Roles and Responsibilities

The mission of the State Engineers Office is to provide general supervision related to transportation matters for the State of Arizona, including transportation appropriation, distribution, and prioritization to meet the changing needs of the citizens of Arizona.

The State Engineer and Deputies oversee development and delivery of the ADOT construction program, maintenance and operation of more than 6,000 miles of interstate and state highways in Arizona.

The Project Manager (PM) is a leader familiar with the project needs and serves as a single point of contact for stakeholder issues. The PM is also responsible for coordinating and communicating with all internal and external project stakeholders.

A Technical Leader is assigned to a project by the technical manager of each discipline involved in the project. The technical leader is in charge of that discipline's work performed on the project including technical content and quality, project staff work-task assignments, budgets and schedule.  The technical leader monitors and reports progress on assigned project activities and is responsible to correct negative variances from planned progress.

A District Engineer (DE) is the head of the District and is the closest link between the traveling public and the Department.  Districts are ultimately responsible for planning, constructing, operating and maintaining the highway facilities within their jurisdiction. During the construction phase of the project, the DE supervises the Resident Engineer and, in this regard, serves in the role of technical manager.

A Resident Engineer (RE) is the authorized agent for ADOT and the state on a construction project.  The RE has the responsibility and authority for administering the construction contract. The Resident  Engineer should be familiar with the project purpose and needs, important design considerations and any joint agreements made. Where the RE has not followed the project throughout its development, consultation with the Project Team is necessary to clarify the intent of design plans and specifications.

An ADOT Consultant provides professional services for a wide range of functions. This can include, but not limited to, serving as an ADOT project manager, the lead designer, a technical team member, the construction manager, or the lead inspector. The role and responsibility of the person or firm will vary depending upon the project needs. Each consultant contract describes project requirements, needed professional services, length of services, and responsibilities of the parties to the contract.

The Project Team includes project initiators, designers, technical staff, and reviewing/approving agencies.  While individual team members have responsibilities for unique aspects of the project, the Project Team as a whole is responsible for the total project.  Should technical, policy, or project issues arise; the team will resolve issues by consensus.

ADOT promotes a culture and atmosphere to encourage positive conduct and morally correct choices.  All ADOT staff are public servants first and should adhere to professional ethics to avoid potential workplace conflicts and to safeguard public confidence.

A project manager is the authority on a development project and should recognize when ethical dilemmas arise. Below are just a few scenarios where questionable ethics could damage the agency as well as the individual’s reputation. 

• Professionalism – ADOT staff of all levels should conduct themselves in a professional manner when dealing with consultants, stakeholders, colleagues, and the general public. Employees are ambassadors of ADOT both on and off the job.
• Personal Gain and Benefit – All employees should refrain from accepting gifts, showing favoritism toward consultants, hiring relatives, and partaking in inappropriate use of government resources.
• Project Quality – A project manager is the primary advocate for a project and should confirm project details and processes have been followed to ensure a high quality product is being delivered by ADOT.
• Value Engineering – As part of delivering a high quality product, a project manager has budget authority and is responsible for the scope of work being completed within the allotted budget.
• Legal Liability – Damage to the reputation of the organization due to negative media press and lawsuits can hurt the agency. Many times, legal issues arise from unethical behavior.

Project Managers of all levels, as well as some Transportation Engineering Specialists who support Project Management teams within the Project Management Group (PMG) are expected to accomplish the following:

1. Define the scope of work and project deliverables
2. Identify work tasks required to complete project deliverables
3. Prepare project schedule, project milestones and deliverables
4. Prepare estimate for development effort
5. Apply for and secure project funding
6. Identify resources required to complete project deliverables
7. Receive and distribute stage submittals for review and comments
8. Monitor and report project status
9. Plan and manage project resources
10. Plan and manage stakeholder communications
11. Plan and manage changes to project scope, schedule, and budget
12. Coordinate the project handoff to the district
13. Be responsible to project needs during the construction phase
14. Close the project

“The Project Manager acts as the CEO, COO and CFO on every project.”
- Steve Boschen, Infrastructure Delivery and Operations, Director

Similar to a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the PM is ultimately responsible for the timely delivery of the project.  The PM, much like a Chief Operations Officer (COO), provides the day to day vision and guidance for the project, coordinating the efforts of relevant disciplines, including those of outside interests, consistent with the project scope and schedule. The PM is also responsible for the project finances.  They are responsible for the hours and costs of the invoicing disciplines, as well as, the overarching project budget, similar to a corporate Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

The scope, schedule and budget of themselves do not necessarily provide a useful product.  All three are necessary, but without quality you risk the value and integrity of the final product.  The PM needs to incorporate quality checks or reviews throughout the process to ensure a safe product, which meets the need and intent of the project.

The PM’s role is multifaceted and loaded with challenges.  What keeps a PM focused and on track is ownership of the project.  Without this, the PM may find it difficult to invest the necessary time and provide effective orchestration of the required processes to successfully deliver their Project.