AASHTO-Roadmap-for-Developing-Programmatic-Agreements

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WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN DEVELOPING SUPPORTING MATERIALS

Also, some “lessons learned” are presented below based on those DOT’s involved with developing supporting materials for their PA.

Developing supporting materials must be a deliberative, well thought-out process. It is important to include items you feel will help facilitate the success of the PA, but not so much as to make it cumbersome and difficult to apply/ relate. It also provides an opportunity to explain certain sections/statements in the PA or other guidance that is important, but not appropriate for inclusion in the PA itself. Based on feedback of DOTs that have successfully developed and implemented PAs, there are several ideas to consider when developing supporting materials: • Idea #1 – Provide an Outline of the PA and its contents • Idea #2 – Provide a Background and User Guide • Idea #3 – Define the Applicability and Scope of the PA • Idea #3 – Provide a Definitions Section • Idea #4 – Provide a Frequently Asked Questions Section • Idea #5 – Provide the General Requirements for those who use the PA • Idea #6 – Consider your Audience

LESSONS LEARNED

Avoid interpretation problems by clearly defining actions and providing examples (correct and incorrect)

Take advantage of using supporting materials for information that is not crucial to the agreement itself – allows the PA to be concise, and provides flexibility in updating/modifying materials without re-writing the PA In addition to making the supporting materials accessible to the agencies, also provide a location where they could be easily accessed by new staff members or future users

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