PROJECT

MANAGEMENT
HANDBOOK

PRODUCTION SUPPORT OFFICE

PROJECT MANAGEMENT DIVISION
605 Suwannee Street, MS 40
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0450
Telephone: (850) 414-4380
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This Project Management Handbook provides guidelines and recommended practices

for both FDOT and consultant Project Managers. This comprehensive resource covers
all FDOT project phases, from planning to maintenance, and is a platform to obtain
more information concerning your area of concern. Included in the handbook are
numerous links to references where users may obtain further information of project
development and implementation process along with the steps that should be
considered in the execution of an FDOT project.
Project Management Handbook Computer Based Training (CBT) is also available.
The target audience for this handbook is all project managers. An inexperienced PM will
find the handbook a good source of information for training. An experienced PM should
utilize the handbook as a resource, as it provides up to date guidance on policy,
procedures, and practices associated with project management within the Department.
We welcome and encourage suggestions and comments from all users of this
handbook. By providing feedback, you will be helping FDOT maintain and improve this
document by making it a more useful tool for all Project Managers. Please share with us
your thoughts, ideas and experiences as they relate to project management. Email your
recommendations to Sid Kamath at [email protected]

PROJECT MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK

Table of Contents
PART 1 - ISSUES COMMON TO ALL PROJECT MANAGERS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19

Elements of Successful Project Management

Ethics
Project Work Plan
Monitoring and Control
The Florida Department of Transportation
Consulting Firms
Responsibilities and Roles of Project Managers
The Transportation Planning Process
Context Sensitive Solutions
Work Program and Project Funding
Project Continuity
Consultant Procurement
Contract Negotiations
Consultant Contract Management
Scheduling
Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Elements of Right of Way
Emergency Contracting
Risk Management

PART 2 - PHASE-SPECIFIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8

Planning Project Management

Project Development & Environmental (PD&E) Project Management
Design Project Management
Right of Way Project Management
Construction Project Management
Design-Build Project Management
Maintenance Project Management
Local Agency Program (LAP) Project Management

APPENDIX

Table of Contents

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CHAPTER 1 ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL PROJECT

MANAGEMENT
Contents
Project Management ............................................................................................. 2
Leadership and Management ............................................................................... 3
Communication ..................................................................................................... 9
Experience and Training ..................................................................................... 17

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Project Management
This chapter presents knowledge and skills required to be a successful Project
Manager (PM). A new PM should use this information to guide his professional
development. An experienced PM should use it to strengthen his skills.
What is a Project? What differentiates it from a program? A project is an
activity that has clear objectives, a definite schedule or ending date and
resources devoted to its completion. A program is an on-going activity that does
not have a defined end, examples of which are right of way mowing and payroll
processing. Projects can be undertaken by consultants and/or contractors or
with Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) resources alone.
Projects that are considered FDOT core services include planning studies,
roadway design, right of way acquisition, construction and maintenance. They
are the focus of this manual. However, FDOT undertakes other important
projects including building construction, landscaping and research. Managers for
these projects will find useful information in this chapter and throughout this
Project Management Handbook.
What is a Project Manager? In this handbook the term PM is used to identify
the individual responsible for the execution and completion of a project.
Consultant firms perform many of FDOTs planning, Project Development and
Environment (PD&E), design, right of way and construction engineering and
inspection projects. Therefore, this handbook addresses Project Management
from the perspective of both the FDOT PM and the consultant PM. Throughout
this handbook, specific recommendations are made for either the FDOT PM or
the consultant PM. If FDOT or consultant is not specified, the
recommendation applies to both. Refer to Appendix D for related information.
Why Is Project Management Important? Projects are the means by which the
FDOT delivers its core services to the traveling public. Successful management
of projects is important to the success of the FDOT. Therefore, a PM is a key
member of the transportation team. FDOT operates according to the Sterling
Management Model. A basic tenet of Sterling is the concept of customer service.
A Customer can be either internal or external. Certainly, the ultimate customer of
FDOT is the public. Since the public is served through the successful execution
of projects, in a very real sense PMs are also customers for many employees of
FDOT who support PMs.
This concept is even more important for consultant firms since all their business
is accomplished through projects. Successful firms understand that PMs
determine their firms success. These firms have a corporate culture that honors
PMs and emphasizes that the efforts of the whole firmincluding top
managementmust be focused on helping them succeed. When the client is
satisfied, the firm will be competitive for future work with FDOT.

