What is Measure R?
Measure R passed in November 2008, providing the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) with a potential $40 billion in revenue to support improving transportation and transit in the Los Angeles basin. Funds from Measure R, which will be provided through a ½¢ increase in sales tax, will allow MTA to fund a number of projects over the 30 year period that the measure is in effect. The MTA Board directed MTA leadership to accelerate the delivery of a prioritized set of these projects from 30 years to 10 years, which is described in a Measure R 30/10 Transit and Accelerated Highway Program. For more information see the Measure R Homepage.
What spurred the creation of the PM Department?
A Board Motion in December 2009 identified eight tasks that included soliciting input from an industry panel with a perspective from MTA and other major transportation agencies. Other tasks included developing recommendations for procurement, construction, project management, audit, organizational development, and funding – based on input from industry and staff – and supported by best practices in accelerated project delivery. Executive staff added a ninth task relating to efforts to secure additional funding and innovative financing. These recommendations were developed by Parsons Brinckerhoff the June 2010 report, MTA Measure R Strategic Advisor: Final Report on MTA Policies, Practices and Organizational Structure to Ensure Successful Measure R Project Delivery. This report evaluated MTA’s policies, procedures, practices, and organizational structure to ensure that the agency could deliver the Measure R projects in the fastest possible time frame and that there are no institutional barriers that would prevent MTA from achieving the fastest possible project schedules. This report identified nine categories of recommendations, one of which was establishing a Program Management (PM) Department. This recommendation specifically stated that “there needs to be strong leadership and a dedicated, central point of coordination at MTA for acceleration of Measure R. In order to fully implement the acceleration of the Measure R program, there is a need to end departmental silos and project handoffs, and provide a more integrated and holistic approach to project delivery for the Measure R projects identified in the 30/10 Plan.”
In September 2010, MTA allocated funding to a dedicated leadership position and created a revised organizational structure, thus creating a Program Management Department.
What functions does the PM Department contain?
The PM Department provides cost, schedule, and configuration management services for MTA projects. For more information, see the PM Department Functions.
Is the PM Department a new entity within MTA?
While the PM Department included a newly created, dedicated leadership position, it capitalized on existing cost estimation, project controls, and configuration management components within the previous Construction Department. The PM Department supplements these functions with additional program management functions, such as portfolio management, cross-department coordination, project manager training, and internal process improvement functions.
Is the PM Department only overseeing Measure R funds?
The PM Department was primarily created to coordinate Measure R projects; however, it spans across ongoing internal projects and initiatives at MTA, particularly those which require cross-department coordination.
What is the PMIS and what function does it serve?
The Project Management Information System (PMIS), is a Primavera-suite based product that tracks project management information across various transit projects overseen by MTA. PMIS includes the following components: Primavera Suite, Primavera P6, Contract Management, EcoSys EPC, and BI Publisher. PMIS went live in December 2011 for all transit projects.
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Keywords:
FAQ; PM Dept;
Last Revised:
Wednesday April 11, 2012
