Start with the one-sentence project brief

• In one sentence, how would you describe this project and its primary objective for your agency?
• Describe the specific corridor or structure for your project, using route number, limits, or mileposts
• Which federal funding program is driving your project's authorization? Options: NHPP, STP, HSIP, CMAQ, State-funded only, Local funding with federal match, Other
• Estimate your project's obligation deadline and whether it is tied to a fiscal year or a legislated timeline Options: Within 4 weeks, 4-12 weeks, 3-6 months, More than 6 months, Unknown
• Who on your team is the program lead we should coordinate with on scheduling and obligation reporting?
• When was your funding authorization issued or confirmed?
• Are there politically visible milestones (legislature votes, public announcements, MPO board items) driving your advertisement date? Options: Yes, legislative dates, Yes, governor or mayor announcement, Yes, MPO board action, No, Other

Funding clocks and downstream impact

• If NEPA clearance or federal obligation misses the target, what is the single consequence that would change your willingness to proceed?
• How many weeks of schedule float does your funding window allow? Options: 0-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-16 weeks, >16 weeks, Unknown
• Tell me which milestone for your project (funding obligation, advertisement, letting) is most at risk now Options: Funding obligation, Advertisement, Letting, Right-of-way certification, Other
• When your program missed similar windows before, what downstream cost or schedule delay did you experience?
• Identify which internal or external approvals typically cause last-minute hold-ups for your projects Options: FHWA concurrence, State environmental agency, Local permits, Utility agreements, Tribal consultation, Other

Who signs off, who triggers a stop

• Who in your organization must sign off to allow advertisement, and who can single-handedly pause the schedule?
• List the external stakeholders you expect to engage for this project, for example FHWA division office, MPO, county, transit agency, utility owners, or tribal governments Options: FHWA division office, MPO planning staff, County highway department, Transit agency, Utility owner(s), Tribal government, Other
• Walk me through your internal approval path from design acceptance to letting. Who reviews each step and how long does each review typically take?
• Which external stakeholder concerns have historically forced your team to do design rework or additional NEPA analysis?
• If an external stakeholder insisted on a scope change that would add six months, who in your organization has authority to accept that tradeoff?

Pinpointing the schedule risks, NEPA, ROW, utilities

• Point to the top schedule risk for your project, NEPA, right-of-way, or utility relocation, that would most likely stop your letting date Options: NEPA timeline, ROW acquisition, Utility relocations, Permitting, Design staffing, Other
• How far along is your NEPA documentation today, categorical exclusion, EA, or EIS? Select the NEPA class and note any pending agency comments Options: Categorical Exclusion (CE), Environmental Assessment (EA), Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), NEPA complete, Unknown
• Estimate the percentage of parcels with ROW acquisition completed for your project and provide the expected timeline for remaining takings Options: 0-25%, 26-50%, 51-75%, 76-99%, 100%, Unknown
• Describe recent or planned utility coordination activities for your project and identify which utilities already have relocation funding
• Identify the critical permits for your project, such as USACE, state environmental, or local permits, and their typical review times Options: USACE permit, State environmental permit, Local land use/permits, Coastal/shoreline, Other
• Would your leadership accept a revised advertisement date if additional mitigation or a contested ROW occurred, or would they pause or re-scope the project? Options: Accept revised date, Pause and re-scope, Require funding reallocation, Undecided

The other paths you're weighing (competitive landscape)

• List the delivery options your agency is actively considering: keep in-house, retain the incumbent, run a new procurement, or form a program delivery partner Options: Keep in-house, Retain incumbent consultant, Run new procurement, Program delivery partner, Design-build or other alternative, Other
• For each option, what would have to be true about its performance and schedule for your agency to stay with it?
• Name the contractor performance metrics your agency uses to compare proposals, such as on-time advertising, change orders, or NEPA supplements Options: On-time advertisement record, Number of change orders, NEPA supplements required, Claims or litigation history, Past schedule slips, DBE performance
• Has anyone inside your agency proposed solving this internally without outside help? If yes, what is the confidence level in that plan? Options: High, Moderate, Low, No internal proposal
• What single condition would make your agency cancel a procurement and keep the work inside?