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What Is a Successful Project? The following criteria define a successful

project:

Objectives are fulfilled.

Budget is not exceeded.

Schedule is met.

Quality meets or exceeds the standards of the Department and the

profession.

Customer is satisfied.

Leadership and Management

A PM must exercise good leadership and management skills. There is a
difference between these terms. Management involves organizing and
performing or directing administrative activities; leadership involves motivating
others to work toward a common goal. Some of the tools that a successful PM
needs in his PM Tool Box include:

LEADERSHIP

MANAGEMENT

COMMUNICATION

EXPERIENCE and TRAINING

Management ensures that all the elements of a project plan, as described in the
next chapter, are in place. Management skills can be learned. Technical people
frequently become very good managers because managing requires a logical
way of thinking and is detail oriented. Leadership, on the other hand, is not so
easily learned. It is a people skill that is sometimes difficult for technical
personnel to develop. A summary of valuable traits and skills are shown in
Figure 1.1, Leadership and Management Qualities.
Leadership Concepts- Although this handbook is largely devoted to the
management of projects, leadership is a very important trait of good PMs. The
following can be said of good leaders:

They lead by example. They never ask team members to do

something that they are not willing to do themselves.

They are flexible. They constantly reassess progress on the project

and are willing to make changes if necessary.

They build and maintain relationships.

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They understand that people are motivated differently. They take time
to know their people, understand what is important to them and use
that information to achieve project goals.

They recognize the efforts of team members.

They empower team member to make decisions.

They take the blame when things do not go well and share the credit
when the team is successful.
Figure 1 - Leadership and Management Qualities

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Major General Perry M. Smith, of the National Defense University, listed 20

fundamentals of leadership in his 1986 book, Taking Charge, A Practical Guide
for Leaders. These are listed below, paraphrased to better fit the Project
Management environment:
1.
Trust is vital. You must trust the people on your team. In the words of Frank
Crane, You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do
not trust enough.
2.
A leader must be a good teacher. The leader must be willing to teach skills, to
share insights and experiences, and to work closely with people to help them mature and
be creative.
3.
A leader should let subordinates solve most problems. General George
Patton advised: Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will
surprise you with their ingenuity.
4.
A leader must be a communicator. Leaders must be good writers, editors,
speakers and listeners. A dynamic communicator can motivate people to want to go to
work committed to doing an even better job than in the past.
5.
A leader must manage time well and use it effectively. Leaders must work
smarter, not harder. Allow open time every day for thinking and dealing with crises and
problems of your team members. Learn to say no to time wasters.
6.
Leaders should trust their intuition. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, The
essence of genius is spontaneity and instinct. Trust thyself. Part of intuition is having
your antennae out and keeping your hand on the pulse of the team.
7.
Leaders must be willing to remove people for cause. You owe it to the team
and to the success of the project to remove those who stand in the way.
8.
Leaders must take care of their people. Be concerned about your team
members personal and professional objectives and thank them for their efforts.
9.
Leaders must provide vision. Leaders plan, set goals and provide a vision of
the completed project; then they communicate the vision to the team.
10.
Leaders must subordinate their ambitions and egos to the goals of the
team that they lead. The selfless leader gains the respect of subordinates and the
support of superiors.
11.
Leaders must know how to run meetings. Much of a leaders time is spent in
meetings. Fight the cultural tendency to hold long, undisciplined meetings with little
useful output.
12.
Leaders must understand the decision-making and implementation
process. How are decisions made? What decisions do leaders want made by team
members? What decisions should be made by higher authority? Decisions are of little
value if they are not implemented, so leaders must have an implementation and follow-up
strategy.
13.
Leaders must be visible and approachable. Leaders should be with their
team, not stuck behind a desk all the time. When dealing with a team member, make
that person feel that nothing else matters except what is on that persons mind.
14.
Leaders must have a sense of humor. Leaders should let people know that
life is not so important that you cant sit back occasionally and be amused by whats

