Ohio DOT’s Online CE System Presented by Kevin E. Davis Environmental Supervisor Office of Environmental Services

Why Did We Go Online?  Way past due entering the 21 st Century!  Save paper – after all, we are Environmental Services…  Improve consistency, and reduce review times, revisions needed, and costs  Eliminate redundant documentation

The Old Way  Impractical and inefficient  CE form existed in two formats  Both supported in Word  Time intensive process  Multiple reviews/revisions  Numerous hard copies  Numerous mailings between consultants, districts, OES and reviewing agencies

We Finally Had Enough…

…And Embraced the Future

Aims  Comply with FHWA/ODOT Programmatic CE Agreement  Streamline & standardize preparation of CEs  Expedite review and approval process  Create data reporting and querying capabilities  Eliminate printing and mailing costs  Improve project delivery time

Timeline  Submitted request to IT Governance Council in Feb  Initially approved in late Spring 2010 – began March 2011  Deployed in May 2012  Phase 2 Enhancements deployed April 2015  Phase 3 Enhancements have begun – deploy Dec  Continual enhancements anticipated…

System Interactions

System Highlights  Designed in wizard-type format  TurboTax for CEs  Security Groups  Users are placed in one of five groups  Registration process for external users  Integrates specific data from ELLIS  Review and Approval Process  Re-evaluation Process  Electronic Signatures

System Highlights  Home page  Create Project  View Standard Reports  Start Re-evaluation  Recently Viewed Projects  Task Queue  Project file  Supported by SharePoint

System Highlights  Form Adminstration Tab  Identifies ODOT, FHWA, and consultant personnel  Controls access to a project  Specific disciplines are included  P&N, Alternatives, Section 4(f), Ecological, EJ, etc.  Automatic notifications  When a task is assigned and documents are uploaded  User can comment and respond to comments

Project File  All documentation related to a project  Reports, technical documents, mapping, ROW plans, etc.  Documents electronically uploaded  No size limitations  User can “name” documents or select from menu provided  Check-out/check-in feature Facilitates track changes and comments Avoids versioning  Documents can be designated as Part of CE or Not For Public Use

Review and Approval  In-house CEs  Majority prepared, reviewed, and approved by district staff  Typically lower level (C1, C2 and possibly D1)  Higher level CEs  Tasked out to consultants  Submitted to districts for review  Districts will assign to appropriate OES Policy Liaison  OES Policy Liaison will assign, as appropriate, to SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) for each discipline  This process includes providing comments within the system and facilitating revisions needed

Prepare-Review-Approve

What’s Next?  Currently developing additional enhancements (Phase 3)  Primarily to comply with NEPA Assignment  Correct minor bugs/issues  Provide user friendly tools for data reporting and querying purposes  Integrate with existing databases within ODOT  Public access

Lessons Learned  Develop a Communication Plan  Updates via can be ineffective  Business rules initially developed are not always followed  OES Policy develop a website dedicated to Online CE  Comprehensive Training  Go beyond train the trainer  Develop on-line modules for consultants and DOT staff