2008


Improving the Quality 

of Airport Projects: 

ACC/FAA Best Practices 

Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 
TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD

Pages

1

INTRODUCTION 2

BEST PRACTICES

I. RELATIONSHIPS/COMMUNICATION 3

II. CONFLICT RESOLUTION 4

III. CONSULTANT 

SELECTION/PROCUREMENT

5

IV. PLANNING 6

V. ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSING 8

VI. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN 

DEVELOPMENT 

9

VII. PRE-DESIGN/PROJECT FORMULATION 10

VIII. DESIGN 11

IX. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION 12

X. PROJECT CLOSEOUT 14

CONCLUSION/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 15

Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

1 

ACC/FAA BEST PRACTICES

FOREWORD 

In February 2001, the Airport Consultants Council (ACC) 

and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published a 

list of “best practices” to improve their business processes, 

foster improved communication with each other, and better 

serve the airport sponsors. At their July 2007 Summer 

Workshop, the ACC and FAA formally established a task 

force consisting of three FAA members and five ACC 

members to update the ACC/FAA Best Practices document 

to reflect changes within FAA programs and the industry 

since the original list was published. 

Recognizing that each interaction between an FAA employee 

and an ACC consultant might require a different approach, 

the task force emphasizes that this list is neither definitive nor 

mandatory. Rather, it contains recommended guidelines. In 

addition, while some of the items specify actions by a 

consultant or the FAA, many apply equally to both groups. 

Finally, it is important to note that there are other parties 

involved in this process. While this document focuses on the 

FAA and the consultant community, the airport sponsor is 

the primary stakeholder and should always be kept in mind. 

The task force is aware that State aviation departments are 

key participants, particularly in those States that take part in 

the State Block Grant Program. Depending on the State, 

these departments may provide much of the guidance and 

review normally provided by the FAA. Because of this, the 

best practices set forth in this document are equally 

applicable to a State agency when it acts to fulfill the FAA’s 

role, vis-à-vis a sponsor or consultant, even though the text 

may not say so explicitly. 

Subsequent to the drafting of this document, the task force 

coordinated with members of the ACC Board of Governors 

and FAA’s regional Airports division managers, headquarters 

office directors and managers, and the Associate and Deputy 

Associate Administrator for Airports for their endorsement. 

Therefore, both the ACC and FAA endorse this document. 

We collectively believe that it can make a positive 

contribution to the national airport system. 

“While this document focuses on the 

FAA and the consultant community, the 

airport sponsor is the primary 

stakeholder and should always be kept 

in mind.” 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

INTRODUCTION 

The FAA is responsible for establishing standards for the 

planning, environmental review, design, construction, and 

operation of a national system of airports that is safe, 

efficient, and environmentally compatible and that meets the 

needs of system users. The owners and operators of the 

Nation’s public-use airports look to the FAA for guidance in 

complying with those standards and for grants to help meet 

their airports’ capital needs. To obtain this guidance and 

assistance, the airport sponsors rely on the FAA’s Regional 

Airports Divisions and their District Offices (ADOs) as well 

as on airport consultants. 

The ACC is the professional association of consultants who 

assist airport sponsors in developing their airports. These 

consultants—including planners, environmental specialists, 

architects, and engineers—provide technical advice and 

services to sponsors on the development, improvement, and 

expansion of airports in compliance with FAA standards. 

These consultants are very knowledgeable in their respective 

areas of expertise. Accordingly, the FAA relies on them to 

provide advice to the airport sponsors, even though 

responsibility for approving the compliance of completed 

work with FAA standards rests with the FAA Airports offices. 

To provide quality service to airport sponsors, the ACC and 

FAA need to recognize and understand each other’s roles. We 

intend for this list of best practices to lead to: 

•A safer airport environment; 

•A more environmentally compatible airport 

environment;

•More effective relationships between airport 

consultants and the FAA;

•Higher quality products; 

•More efficient and effective efforts by FAA and 

airport consultants; 

•More efficient and effective use of public funds 

and airport revenues; 

•Better service and increased customer satisfaction; 

and 

•More streamlined processes for the implementation 

of airport development that meets the needs of the 

aviation community. 

