Last updated: 19 September 2017

The planning tools used during a feasibility study, including the Report Summary (evolving into the draft report and ultimately the final report), the Risk Register, the Decision Management Plans, the Project Management Plan and Review Plan, and the Decision Log – are to be updated and carried forward throughout the study to guide Project Delivery Team decisions and next steps. For effective communication with the Vertical Team at decision point milestones and other engagements, the PDT should utilize content from risk register and decision management plans to highlight critical risks associated with decisions made, remaining uncertainties, and how the PDT plans to address those uncertainties while progressing to the next decision point, and ultimately to study completion.

Tips

• Nine Habits of Highly Effective Studies
• The Sponsor’s Role
• Environmental Evaluation and Compliance within the SMART Planning Framework (PDF)
  This paper provides a general overview of how the environmental evaluation and compliance process fits into the SMART Planning framework. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) milestones are emphasized. More guidance to follow that is specific to the Endangered Species Act and other agency coordination milestones.
• Preparing for a SMART Planning Charette – Checklist for Districts & PDTs
• Preparing for a SMART Planning Charette – Checklist for Vertical Teams
• SMART Planning Feasibility Studies: A Guide to Coordination and Engagement with the Services
• Feasibility Study Milestones At A Glance, 15 December 2016
  High level overview of the four primary feasibility study decision milestones: the Alternatives milestone; Tentatively Selected Plan milestone, Agency Decision milestone, and Civil Works Review Board. These one-page overviews complement planning guidance, and include best practices, read ahead requirements, and basics on the decision focus and decision-makers at each milestone meeting

Tools

• Delegations
• Level of Detail by Project Purpose
• Planning Charettes
• Project Management Plan
• Review Primer
• Decision Management Plan
• Using a Risk Register
• Using a Decision Log
• Report Summary (see Planning Guidance Notebook Appendix H, Exhibit H-11)
• Developing the Feasibility Report – includes an example Report Summary Outline and several report examples
• Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
• Feasibility Study Vertical Team Coordination: Key HQ and MSC Tasks

Techniques

• Multi-Objective Planning