Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
127 This glossary, which is alphabetical for each of the fi ve dimensions, provides defi ni- tions for factors that affect project complexity. Many of these defi nitions were adapted from other sources. CONTEXT DIMENSION cultural impacts. The cultures of the area and their possible impacts on the project. demographics. Outline of the distribution of the population within an area. Alignment decisions may affect different demographics. environmental limitations. The type of environmental study that is necessary for the project, or any site-specifi c factors affecting the design and construction of the venture. force majeure events. Catastrophic events such as tornado, hurricane, or terrorism. global and national economics. National and global economics that may externally affect the project. global and national incidents. Any recent events that have occurred nationally or glob- ally that may have a positive or negative impact on the project. growth inducement. A potential project may spur growth. intermodal. More than one mode of transportation, and a factor that must be recog- nized when planning projects that involve or affect other modes of transportation. jurisdictions. An all-encompassing group that includes any local, state, or federal or- ganizations, such as metropolitan planning organizations, the State Historic Pres- ervation Offi ce, or FHWA. These entities may become involved because of regula- tions and limitations encountered on the project. GLOSSARY BY DIMENSION
128 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS land acquisition. Acquisitions may be hindered by the ability to acquire and the pro- cess of acquiring the portions of land necessary for the project. land use impact. A potential project may alter potential land use or the zoning plan of the area. local acceptance. The ability, experience, or willingness to use different delivery op- tions if procedural law does not restrict the method by the local parties that are likely to be involved with the project. local economics. Influenced by growth inducement, alterations to land use, the rerout- ing of traffic away from business districts, and the creation of jobs, directly or indirectly. local workforce. The skill and ability of the workers and the number of qualified enti- ties that can fulfill the project requirements. maintaining capacity. Planning decisions made by the owner, such as lane closures, detours, and time of construction activities (e.g., nighttime, weekends). marketing. Notification of the public of the project and its progress, particularly the aspects that have a direct impact on the public. owner. Implements the project based on a need. Owners run and manage the project and have the most to lose or gain from the projectâs failure or success. politicians. May be involved during the financing and need stages, and are likely to be involved if the project is not perceived well by the public. procedural law. The legal channels and limitations that should be followed for imple- mentation of a transportation project such as permitting, zoning, and land acqui- sition. Procedural law is also the ability of an owner to use alternative delivery methods designated by law such as design-build or construction manager at risk. public. Directly affected by and has the potential to affect the project from initial con- ception through completion and well after turnover. The transportation project is for the public and its interests. public emergency services. Includes services that may need to be altered, such as emer- gency routes taken by fire and medical personnel. railroad coordination. The coordination between the railroad agencies and the project. resource availability. Availability of materials, labor, and equipment because of exter- nal factors (affected not because of cost, but scarcity). social equity. Maintaining equality between all social classes that use and are affected by the project. sustainability goals. Materials or requirements to use environmentally friendly con- struction materials or desires by the owner to use alternative materials or methods. unexpected weather. Unforeseen conditions that are abnormal to typical conditions and therefore cannot be planned around.
129 GLOSSARY BY DIMENSION utility coordination. All the services necessary that may need to be moved and coordi- nated (e.g., electricity, gas). work zone visualization. Based on maintaining capacity decisions and involves using the appropriate means to alert the public of alterations to normal traffic routes and the presence of construction activity. COST DIMENSION contingency usage. The reserve budget or budgets (either allocated or unallocated) that are added to the overall cost estimate to account for unknown risks. cost control. All the tools and methods used to control and manage costs throughout the project. estimate formation. All the different kinds of estimates required and the susceptibility to those costs varying from initial to final estimates. incentive usage. The use of incentives by the owner for early completion of the project. material cost issues. The probability of the material costs changing because of market volatility. optimization impact on project cost. Trade-off between cost, schedule, and quality (e.g., reducing the duration of the project typically comes with a higher cost). owner resource cost allocation. The distribution of costs by the owner internally to make sure each area of project management has adequate finances to perform its operations. payment restrictions. The ability of the owner to pay for performed work, such as ac- celerated work performed by the contractor. risk analysis. Cost risk associated with a project that cannot be clearly identified and quantified through formal or informal analysis. user costs and benefits. Cost trade-off between the transit user benefits of early com- pletion with the increased construction costs required for accelerated construction of existing infrastructure. FINANCING DIMENSION advance construction. Similar to borrowing against future funding, but it allows states to independently raise the initial capital for a federally approved project and pre- serve their eligibility for future federal-aid reimbursement. bond funding. The floating of bonds that public and private entities may invest in to earn a return on investment on the project. borrowing against future funding. Methods that allow the owner to borrow against future federal funding in order to undertake current projects.