Can we meet your prerequisites (operational readiness and constraints)

• Tell me bluntly, which prerequisite would block your agency's ability to start work within your desired window: missing CAD files, absent data, insufficient DBE plan, or lack of access agreements? Options: Missing CAD files, Missing base mapping, No access agreements, DBE plan incomplete, Unable to export utilities data, Other
• Does your agency have final base mapping, digital ROW plats, and as-built utility records available in the formats our team requests? Options: All available and QA'd, Most available, need QA, Partial available, None available
• Provide the contact for your GIS or design data owner and confirm whether they can export files within two weeks
• Roughly how many internal staff hours per month can your agency dedicate to coordination, review cycles, and stakeholder meetings? Options: <20 hours/month, 20-40 hours/month, 41-80 hours/month, >80 hours/month, Not available
• Are there legal, procurement, or agency-level approvals that must clear before work can begin for your project, and which of these typically add time?
• Would any statutory restriction, confidentiality rule, or pending litigation prevent an outside consultant from participating on your project? Options: Yes, prevents consultant participation, No, consultants allowed with restrictions, Depends on the case, Unknown
• Select the systems your project requires integration with Options: State GIS, Design file repository (CAD/Civil), ROW database, Utility coordination portal, Document management system, Procurement portal, Other

How you'll know we did the job (acceptance and success criteria)

• What single measurable outcome would make your leadership sign the agreement this week?
• Provide the acceptance deliverables your agency requires at each stage: planning, NEPA, 30% design, 60% design, 100% PS&E, ROW plans, utility agreements, and construction engineering
• Define what 'PS&E accepted' means for your agency, for example specific sign-offs, QA checks, or external reviewer clearance
• Specify the schedule float in weeks your agency requires between final PS&E and advertisement Options: 0-2 weeks, 3-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9+ weeks
• Given a 10 percent budget overrun while meeting technical criteria, how would your agency prefer to proceed: reduce scope, secure additional funding, or pause? Options: Reduce scope, Secure additional funding, Pause project, Other
• Select the acceptance and sign-off conditions your agency requires Options: Program manager sign-off, FHWA concurrence, MPO endorsement, Legal clearance, ROW certification, Utility agreements in place, Construction packaging approval

What would accelerate this from conversation to contract

• A 60-day commitment to deliver NEPA-ready documentation and named task owners, would that make your agency ready to start procurement this quarter? Options: Yes, Maybe with conditions, No
• Name the procurement office contact for your agency and describe the typical selection window they follow
• Please share the target date by which your agency can supply final funding documentation and a draft scope of work (SOW)
• Outline the procurement prerequisites your legal or procurement office insists on before advertising Options: Signed funding commitment, DBE plan, Insurance certificate, Access agreements, Clear procurement strategy, Other
• Choose one option your agency would take if procurement windows close before NEPA is cleared: proceed with a staged advertisement, accelerate NEPA with a supplemental team, or pause and re-scope Options: Proceed with staged advertisement, Accelerate NEPA with supplemental team, Pause and re-scope

Anything left unsaid that would stop this project?

• Point out any remaining issue that, if left unresolved, would stop your project from moving forward
• Select an availability window for your team for a 30-minute alignment call in the next seven days Options: Morning next 7 days (9-11am), Midday next 7 days (11am-2pm), Afternoon next 7 days (2-5pm), Not available in next 7 days

• Solution Experience Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the demonstrated timeline and deliverable sequence removes the specific NEPA, ROW, and utility schedule risks you described.
• Deliver a tailored PS&E outline and resource plan showing named roles, proposed staffing timelines, and how those align to your advertised letting dates.
• Scenario timeline walkthrough from NEPA to PS&E
• You confirm that the mapped deliverables meet your letting acceptance criteria and federal obligation timeline.
• Provide a proposed NEPA-to-letting milestone plan that ties NEPA decision points, ROW acquisition milestones, and utility relocation windows to the federal obligation deadline.
• Deliverable-to-acceptance mapping
• Provide the project's federal obligation deadline, current ROW acquisition status, and utility relocation status documents for model inputs.
• You agree on the remaining evidence and commitments required to move toward a mutual commitment decision.
• Confirm the internal stakeholders and approval signoff dates required to accept PS&E and advertise the project.
• Mitigation proof points for ROW and utilities
• Validate fit with your stated needs
• Agree remaining evidence to decide

