A Guide to Building CSS Knowledge and Skills for Successful Project Delivery Updated 5/13/09

CSS Awareness Classes

Course Title Logistics Purpose/Objectives/Outcomes Modules

• Welcome / Introductions
• Learning Objectives
COLORADO: Length:
• What is Context Sensitive Solutions?
Context Sensitive 4 hours
– Exercise No. I: Personal Involvement
Solutions…A Better • Identify and discuss CSS principles and practices. • Why CSS?
Intended Audience: • Establish a better understanding of how CSS can be
Way of Doing – Exercise No. II: “Within Our Project Limits”
Engineers and graduates of the implemented in business activities. – Exercise No. III: “Beyond Our Project Limits”
Business CDOT Maintenance Training – Management / Administration • A History of Context Sensitive Solutions
program
– Design / Construction / Maintenance • Learning Objectives Review
Effective Techniques:
– Environmental • The Project Stakeholder
Group role-playing Trainers:
• Establish a shift in CSS culture within CDOT. – Exercise No. IV: “In Their Shoes”
exercise CDOT staff from Project
– Widen our “field of vision” • The Multi-Disciplinary Team
Development; Environmental
– Encourage CSS practices to become more – Exercise No. V: “In Our Shoes”
Materials: Programs
commonplace • Apprehensions, Challenges and Benefits of CSS
Agenda
• Certification / Acknowledgement of Commitment. • Learning Objective Review
Slides Offered:
• Successes of CSS
Exercise Ongoing
• What is My Role?
Survey 2 classes to date
• Conclusion: Survey, Acknowledgement of
Commitment and Questions
This class is designed to provide supervisors with the
Length: understanding of the department’s policy on CSS and
4 hours how the CSS process is addressed in all phases from
planning through operations. CSS Learning Outcomes:
Intended Audience: ƒ The history of CSS from the federal and state
District supervisors, professional
ILLINOIS: perspectives, including Public Act 93-0545
ƒ Introduction
engineering societies ƒ Departmental policy D & E 21 on CSS BDE PM 48-
CSS Awareness Class ƒ CSS History
06
Trainers: ƒ IDOT Policy
Materials: ƒ The CSS concept and basic principles;
IDOT staff from Program ƒ The CSS Process
Description ƒ The guidelines for the stakeholder involvement
Development; Design & ƒ Summary
Manual process
Environment
ƒ How to identify stakeholders
Offered: ƒ The principles of flexibility in design
Ongoing ƒ Importance of construction and operations
11 classes to date ƒ The importance of documenting decisions during
the CSS process.

Page 1 of 4
A Guide to Building CSS Knowledge and Skills for Successful Project Delivery Updated 5/13/09
CSS Awareness Classes

Course Title Logistics Purpose/Objectives/Outcomes Modules

Length: ƒ Introduction
4 hours ƒ CSS History
ƒ Selecting Projects
Intended Audience: ƒ Components of CSS
Local agency staff responsible To provide local agencies with the understanding of the o Consensus
ILLINOIS: for implementing CSS for their department’s policy on CSS and how the CSS process o Project Study Group
agency, or who will represent their will involve local agencies. CSS Learning Outcomes: o Stakeholders
CSS for Local agency’s ƒ Understanding of the department’s CSS policy o Technical Advisory Group
Agencies interests ƒ Understanding of the basic CSS approach ƒ The CSS Process
ƒ Understanding of the benefits of using CSS for o Stakeholder Involvement
Materials: Trainers: projects conducted by their local agency o Developing the Purpose and Need
Description IDOT District Local Roads ƒ Understanding of their local agency’s role as a o Defining Alternates
Manual Engineers; Office of Planning and stakeholder for CSS projects done by the o Flexibility in Design
Programming department o Liability vs. Engineering Judgment
o Construction
Offered: o Operations/Maintenance
Ongoing ƒ Bringing it all together
7 classes to date ƒ Summary
Length:
6 hours

MASSACHUSETTS: Intended Audience: ƒ Why Revise the Highway Design Manual?