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happening. Humor can be a great reliever of tension; a story or joke at a time of crisis or
difficulty can be very therapeutic.
15.
Leaders must be decisive, but patiently decisive. Leaders should listen to all
sides before deciding. On occasion they may postpone an important decision until
additional information is available. Look for contrasting views. But remember that a nondecision is itself a decision. Risk taking is frequently an essential and healthy aspect of
decision-making.
16.
Leaders should be introspective. Leaders should be able to look at
themselves objectively and analyze where they have made mistakes and learn from
them.
17.
Leaders should be reliable. A leader should be careful about what
commitments are made; but once commitments are firm, nothing short of major health
problems or a very serious crisis should alter them.
18.
Leaders should be open-minded. The best leaders are the ones whose minds
are never closed, who are interested in hearing new points of view and who are eager to
deal with new issues.
19.
Leaders should establish and maintain high standards of dignity. When
standards of dignity are established, everyone can take pride in both the
accomplishments and the style of the operation. A happy combination of substance and
style leads to high performance and morale.
20.
Leaders should exude integrity. Leaders should not only talk about it, they
must operate at a high level of integrity. Of all the qualities a leader must have, integrity
is the most important.

A PM should work continuously to develop and fine-tune their leadership skills.

There are many different approaches to leadership that are effective. A PM must
find the style that matches his personality. Because leadership involves
interrelationships with other people, it is a behavioral attribute. Changing
behavior is very difficult. It can be done, but it takes practice as well as reading,
training and spending time with a mentor.
Management Concepts - A PM must understand the basic concepts of good
management. These include:
Authority - Authority is the power to act within an organization. Project
Managers must clearly understand the limits of their authority. What
decisions can they make and what must be deferred to others in higher
authority? What actions must be reviewed by others before beginning?
Responsibility - Responsibility is the obligation to perform assigned
duties to the best of ones ability. Problems will arise when someone has
been given the responsibility but not the authority to act. A basic concept
of management is that authority must match responsibility.
Delegation - Delegation is the sharing of authority to take actions and
make decisions. Complex projects cannot be accomplished without
effective delegation. Delegation should be done deliberately, taking into
account the ability of the person to whom authority and responsibility will
be delegated. Clearly outline to him the limits of his authority, ensure that
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responsibility and authority are in balance, and explain the reporting and
oversight that goes with the delegation. The amount of oversight should
vary with the individual. The manager should develop a delegation plan
that is unique to the experience and abilities of each individual. Many
people who otherwise have all the traits of a good PM are reluctant to
delegate. It is difficult to give up a degree of control. However, a good
PM can multiply his performance through the effective use of others.
Accountability - Accountability means that one is judged by the manner
in which authority is exercised and the way assigned responsibility is
carried out. Accountability is accepting the consequences, good or bad,
for the outcome of a situation for which one is responsible. A PM is
accountable for the choices he makes and the resulting consequences.
This accountability cannot be sharedthe PM has the ultimate
responsibility. However, the PM must hold team members accountable
for fulfilling their responsibilities as well. Leadership and management
cannot be exercised effectively without holding people accountable for
their actions. A PM should reward high performance and correct low
performance. Although holding team members accountable is sometimes
unpleasant, it is necessary. The success of the project may well depend
on it.
Team Building - The project team, for purposes of this discussion, is the
internal group of people working on a project, either employees of FDOT
or a consultant firm, or people provided through contract. By definition,
the PM has authority over these people. However, project staffing is
usually a matrix organization where the project staff is assigned to a PM
only for purposes of a particular project. These people may normally
report to someone else, and they may be working on other projects at the
same time. Further complicating the challenge is the use of contractors
and subcontractors to supplement the staff. Consequently, various
corporate entities may be involved. The official authority of the PM over
his staff may be limited. The challenge is to mold a group of people who
may be temporarily assigned from other organizations for the duration of
the project and who probably are working only part-time on it, into a team
that will produce a successful project. The following are some
suggestions:

Starting Off Right - Meet with the whole team at the start of the project.
Go over all the primary elements of the project plan with them so that they
all know the objectives, schedule, budget and operating procedures (see
Chapter 3). Ensure that everyone understands his role in the project.