• Solution Experience Session
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief — Planning through Construction

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Prepare NEPA compliance document (CE/EA/EIS)
• Traffic analysis and microsimulation model
• Highway geometric design plans
• Bridge structural design and calculations
• Hydraulics and drainage design plans
• Right-of-way plans and acquisition exhibits
• Utility coordination and relocation plans
• Final PS&E construction package
• Construction cost estimates and bid quantities
• Technical specifications and special provisions
• Environmental permitting and mitigation plans
• Construction engineering and inspection services

Prepare NEPA compliance document (CE/EA/EIS)

• Which NEPA document class is planned (Categorical Exclusion (CE), Environmental Assessment (EA), Environmental Impact Statement (EIS))? Options: Categorical Exclusion (CE), Environmental Assessment (EA), Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
• Which federal action agency will issue the NEPA decision (Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, other)? Options: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Other
• Provide the target federal decision date for the NEPA document (month/year).
• Identify the environmental resource categories to be analyzed and any existing studies (wetlands delineation, threatened species surveys, Phase I cultural resources).
• Specify baseline data availability by deliverable (existing noise study, air quality conformity memo, wetland map) and the date collected.
• What evidence will validate federal NEPA acceptance (signed CE determination, Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), or Record of Decision)? Options: Signed CE determination, Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), Record of Decision (ROD), Other

Traffic analysis and microsimulation model

• Which traffic analysis deliverables do you require (average daily traffic, peak-hour turning movements, microsimulation animation, delay/queue tables)? Options: Average Daily Traffic (ADT), Peak-hour turning movements, Microsimulation animation files, Delay and queue tables
• Who holds the most recent traffic counts and what year are they (source agency or consultant and collection year)?
• Provide the peak-hour scenarios to model (AM peak, PM peak, weekend peak, special event) and the corresponding hours. Options: AM peak, PM peak, Weekend peak, Special event peak
• Identify required model calibration targets for microsimulation (observed queue length in feet, travel time, delay per vehicle) and acceptable variance.
• Specify required outputs for regulatory review (capacity analysis tables, critical lane volume summary, intersection LOS worksheets). Options: Capacity analysis tables, Critical lane volume summary, Intersection LOS worksheets, Other
• Attach or describe the current traffic model files and the last calibration date if available.

Highway geometric design plans

• Which design criteria and standards should be used (AASHTO Green Book parameters, state DOT standard index, design speed and design year)?
• List station limits, key control points, and any fixed right-of-way or ROW monuments that constrain alignment changes.
• Provide required typical section elements (lane widths, shoulder type, median width, barrier type) and any state-mandated cross-sections.
• Specify survey control and base map deliverable requirements (horizontal datum, vertical datum, CAD layer conventions).
• Identify superelevation and cross-slope tables deliverable frequency (per station interval) and tangent-curve treatment expectations.
• State required plan sheet scale and sheet numbering convention for final construction plan production. Options: Engineering scale 1"=20', Engineering scale 1"=30', Custom/Other

Bridge structural design and calculations

• Which bridge deliverables are required (abutment and pier plans, structural calculations, shop drawings, load rating)? Options: Abutment and pier plans, Structural calculations, Shop drawings, Load rating
• Specify the design code and LRFD calibration year to apply for load and resistance factor design.
• Provide existing bridge inspection reports, as-built dimensions, and any previous load rating files available for the structure.
• Identify span geometry constraints, clearances (vertical and horizontal), and any ice or scour design requirements.
• Describe required QA/QC reviewers and signature/stamp requirements for structural calculations and plan sets.
• What deliverable format is required for bridge calculations (signed PDF, editable spreadsheet appendix, native analysis files)? Options: Signed PDF, Editable spreadsheet appendix, Native analysis files, Other

Hydraulics and drainage design plans

• Identify hydraulic products required (HEC-RAS model with cross-sections and profiles, culvert analyses, floodplain mapping). Options: HEC-RAS model, Culvert analysis, Floodplain mapping, Other
• Specify the design storm return periods to be used for sizing conveyance (10-year, 25-year, 100-year) and freeboard requirements. Options: 10-year, 25-year, 100-year
• Provide existing drainage infrastructure data availability (culvert inventory, storm sewer plans, outlet conditions) and dates.
• List required hydraulic deliverables for permitting (floodplain cross-sections, FEMA forms, CLOMR/LOMR exhibits). Options: FEMA forms, CLOMR/LOMR exhibits, Floodplain cross-sections, Other
• Indicate geotechnical or soil boring inputs available for drainage design and the borehole report dates.
• Which local drainage standards or state drainage manual sections must the designs comply with?

