Project Concept Development | Project Initiation | Project Implementation
Initiating, Developing, and Deploying an ITS Project
Project Implementation
Project Implementation provides detail and context for the Program Delivery phase of the NRO PPD Process, more specifically activities 27 - 29.
Once the initial version of the Rule 940 Checklist has been approved by FHWA, project implementation can commence. Project implementation is broken into two phases:
- Preliminary Engineering (PE) Phase
- For ITS projects, the PE Phase addresses sections 5 -7 of the Rule 940 Checklist
- Construction (CN) Phase
- For ITS projects the CN Phase addresses section 8 – 10 of the Rule 940 Checklist.
Preliminary Engineering Phase
Project managers can utilize the Northern Virginia ITS Architecture and/or the Northern Virginia ITS Architecture Turbo database to help address section 5 – 7 of the Rule 940 Checklist. The Northern Virginia ITS Architecture can be accessed two ways:
- Use the website for architecture exploration
- Through the use of the Turbo Architecture software tool to examine architecture details or to develop and tailor a project architecture
The choice between the two approaches depends entirely on the nature of the project. If the number of systems and / or stakeholders is less than three or if the project is a routine project, the use of the website is sufficient. Examples of such projects could be camera or dynamic message signs, replacements or new installations, or traffic monitoring device installation. If the number of stakeholders and / or systems is greater than three or if the project is one-of-a-kind involving new technology or systems, the use of the Turbo Architecture software tool is strongly encouraged.
As a general rule, as project complexity increases, it is easier to use the Turbo Architecture database to fill out sections of the checklist. However, Project Managers are strongly encouraged to take a training class in the use of Turbo Architecture prior to using the database. VDOT NRO’s Planning Staff can also provide guidance and support if the Turbo Architecture option is selected.
Concept of Operations Development
Section 5 of the Rule 940 Checklist addresses Concept of Operations development. The Concept of Operations provides a vision of what the project will produce or how the system is envisioned to be operated and maintained to address the issues it is desired to resolve. The Concept of Operations is a narrative description from the users’ perspective and provides scenarios to illustrate how the system will operate in various situations. The Concept of Operations will be used to develop the Validation Plan that will be referred to after the system is implemented to validate that the system solves the issues it was built to address.
As stated earlier, the Northern Virginia ITS Architecture can be used to assist concepts of operation development. Additionally, NRO has developed a Concept of Operations Template to guide concepts of operation development. The Concept of Operations Template and Guidance Document can be accessed from the Documents and Files page. The development of Concepts of Operations involves the definition of a project architecture. A project architecture should be consistent with the regional architecture. It is made up of the components of the regional architecture that are required to deliver a transportation service so it includes subsystems and information flows that the project will be implementing. From this functional architecture stakeholders and interfaces are identified so that conversations among the involved stakeholders can be conducted to facilitate proper planning and system engineering development of the project.
System Requirements Development
From the Concept of Operations, Requirements are generated. Requirements are “shall” statements that document what the system will do and how well and under what conditions it will perform its duties. The requirements are placed under configuration control and are included in a traceability matrix which will link each requirement to a design feature of the system. The requirements will be used to develop the system design and to test the system components as the system is assembled to verify that the requirements have been satisfied. The requirements should include operations and maintenance needs that the system must accommodate.
Design
The requirements are used to develop the design of the system. The design will include a high-level design which allocates the functions to be performed by the system to primary components or subsystems. This provides a structure for the system. A detailed design is then executed to specifically define the functionality and interfaces of the systems. Standards are often used and encouraged for interface development to make the system as open as possible for future expansion if required or to connect the system to other systems in the region for coordination and operational purposes. Detailed specifications will be produced which will guide the system development. The design elements should be linked to their related requirements through the traceability matrix.
At the conclusion of the PE Phase, the Rule 940 Checklist should be updated and submitted to FHWA with project documentation. Upon FHWA approval of the updated Rule 940 Checklist and CN funding authorization, the CN Phase shall commence.
Construction Phase
As the system components and devices are built, they are tested individually and then assembled into larger subsystems until the system has been fully integrated. The testing of the system is guided by the verification plan based on the requirements. When the system becomes operational, the validation plan which is based on the concept of operations, is used to validate that the system addresses the problems/needs it set out to. The validation plan was initially defined in the Concept of Operation.
With the system installed and validated, operations and maintenance begins. A System Operations Plan (SOP) guides the daily operations of the system with step-by-step instructions. A Maintenance Plan documents the regular maintenance processes for the system to maintain its performance.
The systems engineering process provides a structured approach to system development. Per Rule 940, the process should be scaled to be commensurate with the scope of the project. That doesn’t mean skipping process steps for smaller projects. It means scaling the process steps to the level of activity required for the complexity of the system.