Clarifying the Schedule and Budget - Talk with the supervisors of the
team members and clarify all schedule and budget issues. Ideally, each
group in the team was involved in developing staff hours and negotiating
the budget. Nonetheless, ensure that each group knows the staff-hour
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budget for its share of the work. Avoid unpleasant surprises at the end of
the job by making each group responsible for its own portion of the
budget. The PM should not keep all of the budget data confidential.
Communicate - Keep team members informed as the project progresses.
Good communication is particularly important for sub-consultants who
may not be currently involved in the project. They will need to know what
to expect when they do become involved. Hold regular team meetings.

Know Your Team - Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the team
members and have a plan to compensate for their weaknesses and to use
their strengths.

Lead - Exercise the fundamentals of leadership discussed earlier in this

chapter.

Partnering - Partnering is externally focused. The objective is to have

organizations not directly under the control of the FDOT work toward common
goals. Partnering involves bringing people from interested organizations together
to agree on common objectives related to a project and to agree on how to
resolve disputes. Formal partnering agreements are widely used by the FDOT in
construction when several organizations with a stake in a project may have
differing objectives and expectations.
Although it may not be practical to formalize a partnering agreement to the extent
done in construction, the concept may be applicable on any FDOT project. A
large number of state, local and federal agencies, environmental organizations,
homeowners groups, utilities, developers and private companies have legitimate
stakes in the outcome of projects such as PD&E studies and roadway designs.
Informal partnering is frequently used by the FDOT in planning to help ensure
general agreement in later phases of project development and implementation.
Formal partnering is used regularly in FDOTs Efficient Transportation Decision
Making (ETDM) process which closely links planning and environmental
management in Florida.
Although partnering can be a very useful technique to help the PM achieve
project goals, partnering agreements do not take precedence over procedures,
policies, rules and laws. FDOTs Partnering Facilitator's Manual, explains the
basics of partnering and some techniques to use in developing a formal
partnering agreement.
Time Management - Time is the one resource that will always be in short supply
for the PM. Here are a number of very good time-management references and
training opportunities that the PM should take advantage of:

Understand that time cannot be managed; one can only manage how
time is used.

Delegate effectively.
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Stay focused on the project goals and objectives.

Know how to prioritize. Many time-consuming activities contribute

nothing to project success yet extend schedule and deplete the
budget. Refuse to do them, delegate them or spend as little time as
possible on them. Remember what is important, and use your time
accordingly. Importance and urgency are not the same.

Plan. Set aside time each day to plan future activities. Prepare and
follow a daily action plan, with priorities.

Be realistic in your planning. Allow time for the unforeseen.

Snap decisions are not necessarily good time management. On

important issues use available time to identify and analyze alternatives
and reach deliberate and sound decisions.

Know what is important to your boss, because in the final analysis that
will determine your priorities.

A Drive to Succeed - The one common characteristic of the successful PM is an

uncompromising drive to succeed. The PM understands what will make his
projects successful, and works tirelessly to that end. The PM accepts personal
ownership of projects. The nature of public works is that ones efforts will be
scrutinized and criticized by a great many people. The best PM accepts valid
criticism and suggestions and does not let disagreements become personal. The
PM stays focused on the goals of the project and does not get sidetracked by
unimportant issues.

Communication
Effective communication skill is one of the most important traits of a successful
PM. Communication is a two-way exchange of information. Information must be
clearly and concisely given, and it must be clearly understood by the receiving
party. The PM must communicate with his counterparts, with the team members
and with organizations and individuals external to the project team.
Communication processes include person-to-person and telephone
conversations, meetings, e-mail, letters and reports. Listening is a critical and
often-ignored communication skill.