Right-of-way plans and acquisition exhibits

• List parcels expected to be impacted and provide assessor parcel numbers or plat references if available.
• Specify anticipated take type for each parcel (full acquisition, partial fee, temporary construction easement, permanent easement). Options: Full parcel acquisition, Partial fee take, Temporary construction easement, Permanent easement, No acquisition expected
• Provide target ROW acquisition milestone dates tied to funding obligation and advertisement deadlines.
• Identify deliverables required for recording and closing (plat sheets, legal descriptions, title reports). Options: Plat sheets, Legal descriptions, Title reports, Closing cost estimates
• Which county recording format or recorder office requirements must plats and deeds conform to?
• Indicate whether relocation assistance, appraisal, or condemnation support is expected as part of ROW services. Options: Relocation assistance, Appraisal only, Condemnation support required, None

Utility coordination and relocation plans

• Provide a list of utility owners and the latest utility conflict drawings or GIS layers available.
• Which utilities currently have executed relocation agreements or documented commitments? Options: Electric, Gas, Water, Sewer, Telecom, None documented
• Identify utilities that will require design-level relocation plans versus those requiring coordination only. Options: Design-level relocation plans, Coordination only, Undetermined
• Indicate milestone dates that utility relocations must meet relative to advertisement and construction start.
• Which format and level of detail do utility owners require for relocation plan sheets (plan/profile, stationing, tie-in details)? Options: Plan/profile with stationing, Tie-in detail sheets, As-built reconciliation format
• Who are the designated utility coordinators and what are their contact details for scheduling relocation meetings?

Final PS&E construction package

• Which plan sheet components must be included in the final PS&E (plan/profile sheets, typical sections, traffic control plans, quantities, special provisions)? Options: Plan/profile sheets, Typical sections, Traffic control plans (TCP), Quantities and bid items, Special provisions
• Specify the bid item list format and pay item unit standards your procurement requires (agency pay item codes, unit definitions).
• Provide the PS&E QC review workflow and required approver roles and signature stamps.
• Identify the engineer's estimate accuracy target for advertisement (for example ±5%, ±10%). Options: ±5%, ±10%, Other
• What evidence will validate PS&E acceptance for advertisement (signed PS&E cover sheet, approved engineer's estimate, ready-to-advertise checklist)? Options: Signed PS&E cover sheet, Approved engineer's estimate, Ready-to-advertise checklist, Other
• State required electronic deliverable formats for plan distribution and e-bidding (PDF/A plan set, shapefiles for pay items, CSV for quantities). Options: PDF/A, Shapefiles, CSV for quantities, Other

Construction cost estimates and bid quantities

• Which estimating method should be used (unit-price line item, assembly-based estimate, historical bid calibration)? Options: Unit-price line item, Assembly-based estimate, Historical bid calibration
• Provide any recent comparable project bids or unit prices to be used for calibration.
• Indicate quantity rounding rules, unit conversions, and whether subcontractor-level breakdowns are required.
• Identify required contingency policy and escalation assumptions for multi-year construction schedules.
• Which cost breakdowns are required for funding obligations (by phase, by fiscal year, by work category)? Options: By phase, By fiscal year, By work category
• State the required classification or confidence level for the estimate (equivalent to Class 3, Class 2, or custom accuracy band). Options: Class 3 equivalent, Class 2 equivalent, Custom accuracy band

Technical specifications and special provisions

• Specify the base standard specifications edition and any state supplements to apply in the contract book.
• List specialty items that require custom special provisions (MSE walls, ITS, noise walls, unique aggregate sources).
• Provide mandatory DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) goals or other contract-level participation requirements to include in specifications.
• Identify required materials testing and acceptance frequencies (compaction tests per 1000 CY, concrete cylinder break schedule).
• Which warranty durations or performance bond terms must be specified (pavement warranty years, required bond percentage)?
• Describe the preferred format for special provisions (inline with spec book, appendix of special provisions, linked annex). Options: Inline with spec book, Appendix of special provisions, Linked annex

