Project Name
(Project Description)
Project Number
TRACS Number ADOT
Insert name District
and insert company name
Month date, year
Workshop Location City, Arizona Submitted By:
Name of facilitator, Facilitator
ADOT Office of Partnering 206 S. 17th Avenue Room 171
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Telephone number of facilitator Email address of facilitator
Prepared on:
Month date, year

Partnering/Preconstruction Report

Table of Contents

Chapter	Page Number
Attendees	Insert page number
Partnering Champions	Insert page number
Partnering Evaluation Program (PEP)	Insert page number
Issue Resolution	Insert page number
Issues & Action Plans	Insert page number

Attendees

Name/Title	Organization	Phone	Email
Not In Attendance – Contact Information Only

Partnering Champions / Partnering Evaluation Program

Partnering Champions take on the role of monitoring the success of the team partnership, ensuring that goals and objectives are accomplished and assessing partnering evaluation data. It is a Champion’s responsibility to ensure that the project team adheres to the agreements established by the team and inform new members joining the team about partnering principles, project goals and issue resolution processes. (Insert name) for ADOT and (insert name) for (insert contractor name) are the Partnering Champions for this project team.

Partnering Evaluation Program (PEP) evaluations will be completed by team members and collected by the Partnering Champions (insert frequency). Team members are encouraged to access the PEP database independently to enter ratings and view reports. Please contact the facilitator for this project to set up access to PEP.

For team members who wish to complete PEP entries on paper, they may print a blank PEP form directly from the PEP system or they may download a fillable PEP form from the Partnering website. Fillable forms can be completed electronically and submitted to the Partnering Champion.

Partnering Evaluation Program (PEP)

Goals / Sub Goals

Quality

Enter Sub Goal if any here

Enter Sub Goal if any here

Communication

Enter Sub Goal if any here

Enter Sub Goal if any here

Issue Resolution

Enter Sub Goal if any here

Enter Sub Goal if any here

Teamwork and Relationships

Enter Sub Goal if any here

Enter Sub Goal if any here

Schedule

Enter Sub Goal if any here

Enter Sub Goal if any here

Enter additional Goals and Sub Goals beyond the five required

Link to PEP Quick Reference Card: (Copy and paste link into a web browser.)

https://www.azdot.gov/docs/default-source/partnering/14-299-pep-quick-reference-card-2up.pdf?sfvrsn=10

Link to PEP Webpage: (Copy and paste link into a web browser.)

http://www.azdot.gov/business/programs-and-partnerships/partnering/partnering-evaluation-program-(pep)

Issue Resolution

The following Issue Resolution Steps were reviewed and discussed.

Identify and clarify the issue

Be open and honest

Document the issue

Gather the facts

Deal in facts and focus on the issue

Separate technical issues from policy and business issues

Maintain the original definition throughout the escalation process

Seek advice from more experienced personnel to problem solve

Determine who needs to be involved

Assure uninterrupted time when meeting (schedule a meeting)

Communicate the issue to, and ask input from, those involved

Clearly understand the various levels of authority of other team members

Brainstorm resolutions and prioritize

Do not let personalities interfere - avoid blame

Look at the issue from the other person’s point of view to better understand his/her perspective

Decide on resolution at the operations level

Reach an agreement or escalate the issue

Do not skip levels on the Issue Escalation Ladder

Record agreements and action items

Use proper forms

Use Issue Resolution levels as needed

Honor the time pledges committed to during the partnering workshop

Key players may agree to modify time pledges if needed to avoid impacts to the project

If you can’t agree, then agree to disagree and escalate together

Bring the final decision back to all those involved

Communicate, in writing, the rationale (technical, policy or business) behind the resolution

The facilitator recommended that issues be discussed at the weekly project meetings and documented on the Weekly Project Report form which can be found in the ADOT Construction Manual Pages 108-8 to 108-10 (Exhibit 108.04). (Copy and paste link into a web browser.)

https://www.azdot.gov/docs/default-source/businesslibraries/CMChapter_1_Section_108.pdf?sfvrsn=10

It is also recommended that the team establish a process to review the Weekly Project Report and determine if there are any issues that remain on the “outstanding issues” list for longer than expected. If management determines that issues have been left unresolved for too long, they are to take an active role in determining what should be the next step with their staff to get the issues resolved. This will help ensure that issues keep moving through the process in a positive manner with no negative impacts to the project.

Issue Resolution Continued

The Issue Escalation Ladder below was created and the importance of resolving issues at the level closest to the issue was discussed.

ISSUE ESCALATION LADDER

Level	ADOT	Contractor Name	*Time
Field
Engineer/Project Manager
Management
Senior Management

*Time starts when both parties have all the information necessary to make a decision.

The facilitator also reviewed the issue escalation process and how it should be used by the team. If an issue is not being resolved, then a formal escalation should be requested. “I would like to formally escalate this issue” needs to be stated to the partner on your level. If an escalation is requested, it is a requirement that the issue must be escalated to the next level.

When an issue is escalated, it is critical that the next level have all of the documentation relevant to the issue so they can make an informed decision. The Routing Form for Issue Resolution must be completed if an issue is escalated beyond the Engineer/Project Manager level.

Fillable electronic versions can be found at this link: (Copy and paste link into a web browser.)

http://www.azdot.gov/business/programs-and-partnerships/partnering/forms-and-links

Issue Resolution Continued

If an issue is being escalated, the parties must compile an “Issue Escalation Binder” by following the template below. This binder will include all of the documentation that the next level will need to understand the issue and the resolutions proposed by each party.

It is the responsibility of the RE and PM to work jointly to compile all documentation to support the description of the issue and the recommended resolution into one binder prior to escalation. If they have not reached agreement, the information will include the recommended resolution from each perspective. If agreement has been reached but the parties don’t have authority to sign the agreement, this documentation must still be provided.

The documents should be inserted into three-ring binders in the order given. At a minimum, provide a binder for each person on the next level of the Issue Escalation Ladder.

Tab	Title	Description
1	Index	A list of all documents in the binder in order
2	Routing Form for Issue Resolution	The completed and signed form (or forms if the RE and PM each complete their own form). Must include a clear description of the issue and the proposed resolution (from each party if they don’t agree).
3	Contract Card/Financial (ADOT document)	A print of the Contract Card and Finance pages from FAST
4	Plans, Specs, Estimates & Special Provisions that apply to the issue	Copies of the pertinent pages from the contract documents
5	Cost analysis and support documentation	Any calculations and support documentation that were used to make your decisions
6	Correspondence	Copies of emails or letters that were used to make your decision
7	Exhibits to back up your position	Other documents that were used to make your decision
8	Schedule and impacts	Documents showing the schedule and any impacts this issue or the resolution will have to the schedule
9	Other pertinent documentation	Any documents not included in the previous tabs

Issues and Actions Plans

Topic/Issue	Action	Resolution/Comment or Status