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Levels of Communication - Many FDOT projects have two PMsone from the
FDOT and one from a consultant firm. Both have important roles and
responsibilities (see Chapter 7). It is critical that these two individuals
communicate effectively and often. Good communication is a shared
responsibility. At the beginning of a project there should be a clear
understanding of the preferred methods of communicating and the frequency.
Primary (normally the PMs) and alternate points of contact for both sides should
be identified. It is probably a good idea to over-communicate at the beginning
of a project until the FDOT PM and the consultant PM develop an understanding
of each other and mutual trust. Each must keep the other informed of key
issues. The consultant PM must let the FDOT PM know about the current status
of the project, current and anticipated problems, and anything that may affect the
project scope, budget and schedule. Budget issues include the projected
construction costs for design projects as well as the cost of the project itself. The
FDOT PM should inform the consultant PM of anything that may affect the
schedule or scope of the project and her/his concerns about project performance.
The best way to foster communications with ones counterpart is to develop a
professional relationship built on mutual trust and respect for each others
responsibilities and capabilities.
Effective communication is the basis of team building. The PM must work to
keep his team informed of the important aspects of the project. Good
communication with the team will reveal issues before they become problems.
Team communications include meetings, memos, copies of reports and other
deliverables, and much face-to-face interaction.
Communicating with external agencies and organizations must follow established
protocol. The FDOT PM must understand the district policies related to
communication with local agencies, other state agencies and other organizations.
The PM must be aware of political sensitivities that may exist. For certain,
external communication should be more formal than internal communication. It is
very important that the FDOT PM and consultant PM establish the rules that
apply to external communication. Unless specifically agreed otherwise, the
FDOT PM should be responsible for all formal communication with external
agencies.
The FDOT PM and the consultant PM should be the conduit for the flow of
project-related communication between their organizations. However, at times
technical issues can be resolved more effectively by direct communication
among team members. Although the PM may not have to be directly involved in
this communication, he must be kept abreast of the issues and receive copies of
key correspondence. The PM is personally responsible for the success of the
project. Therefore, delegation of communication responsibilities should be done
carefully, with appropriate oversight and control.

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Personal Communication - Of the various methods of communicating, face-toface conversation is usually the most effective. In addition to the verbal
message, nuances and other non-verbal messages are exchanged. It is also
easier for the sender to get confirmation that the correct message has been
received and to clarify misunderstandings in person.
Telephone Communication - Even though the telephone is a commonly used
communication tool, much thought should be put into making effective telephone
calls. Here are some useful tips:

Have a plan for what you want to say before making the call.

Speak slowly and clearly.

Pay complete attention to the call dont do other things that will
distract your attention.

Try standing during a call; you will speak more clearly and
emphatically.

If you initiate the call, be sensitive to the fact that you may have
interrupted something important at the other end.

Schedule the call ahead of time, if possible.

Do not waste the receivers time with idle chatter. Make your points,
listen to the other person and get off the phone.

Plan your message in case you get a voice mailbox instead of the
person you called. Voice mail can be a real time-saver, but the lack of
two-way communication, even with traded messages, cuts
effectiveness dramatically. Request verbal or e-mail confirmation to
ensure receipt of your message.

It is very important to speak clearly and slowly when recording a voicemail message. Nothing is more irritating than a voice-mail message
from someone who rushes through his/her name and phone number
incoherently. Repeat this information at a deliberately slow speed.

When you are out of the office for a day or more, change your voice
mail message to let callers know when you will be back and an
alternate number for immediate attention.

Meetings - Meetings are held for the purpose of communicating. A meeting can
be a very efficient method of communication since a number of people are
involved.
A PM typically must attend meetings called and controlled by someone else.
Prepare for such meetings beforehand and actively participate. Use the time
well, by learning as much as possible, contributing to the achievement of the
meeting objectives and sharing knowledge and concerns.
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A PM is also in a position to call and control their own meetings. First, avoid the
impulse to call a meeting. When a meeting is proposed always ask, Is this
meeting necessary? Impromptu meetings often accomplish very little. There
are different purposes for meetings. Some meetings are purely informative,
some are problem solving; others are to coordinate or arrive at a decision. Know
the purpose of the meeting and tailor the meeting approach accordingly.
Group communication skills are important for the manager of a meeting. Actively
judge both the verbal and non-verbal reactions of participants during the meeting.
Be sensitive to both positive and negative reactions. Do not allow personal
antagonism or hostility to sidetrack the meeting. Control the meeting with tact
and diplomacy. Remember that everyone is very sensitive to the leader, so
avoid sending verbal and non-verbal messages that can be misinterpreted.
Under no circumstance should the leader argue or get defensive..
The following suggestions will