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59 Questionnaire for NCHRP Synthesis Topic 35-04 Project 20-5 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this synthesis is to summarize and detail Value Engineering (VE) practices currently utilized by transportation agencies in the United States and Canada. VE is a proven management tool that can play an important role in effective deci- sion making for transportation projects by increasing value through balancing project objectives with costs. While VE prac- tices were initially introduced to many transportation agencies for cost avoidance/containment purposes, VE has also been successfully used to manage the expectations of the interested public and key stakeholders, meet environmental commitments, improve road safety, address schedule concerns, develop new specifications and standards, and, of course, deal with budget challenges. The use of VE in transportation continues to grow and will be further enhanced by sharing information on the application and management of current VE practices and programs. The goal of this synthesis is to study and to report the best/current VE practices of transportation agencies in the United States and Canada. The synthesis will identify the key strengths and challenges of current VE study processes and may serve as a guide to those agencies interested in applying VE and/or improving the effectiveness of VE on their projects and programs. RESPONDING AGENCY INFORMATION Please assist us by providing this information to help process this questionnaire: Agency/company: Address: City: State/province: Zip/postal code: Questionnaire completed by: Current position/title: Date: Telephone: Fax: E-mail: Agency/company contact (if different from above): Telephone: E-mail: PLEASE RETURN THE COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE BY MARCH 26, 2004 APPENDIX B Survey Questionnaire
60 SUBMIT COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE TO: David C. Wilson, P.Eng., CVS Vice President NCE Limited 2800 Fourteenth Avenue, Suite 206 Markham, ON L3R 0E4 Tel. (905) 943-4443 Fax. (905) 943-4449 E-mail: david.wilson@nceltd.com Please contact David directly if you have questions. OBJECTIVES This synthesis will identify and document the best/current VE practices of transportation agencies in the United States and Canada. SCOPE OF THIS SYNTHESIS The scope of this synthesis deals with the VE practices of transportation agencies in the United States and Canada. A broader perspective will be gained by considering the practices of selected large municipalities and metropolitan areas, transit agen- cies, turnpike/toll and port authorities, federal agencies, and value practitioners. INSTRUCTIONS Please be concise with your answers. Follow-up telephone and/or e-mail interviews may be required to expand/confirm your answers to enhance our understanding of your response. Please identify to us a contact person if you will not be available to respond directly, in the event that this is necessary. Please forward copies of any agency-specific documents that you feel are relevant to the answers that you have provided in the questionnaire. This may include, but not be limited to: ⢠VE policies, directives, standards; ⢠VE manuals (study guides, report instructions, training needs); ⢠Electronic and/or hard copy website details on agency intranet VE sites; ⢠Project performance measurement methods; and/or ⢠Any other documents you feel would assist us during the study. Please advise if we are to return these documents back to you at the conclusion of the study. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION WITH THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT
61 SURVEY OVERVIEW This survey has several modules, which present thematically linked questions: ⢠Policy, Guidelines, and Project Selection ⢠Education and Awareness ⢠Application ⢠Implementation ⢠Monitoring ⢠Future Needs Many questions utilize a multiple choice format. All questions permit the inclusion of additional comments and we encour- age you do so. Part 1âPolicy, Guidelines, and Project Selection 1. Does your agency utilize VE in the development of its projects, processes, and products? Always Often Rarely Never Comments: 2. What is the primary motivation for your agency to use VE? Always Often Rarely Never Statutory requirement Required to obtain funding Improve project performance Reduce/avoid cost Reduce/avoid maintenance Improve safety Meet schedule Other Comments: 3. Does your agency have any defined policies, procedures, and/or guidelines for VE? Yes No Do Not Know Comments:
62 4. If so, where do the policies, guidelines, and/or procedures governing the use of VE in your agency come from? Policiesa Guidelinesb Proceduresc Federal agency State/provincial agency Other agency Value communityd Other (please specify) Do not know Notes: a Policies that govern the application of VE in your agency. b Guidelines and warrants that influence when and/or how VE procedures are used on a project, product, and/or process. Includes selec- tion of team members, workshop format, reporting format, and presentation requirements. c Procedures used during a VE study. d The value community consists of practitioners and academics in agencies, educational institutions, not-for-profit societies that pro- mote the value methodology (such as SAVE International, Canadian Society of Value Analysis, Miles Value Foundation), and the consulting industry specializing in VE. Comments: 5. How are projects selected for VE studies? Always Often Rarely Never Statutory requirement Agency cost threshold Project complexity Stakeholder involvement VE program quota Improve safety Meet schedule Other (please specify) Do not know Comments: 6. What percentage of the VE studies performed by your agency is on the National Highway System? >90% 81 to 90% 51 to 80% 31 to 50% 11 to 30% <10% N/A Comments:
63 7. Who has the responsibility to select the VE team members? Always Often Rarely Never Senior management Line manager VE manager/coordinator Technical staff ConsultantâDesign team ConsultantâVE team Other (please specify) Do not know Comments: 8. How are the VE team members selected? Always Often Rarely Never They have specific project knowledge They are independent of the project They have specific technical expertise They are available in-house staff Other (please specify) Do not know Comments: 9. What credentials are required for the VE team facilitator? Always Often Rarely Never Certified value specialist (CVS) Associate value specialist (AVS) Value methodology practitioner (VMP) Professional engineer Technical expertise required for study Similar project experience Other (please specify) Do not know Comments:
64 10. What credentials are required for the VE team members? Always Often Rarely Never Technical specialist Professional engineer Have minimum of MOD I traininga Have FHWA-sponsored trainingb Have other formal VE trainingc Previous experience in VE Other (please specify) Do not know Notes: a SAVE International Module I approved 40 hour VE training course led by an internal or external instructor. b FHWA/National Highway Institute State 32 hour VE training course sponsored by a state agency. c Other formal training in VE includes universities, colleges, the Miles Value Foundation, and VE training courses offered outside North America. Comments: 11. How many VE studies have been performed by your agency in the last 5 years? >100 91 to 100 81 to 90 51 to 80 31 to 50 11 to 30 <10 Do not know N/A Comments: 12. Who does the VE program manager (if the position exists) report to? Director or commissioner Senior manager Technical staff External agency Other (please specify) Do not know N/A Comments:
65 Part 2âEducation and Awareness 13. Does your agency have a formal policy on VE training? Yes No Do not know N/A Comments: 14. How long has a training initiative been in place? >10 years 5 to <10 years 3 to <5 years 1 to <3 years <1 year Do not know N/A Comments: 15. How many of your agencyâs current technical and management staff have received VE training? â¥1000 500 to 999 400 to 499 300 to 399 200 to 299 100 to 199 50 to 99 25 to 49 10 to 24 <10 N/A Please provide the actual/approximate number of trained staff in the comment box below. Comments:
66 16. What percentage of your agencyâs technical and management staff does the number of VE trained staff identified in Ques- tion 15 represent? >90% 81 to 90% 51 to 80% 31 to 50% 11 to 30% â¤10% N/A Comments: 17. What percentage of your agencyâs VE trained staff identified in Question 15 is certifieda? >90% 81 to 90% 51 to 80% 31 to 50% 11 to 30% â¤10% N/A Notes: a SAVE International certification levelsâCertified Value Specialist (CVS), Associate Value Specialist (AVS), and Value Methodol- ogy Practitioner (VMP). Comments: 18. To what level is agency staff being trained in VE? Always Often Rarely Never VE methodology overview National Highway Institute (32 hours) SAVE approved MOD I (40 hours) SAVE approved MOD II (24 hours) Other (please specify) Do not know Comments:
67 19. Who is being trained in VE? Always Often Rarely Never Senior management Project management staff Technical staff Consultants Other (please specify) Do not know Comments: 20. Who is training the agency staff in VE? Always Often Rarely Never VE program manager In-house project management staff In-house technical staff Consultants Other (please specify) Do not know Comments: 21. What is the annual budget allocated to training agency staff in VE? >$100,000 $75,000 to $100,000 $50,000 to $74,000 $25,000 to $49,000 <$25,000 Do not know N/A Comments: 22. How would you describe the level of Senior Management support of VE within your agency? Very supportive Supportive Indifferent Not supportive Do not know N/A Comments:
68 23. How would you describe Senior Managementâs familiarity with the VE program within your agency? Excellent Good Fair Poor Do not know N/A Comments: Part 3âApplication 24. Does your agency utilize the SAVE International Value Methodology Standard (October 1998)a as the basis for the VE Job Plan? Yes Similar, but modified No Do not know N/A Notes: a The SAVE International Value Methodology Standard utilizes six phases in the workshopâInformation, Function Analysis, Cre- ativity, Evaluation, Development, and Presentation. The Standard can be reviewed by visiting the SAVE International website (http://www.value-eng.org/pdf_docs/monographs/vmstd.pdf). Please elaborate on any differences in the comment box below. Comments: 25. In your opinion, does VE contribute to innovation within your agency? Always Often Rarely Never Comments:
69 26. Which VE and related tools are typically utilized during a VE study for your agency? Always Often Rarely Never Cost modela Space modela Traffic and/or safety modela Quality modelb Risk modelb Business process modelc Cause and effect analysisc FAST diagramc Evaluation matrix Criteria matrix Performance measuresd Other (please specify) Do not know Please elaborate on any additional VE related tools in the comment box below. Notes: a These models typically present project information in a tabular or graphical form to highlight unique and/or high value project com- ponents. The cost model typically provides project component costs using a form of work breakdown structure (WBS) and may include graphs or charts with the costs sorted in a descending value format. Space, traffic, and safety models similarly present project-specific data to highlight the variances (i.e., what project component carries the most traffic, requires the most space, and/or has the highest crash rate?). b These models typically present analysis information in a tabular or graphical form. A quality model graphically presents the relative sensitivities and expectations that the VE team members place on key aspects of the project (i.e., for success on a project, what is the relative importance of community impacts relative to environmental impacts?). A risk model (or risk register) identifies risk aspects and documents the probability and consequences. c These models present the interrelationships of business processes, causes and effects, and project functions graphically. All models, including the FAST (Function Analysis System Technique) diagram, can be dimensioned to include costs, time, and/or responsibilities. d Performance measures consist of criteria definitions and measurement scales that can be used to evaluate alternatives. Comments: 27. How is project performance/quality established and/or measured? Always Often Rarely Never Quantitatively Qualitatively Other (please specify) Do not know Comments:
