Construction		Online Guide
		Initiate and Align the Team		Process
Activity:	Review Major Milestones			Revision July 1, 2005
Description:	Major Milestones identify specific elements or phases of the Construction Phase and the dates by which they must be accomplished in order to consider the project or phase “successful.” WSDOT identifies eleven Major Milestones for all projects (see below), six of which occur during the Construction Phase: · Bid Opening · Contract Award · Contract Execution · Construction · Operationally Complete · Final Contract Completion Along with these Major Milestones, and as planning progresses, Region/Organization Management may identify additional milestones for the project. Also, the project team will identify other project and phase-specific milestones that are critical to the success of the Construction Phase of the project.
Inputs:	· Capital Program Management System (CPMS) · Previously defined elements of the Initiate and Align step
Tools:	Ø· Initiate and Align Worksheet Template Ø· Sample Initiate and Align Worksheet
Steps:	1. The Project Manager reviews the CPMS file for specific milestones and dates for accomplishment.
	2. The Project Manager reviews the WSDOT Major Milestones (below) with the project team.
	3. The project team reviews the work and the performance conditions of the project and determines those activities that are critical to the success of the project or phase. A “Major” Milestone is one that absolutely must be achieved in order to make the Construction Phase successful, and may be linked to the Measures of Success. A Major Milestone may precede another element of work, which must be started at a specific time; e.g., environmental studies must be complete before the permit application is acquired for work in a sensitive area. Or, it may require the start of completion of work by a specific time, as in funding-oriented milestones; e.g., work in a certain area that must be started or completed within a given budget period.
	4. The Project Manager and the project team identify the risks, impacts, and implications of failure to meet each Major Milestone.
	5. The Project Manager reviews the Major Milestones identified with the Region/Organization Management: · Verify Planning logic and criticality to the success of the Pre-Construction effort and the project. · Discuss the implications of failure to meet Major Milestones and Measures of Success.
	6. The Project Manger (or designee) enters the Major Milestones in the Initiate and Align Worksheet.
Products:	· Major Milestones reviewed
WSDOT Standard Milestones:	Pre-Construction Phase		· Project Definition Complete · Begin Preliminary Engineering · Environmental Documentation Complete · Right of Way Certification · Advertisement (Ad date)
	Construction Phase		· Bid Opening · Contract Award · Contract Execution · Construction · Operationally Complete · Final Contract Completion
Guidelines:	The “Major Milestones” listed above are linked to “Critical Path Activities” on the project schedule. The Critical Path describes the continuous sequence of project activities that determine the completion date of the Construction Phase of the project. Other Major Milestones may be associated with events that must occur by a certain date, but may not, logically, be on the Critical Path that determines the end date of the project.