Ohio DOT’sOnline CE System

Presented by Kevin E. Davis

Environmental Supervisor

Office of Environmental Services

Why Did We Go Online? Way past due entering the 21st 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, OESand 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. 2010

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. 2015

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 e-mail 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 email 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