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Fee Schedule & Payment Terms
• Funding & Milestone Addendum
• Procurement Prerequisites & Conditions Precedent
• Notice to Proceed / Conditional Authorization
• Change Order Agreement
• Insurance, Bonds & Indemnity Schedule
• Public-Procurement & Compliance Addendum
• Acceptance Criteria & Deliverables Sign-off
• Termination, Suspension & Demobilization Agreement

• Post-Completion Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
• Acceptance Gate Review (around day 90)
• Quarterly Operational Review (ongoing)
• Annual Closeout and Lessons Learned Review (12 months post-completion)

• Add utility relocation mitigation tasks to the action tracker with milestone due dates.
• For conditional or failed items, produce a remediation plan with named task descriptions and committed completion dates.
• Ensure evidence supporting each acceptance decision is stored in the project repository.
• Record the formal acceptance outcome and store the signatory record and evidence in the project folder.
• Create remediation tasks for any conditional acceptance items and publish them to the action tracker with resolution dates.
• Notify procurement and finance teams that the acceptance gate outcome has been recorded to enable downstream obligations.
• Metric dashboard and trends
• Reduce or stabilize the open claims and change order count through agreed resolution steps.
• Increase the percentage of utility relocations completed on schedule or document mitigation plans where delays persist.
• Capture at least three operational lessons with assigned follow-up actions to prevent repeat issues.
• Update the claims ledger with resolution steps and target dates, and publish the update to the shared workspace.
• Re-confirm success criteria and owners
• Publish the quarter's lessons learned summary and assign follow-up tasks for implementation.
• Final outcomes vs Solution Scope targets
• Document final confirmation of outcomes against the Solution Scope targets and record any residual gaps.
• Finalize the lessons learned repository with closure status and assigned institutional actions.
• Agree the operating rules for the ongoing issues and enhancement request channel, including response expectations.
• Publish the final outcomes report and lessons learned package to the shared archive.
• Create a small list of institutional actions to incorporate lessons into standard practice and assign follow-up dates.
• Establish the ongoing issue and enhancement channel with documented response times and submit contact points for monitoring.
• All outstanding deliverables are enumerated and the remediation list is accepted by participants.
• Named owners and target dates are recorded for each high-priority blocker.
• Access or training gaps that prevent using delivered materials are captured and scheduled for resolution.
• Publish the remediation list and open issues register to the shared project channel for asynchronous tracking.
• Deliver missing or corrected deliverable files and audit logs to the buyer's document repository.
• Schedule any short user orientation sessions needed to enable buyer teams to use the PS&E and NEPA materials.
• Present first outcome data
• Determine whether percent of ROW parcels acquired is on track toward the Solution Scope target and document required interventions if not.
• Confirm whether days of schedule slippage to advertisement/letting is within tolerance and record corrective tasks for any excess.
• Create a time-bound remediation plan that aligns to the acceptance gate timeline.
• Publish the metric dashboard snapshot and root-cause notes to the shared workspace.
• Document and schedule the corrective tasks needed to recover ROW and advertisement schedule and add them to the action tracker.
• Update the risk register with any newly identified schedule or funding risks and assign resolution dates.
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Produce a documented acceptance decision that records pass/fail per Solution Scope criterion and captures the buyer's signatory when acceptance is granted.
• Claims and change order triage
• Present outcome evidence for each criterion
• Gap diagnosis
• Handover and deliverable validation
• Lessons learned detailed review
• Early operational signals and usage
• Residual claims and long-tail issues
• Document pass/fail per criterion
• Utility relocation and ROW status review
• Agree corrective actions and timelines
• Confirm readiness timeline to acceptance gate
• Ongoing issue, claims, and enhancement channel
• Lessons learned and continuous improvements
• Formal acceptance decision and signatory capture
• Open issues and blockers
• Project archival and knowledge transfer
• Agree immediate remediation actions
• Agree remediation plan for failed or conditional items
• Agree quarterly action plan