Minnesota Department of Transportation

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Project Management Support Section

Processes

Project Management Processes

The Office of Project Management provides management standards in the form of guidance and tools applicable to all steps in the overall transportation project development process. Links to guidance and corresponding tools are provided to ensure all project managers can meet team objectives.

Scope Guidance

Incorporating best practices from all districts, the scoping process emphasizes early, comprehensive, and well documented scoping of a project and establishes a change process. The process calls for:

  • Conducting scoping before programming the project into the STIP
  • Involving stakeholders in the scoping process and clearly identifying project purposes before completing scoping
  • Reducing uncertainties by investigating scope elements and making appropriate decisions
  • Developing a timeline for the planning-scoping-programming cycle
  • Documenting the scope, scope decisions, and scope changes
  • Obtaining approval for a project scoping report and amendments

Cost Guidance

  • The Cost Estimating and Cost Management (CECM) Technical Reference Manual details cost estimating and cost management process and policies.

Cost Management Guidelines

Project managers will integrate points into the Technical Reference Manual for the project, a Technical Memorandum, or policy statement. Definitions of key cost management terms: Cost Management Definitions (PDF)