rail districts:
- School districts;
- Special authorities and improvement districts;
- State and federal agencies (i.e., Texas Historical Commission, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Corp of Engineers, etc.);
- Transit authorities; and
- Utility companies.
Inquire from all stakeholders their input on additional interested parties that should be contacted.
3.3.1.3 Multimodal and Intermodal Connections
All projects should be assessed for multimodal and intermodal needs as part of project scoping. There are a range of multimodal considerations (i.e., highway, street, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian) or intermodal freight transport (i.e., air, rail, and port to surface freight transport) to address mobility needs. Projects must be assessed to determine if design elements for current and future multimodal and intermodal needs are included in project scope.
Coordinate with SMEs with specific knowledge in these areas to develop the framework for comparing and assessing modes and alternatives that may apply to the proposed project.
Multimodal and intermodal connections are discussed in more detail in the RDM.
The MPO’s MTP and TIP may warrant amendment based on the evaluation of these connections.
3.3.1.4 Plan Development Delivery Type Selection
Determination of plan development delivery type should be determined early in project scoping to guide the needed level of survey and project set up.
TxDOT delivers projects in two ways including:
- Traditional Plan Development– design and generation of paper (or pdf) plans for use by the contractor to construct the project; and
- Digital Delivery– design and generation of the Model as the Legal Document (MALD) for use by the contractor to construct the project.
If the digital delivery method is chosen, specific tasks must be determined to set the project up correctly. The decision to prepare a project as digital delivery should be made in consultation with District decision makers (i.e., Director of TP&D, Director of Construction, Area Engineer, District Design Engineer, District Surveyor, etc.) and staff from DES - Digital Delivery Section.
3.3.1.5 Construction Project Delivery Type Selection
Texas legislative authority allows two forms of project procurement: Design-bid-build (DBB) and Alternative Delivery.
DBB is a traditional construction project delivery method that involves separation of the three distinct processes:
- Design phase– requires the services of a designer who will be the “engineer of record”;
- Bid phase– when a contractor is selected; and
- Build (or construction) phase– the project is build by the selected low bid contractor.
In DBB, construction does not begin until the design process is complete, and a bid is accepted – there is no overlap between design and construction. Risk associated with the design and design gaps or changing field conditions remains with the Department.
Alternative delivery projects include Design-build (DB). DB is a delivery method used by the Department to share the risks and responsibilities of design, construction, and possible maintenance with the DB contractor. Carefully crafted contract documents appropriately transfer risks and responsibilities for design, constriction, and possible maintenance to the DB contractor when the DB contractor is the party in the best position to mitigate and mange those risks.
DB delivery employs both performance-based specifications and more common prescriptive specifications, allowing flexibility for the DB contractor to be innovative. DB compresses the project lifecycle and time by encouraging overlap between the design and construction phases.
Consideration for a project to use DB delivery method should occur when the project has potential for:
- Sharing of the risks and responsibilities for design, construction, and possible maintenance with DB contractor; or
- Alternative Technical Concepts (ATCs) creating project innovations and improving project value (may include faster delivery, cost savings, and other factors).
Once the project scope, goals, and characteristics are known and well understood, determination of project delivery type should be made by District decision makers (i.e., District Engineer, Director of TP&D, Director of Construction, etc.). Decisions to pursue DB delivery method should also be made in coordination with Alternative Delivery Division (ALD) staff.
3.3.2 Project Risk Assessment
Risk management is the
continuing
process to identify, analyze, prioritize, mitigate and monitor the threats and opportunities to a project’s cost and schedule. Performing an initial risk assessment of the project is recommended to better determine the project’s schedule and planning estimate.A high-level risk assessment should be performed in the early stages of project planning and more detailed levels of risk assessment should be performed as the project development advances. The level of risk management should correlate to the project’s rigor.
illustrates suggested levels of risk management based on project rigor.
Transportation Programs Division (TPD) can assist in the facilitation of risk management and risk workshops.
A
Risk Register
is the outcome of the risk management process and is a living document that should be reviewed and updated at regular project milestones. An example of a simple Risk Register is included in the DSR and illustrated in
.For Risk Assessments related to major projects, see
.
3.3.3 Project Planning Estimate
To request adequate funding for a project, a planning level cost estimate should be developed during project scoping. At the planning stage of project development, many project details are unknown. Estimating techniques that are used to develop a planning/programming estimate include:
- Parametric Estimating(scalable estimation);
- Typical sections on a per mile basis
- Bridges on a dollars per square foot basis
- Analogous Estimating(similar projects); and
- Historical bids based(base estimate + allowances + contingency)
Risk Management Techniques | Type of Risk Evaluation | Suggested Tool | Project Rigor | ||
Low | Medium | High | |||
Project Team Informal Risk Assessment | Qualitative | Risk Register Spreadsheet | ● | ||
Project Team Informal Risk Assessment | Qualitative/ Quantitative | Risk Register Spreadsheet 3 Point Estimating | ● | ||
Formal Risk Workshop | Qualitative/ Quantitative | Risk Register Spreadsheet 3 Point Estimating/Monte Carlo Analysis | ● | ● | |
FHWA CSRA Major Projects > $500M | Qualitative/ Quantitative | Risk Register Spreadsheet Monte Carlo Analysis | ● | ||
Figure 3-2: Example Simple Risk Register
TxDOT’s Construction Cost Estimating Guidance (CCEG) and spreadsheet tool provides a method to develop the planning/programming level cost estimate and update a project’s construction cost throughout the project life cycle using
risk-based contingency
calculationsIn addition to the construction cost, ROW costs (see
) are estimated and entered into TxC during project scoping. It is important for this information to be correct so that the project and funding data will be correct in FIN PeopleSoft project information.
Texas Accessibility Management Enterprise System (TAMES) includes an ADA remediation cost estimating tool to work with identified ADA barriers (i.e., physical elements that prevent access for a person with a disability) to project cost in improvements for inclusion in project planning.
Reasonable and accurate cost estimating, and regularly scheduled updates of these costs helps maintain public confidence and trust throughout the life of a project. When a project cost estimate escalates, it impacts the funding for other needed projects. The District should document the reasons for rising estimated costs in the CCEG spreadsheet.
3.3.4 Initial Project Schedule
The initial project schedule is the first planned project schedule before preliminary engineering begins. The initial project schedule will establish the anticipated letting date of the project along with high-level milestones for project delivery.
Not every project is expected to have a schedule, although the vast majority of projects do require a schedule. Refer to the resources below for additional information and guidance in preparing the initial project schedule.
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Available training:
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