Staff across all functional areas,
Project Development Introduce staff to the updated Project Development ƒ Project Development and Design Guide
consultants and local government
and Design and Design Guidebook, which includes updated and Background
representatives
Guidebook Overview streamlined policies and guidelines, and a revised ƒ MassHighway Design Manual
Project Development Process. These policies and ƒ Design Manual Task Force
Trainers:
Materials: guidelines address CSS. ƒ Guiding Principles for Guidebook
Consultants (VHB, Inc.)
Slides ƒ Outline of New and Updated Chapters
Offered:
2006
About 10 classes

Page 2 of 4
A Guide to Building CSS Knowledge and Skills for Successful Project Delivery Updated 5/13/09
CSS Awareness Classes

Course Title Logistics Purpose/Objectives/Outcomes Modules

Length:
4 hours
MICHIGAN: ƒ Part 1: Overview Introducing and defining the concept
CSS Awareness Intended Audience: By adopting CSS, MDOT joins approximately 15 other of CSS (4 sessions, 45 minutes).
Training Planners, regional managers states that have institutionalized a CSS approach to their ƒ Part 2: Policy Understanding federal and state policies
(usually engineers), construction work. All states, by FHWA mandate, will be required to related to CSS (4 sessions, 30 minutes).
Materials: staff have implemented a CSS training program and have ƒ Part 3: Application Applying CSS to all phases of
Slides adopted a CSS policy by 2007. This awareness training, MDOT activities— administration, planning, design,
Appendix A Trainers: along with ongoing CSS policy initiatives and construction, maintenance and operations (5 sessions,
Appendix B Consultants (HNTB) implementation procedures, constitute MDOT’s 45 minutes).
Appendix C fulfillment of this federal requirement. ƒ Part 4: Summary Examples of improving project
Appendix D Offered: delivery with CSS (1 session, 30 minutes).
Ongoing
About 10 classes to date
Length:
4 hours

MICHIGAN: Intended Audience: ƒ Provide an understanding of CSS principles ƒ Session 1: Introducing CSS
MPOs, County Road ƒ Provide knowledge of when and how to use CSS ƒ Session 2: Engaging Stakeholders
CSS Awareness Commissions, smaller cities ƒ Provide a guide on how local, state, and federal ƒ Session 3: Employing Interdisciplinary Teams
Training for MPOs units of government can work together to ƒ Session 4: Embracing Multiple Modes
Trainers: effectively deliver CSS ƒ Session 5: Understanding Context
Materials: Consultants (HNTB) ƒ Provide encouragement to practice CSS at a local ƒ Session 6: Using Design Flexibility
Slides level ƒ Session 7: Applying CSS
Offered:
Ongoing
About 10 classes to date
MINNESOTA: Length:
2 hours
Context Sensitive ƒ What context is and why its important
Design & Solutions Intended Audience: This 2-hour interactive CSD&S overview has been ƒ What CSD&S is and is not
Overview Any internal or external audience designed for any audience and is easily tailored to the ƒ Mn/DOT’s CSD&S philosophy, approach, policy,
specific needs of any audience. Includes a group and commitment
Effective Techniques: Trainers: exercise called “Whose Context Is It Anyway?” in which ƒ Mn/DOT’s CSD&S core principles and the benefits
Group role-playing Mn/DOT staff the presenter runs a public meeting with class members we see and expect from our application of them
exercise playing stakeholder roles. ƒ What Flexibility in Design is and is not
Offered: ƒ A wide range of case study examples
Materials: Ongoing
Group Exercise 8-12 classes per year

Page 3 of 4
A Guide to Building CSS Knowledge and Skills for Successful Project Delivery Updated 5/13/09
CSS Awareness Classes

Course Title Logistics Purpose/Objectives/Outcomes Modules

Length:
1-2 hours
TENNESSEE:
CSS Overview Intended Audience: ƒ Welcome and Introduction – What is CSS, CSS
Supervisors from all functional
Training areas
principles, Defining Context, CSS Benefits
ƒ Explain new Statement of Commitment to CSS ƒ How CSS fits into all project phases and how it
Effective Techniques: ƒ Show leadership support for CSS applies to each employee – Public Involvement,
Trainers:
Senior executives as ƒ Highlight existing CSS-related activities and Planning, Environmental, Design, ROW and
TDOT staff, including upper and
teachers projects Utilities, Construction, Operations & Maintenance
mid-level managers, from Project
ƒ Illustrate how CSS fits into every functional area
Management and Environment & ƒ Evolution of CSS at the Department, Project
Materials: Planning within TDOT
Examples
Agenda ƒ Discussion session
Slides Offered:
2006
About 10 classes
Additional classes as needed
Length:
2-3 hours
FHWA RESOURCE
Intended Audience:
CENTER: ƒ Major events and legislation
DOT executives This presentation was made by K. Lynn Berry for
Context Sensitive executives at South Dakota DOT in April, 2007. It was ƒ CSS core concepts
Solutions Trainers: intended as an overview of CSS, explaining how CSS ƒ CSS approaches from other states and MPOs
K. Lynn Berry, (FHWA Resource could benefit the DOT. ƒ CSS and planning
Materials: Center)
Slides
Offered:
2007, once

Page 4 of 4