70 28. To what level does your agency develop the shortlisted ideas within the time allotted for the workshop? Always Often Rarely Never Hand drawn/photocopy sketches CADD drawings Manual calculations Spreadsheet calculations Computer modeling and simulationa Other (please specify) Do not know Notes: a Includes traffic modeling (i.e., capacity software, operational and queue/delay simulations, signal timing), engineering design (i.e., structural, drainage, noise, grading, and pavement), and 3-dimensional visualization/rendering. Comments: 29. To what level does your agency calculate/determine the following project costs within the time allotted for the workshop? Always Often Rarely Never Life-cycle costs Collision/crash costs/societal benefits Travel delay costs Recurring costs Other (please specify) Do not know Comments: 30. How are the shortlisted ideas selected for development during the workshop? Always Often Rarely Never Gut feel Paired comparison Quality/performance criteria Evaluation matrix Salability of the idea to senior management Champion emerges Group consensus through discussion Other (please specify) Do not know Please elaborate on any additional selection/evaluation methods in the comment box below. Comments:
71 31. Does your agency typically address these issues during the workshop? Always Often Rarely Never Road safety Constructability Traffic staging Environmental impacts Stakeholder expectations/issues Driver expectations/human factors Aesthetics Schedule impacts Flexibility for the future Project costsa User costs/benefitsb Other (please specify) Do not know Notes: a Includes project, product, and/or process costs related to construction, right-of-way (property), maintenance, staffing, stock, imple- mentation, and delivery/assembly costs incurred by the agency. b Includes costs incurred/benefits received by external parties (i.e., travel delay costs, safety benefits/societal costs). Please elaborate on how these are addressed in the comment box below. Comments: 32. Does your agency use VE to develop or update technical standards, specifications, and/or guidelines? Always Often Rarely Never Comments: 33. Does your agency use VE on routine or less complex projects (such as rehabilitation and/or intersection improvement projects)? Always Often Rarely Never Comments:
72 34. Does your agency have specific documentation formats for VE project reports? Yes No Do not know N/A If yes, please elaborate on the Table of Contents in the comment box below. If no, please advise who establishes the report- ing format. Comments: Part 4âImplementation 35. Does your agency have a defined procedure to review and assess submitted VE ideas? Yes No Do not know N/A If yes, please elaborate on the procedure in the comment box below. If no, please advise how decisions are made regard- ing the disposition (acceptance, acceptance with modification, deferral, or rejection) of the VE ideas. Comments: 36. Does your agency monitor the implementation of accepted VE ideas? Yes No Do not know N/A If yes, please elaborate in the comment box below. Comments: Part 5âMonitoring 37. Does your agency monitor VE program performance? Yes No Do not know N/A Comments:
73 38. If yes, how does your agency monitor VE program performance? Always Often Rarely Never Number of projects reviewed Number of VE ideas accepted Value of avoided cost/cost savings Increase in project performance Other (please specify) N/A Comments: 39. Does your agency compare VE study investment to capital cost savings/avoided? Yes No Do not know N/A Comments: 40. At what level of management in the agency is the performance of the VE program measured and reported? Director or commissioner Senior manager Technical staff External agency Other (please specify) Do not know N/A Comments: Part 6âFuture Needs 41. What aspects of your agencyâs VE program do you consider the strongest? Why? Please elaborate on program strengths in the comment box below. Comments: 42. What aspects of your agencyâs VE program do you consider the weakest? Why? Please elaborate on program weaknesses in the comment box below. Comments:
74 43. What opportunities exist for your agencyâs VE program? Why? Please elaborate on program opportunities in the comment box below. Comments: 44. What threats exist for your agencyâs VE program? Why? Please elaborate on program threats in the comment box below. Comments: 45. Do you or your agency have any concerns over the preparedness of the value communitya to support your VE program? Yes No Do not know N/A Note: a The value community consists of practitioners and academics in agencies, educational institutions, not-for-profit societies that pro- mote the value methodology (such as SAVE International, Canadian Society of Value Analysis, Miles Value Foundation), and the consulting industry specializing in VE. Please elaborate on your concerns, if any, in the comment box below. Comments: 46. What research needs do you feel need to be addressed in the near future? Why? Please elaborate on possible research needs in the comment box below. Comments: THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION WITH THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT We look forward to receiving your input no later than March 26, 2004.