130 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS carbon credit sales. The carbon stored by trees and plants has a market value calcu- lated as credits that can be sold to help finance the project. cordon or congestion pricing. Reorienting traffic demand to less-congested areas and city centers. Entering the more-congested areas during certain hours requires some type of payment. federal funding. Provided by the national government, it is standard across the nation and is derived from the annual transportation bill. financial management software. Any software used for managing the financial aspects of a project. franchising. When private companies are offered the opportunity, they build and op- erate income-producing facilities such as rest areas or fuel stations on the public right-of-way in return for a portion of the profits. global participation. The ability to take advantage of different procurement and capi- tal project delivery cultures around the world. Each nation has its own set of business practices that create competition for financing of transportation projects. legislative process. The legal limitations placed on financing methods. monetization of existing assets. An existing asset (e.g., a road or bridge) will be brought up to some standard of quality; private entities are invited to take it over for a con- cession period, derive revenue from it, and then return it to the original standard before turning it over to the agency or another concessionaire. project manager financial training. The education necessary for project managers to understand financial methods. publicâprivate partnerships. Requires both public and private financing. The overall purpose for this category is to gain public access to private capital and create a situation in which the developersâ capital is able to bridge the funding gap in a much-needed piece of infrastructure and thus accelerate the delivery of its service to the traveling public. revenue generation. Any type of financing that is paid for by a generation of revenue from the infrastructure over a specified time period. risk analysis. Formal or informal analysis that the financing methods play on the project. state funding. Independently financed through the particular state in which the project is taking place. sustainability goals. Materials or requirements to use environmentally friendly con- struction materials or desires by the owner to use alternative materials or methods. transition toward alternative financing sources. The financing of complex projects compared to traditional project financing and the shift in financial planning. uniformity restrictions. The consistency seen between states in legislation and financ- ing techniques.
131 GLOSSARY BY DIMENSION use of commodity-based hedging. The ability to lock in the material price at the earli- est point when the required quantity is known. vehicle miles traveled fees. User fees that charge the driver a specific cost for using the infrastructure. SCHEDULE DIMENSION earned-value analysis. The tracking of scheduled work versus actual work performed. milestones. Important deadlines during the project life cycle and occurrence of these events in a timely manner. optimization impact on project schedule. Trade-off between cost, schedule, and qual- ity (e.g., accelerating the schedule may affect quality). resource availability. The availability and uniformity of resources needed to maintain or alter the schedule. risk analysis. Schedule risk associated with a project that cannot be clearly identified and quantified through formal or informal methods. schedule control. All the tools and methods used to control and manage the schedule throughout the project. scheduling system and software. The different types of systems and software available and mandated for the project, all with different capabilities. timeline requirements. The timeline of the project (e.g., accelerated). work breakdown structure. The breakdown of the roles and responsibilities delegated to project participants. TECHNICAL DIMENSION automation. The use of automated or robotic equipment for construction. construction quality. The value of the work that is being put in place by the contractors. contract formation. The development of the contract responsibilities and specifications. delivery methods. The type of contracting approach used and how it is set up. design method. The process and expectations stipulated by the owner for the project and the accuracy and quality required incrementally throughout the design phase. Also refers to considering the entire life of the project and the anticipated mainte- nance requirements over its lifespan. disputes. Disagreements between the parties and how they are to be handled. existing conditions. Any structural limitations already in place that need to be ac- counted for in the design to satisfy the solution required by the owner. intelligent transportation systems. Smart traffic systems for transportation projects for which user needs are analyzed and integrated into the implementation of a project.
132 GUIDE TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS optimization impact on construction quality. Trade-off between cost, schedule, and quality (e.g., increasing quality requirements may increase costs). ownerâs internal structure. How the owner is set up to manage the project effectively (e.g., traditional hierarchy, matrix with project teams). prequalification of bidders. The act of identifying and selecting qualified contractors and designers who are most capable of performing the requirements necessary for the project. project scope. The purpose of the project and what is going to be built to satisfy that purpose. reviews and analysis. Methods for maintaining accuracy and quality of the design that include tools such as value engineering and analysis and constructability reviews. safety and health. Maintaining a workplace (by all parties) where workers feel comfortable. technology usage. The technology specified to be used for project communications, such as specific project management software, building information modeling, and others. typical climate. The typical climate where the project is located and the construction limitations presented by the areaâs typical climatic conditions. warranties. Provided by contractors who ensure the quality and guarantee that pieces of the project will remain adequate for a specified time period.