Because the interaction between the FAA and a consultant 

can vary during different stages of a project, best practice 

opportunities are identified within each major stage: 

•Consultant Selection/Procurement 

•Planning 

•Environmental Processing 

•Capital Improvement Plan Development 

•Pre-design/Project Formulation 

•Design 

•Project Implementation 

•Project Closeout 

Common to all activities, and perhaps most important of all, 

are the personal relationships that exist among the 

individuals of the organizations involved. Recognizing the 

importance of this, the list of best practice opportunities 

begins with Relationships/Communication and Conflict 

Resolution. 

2 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

3 

BEST PRACTICES 

I. RELATIONSHIPS/COMMUNICATION 

Clear, open, and honest communication is vital to all 

successful team endeavors. By building professional and 

personal relationships through effective communication 

practices, the FAA and ACC can optimize the services we 

offer to our aviation partners. We offer the following 

guidelines to help foster better working relationships and 

communication: 

•Listen actively to the extent possible, try to 

understand the perspective of the speaker, ask 

clarifying questions, and repeat back to the speaker 

what you think was said. 

•Show mutual professional respect. 

•Engage in early, ongoing, and open communication. 

•Be forthright and realistic with expectations. 

•Be accessible. 

•Show patience and flexibility when discussing 

differences. 

•Practice timely communication. 

•Meet professional and project commitments. 

“Try to understand the perspective of 

the speaker, ask clarifying questions, 

and repeat back to the speaker what you 

think was said.” 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

4 

II. CONFLICT RESOLUTION 

Airport planning, design, construction, and consultant 

performance standards are not always so black and white as 

to preclude professional differences in interpretation. A 

healthy disagreement can be productive if it fuels discussion 

and leads to new ideas and innovations. However, when a 

disagreement becomes a roadblock, the involved parties 

must work together to overcome their differences if the 

project is to move forward. Clearly, there is no magic 

formula to resolving such differences, but when conflict 

arises, we encourage the following practices: 

•Make an honest self-assessment as to why the 

differences exist. 

•Clearly define the points of difference. 

•Clearly communicate your position and reasoning. 

•Provide unbiased data and facts to support your 

position. 

•Take the time to understand the importance of the 

issue. 

•Take the time to learn about the opposing 

position.

•Build upon common needs and goals. 

•Focus on obtaining the most appropriate solution. 

•Confine discussions to the technical issues and 

avoid purely personal differences. 

•Seek to resolve issues in a timely manner, but don’t 

avoid them in the hope they will go away. 

•Get opinions on the issue from uninvolved peers 

to gain additional perspective. 

•As a professional courtesy, give a “heads up” to the 

appropriate parties if the issue needs to be elevated 

to another level. 

If honest efforts to resolve differences at the local level fail, 

the FAA, sponsor, or consultant can—within their own 

organizations, on their own initiative, or at the request of the 

others— 

•First, advance the issue to an FAA regional resource 

specialist and/or to the next level in the consultant’s 

firm. 

•Next, advance it to an FAA Airports District Office 

manager or regional Airports division manager, 

depending on the circumstances, and/or to a 

manager in the consultant’s firm. 

•Finally, advance the issue to FAA headquarters, after 

exhausting every effort to resolve the issue within 

the region. 

For matters of consultant or FAA performance, (e.g., quality, 

timeliness), address these issues openly, honestly, and early in 

the process. If informal resolution cannot be achieved locally, 

it might be necessary to advance such issues to management 

to assure appropriate corrective action. If it becomes 

necessary to elevate an issue, the parties should view this 

action as an appropriate step in resolving the issue and not as 

a failure on their part. 

“Focus on obtaining the most 

appropriate solution.” 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

5 

III.CONSULTANT 

SELECTION/PROCUREMENT 

Federal regulations require a Quality Based Selection (QBS) 

process for selecting consultants for projects funded with 

FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds. This 

includes consultant selection and procurement by sponsors, 

States, and the FAA’s Regional Airports Divisions. The 

current version of FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5100­

14, Architectural, Engineering, and Planning Consultant 

Services for Airport Grant Projects, provides guidance for the 

consultant selection process. We encourage all parties to 

familiarize themselves with this AC and use the following 

best practices: 

•Advertise early enough to give consultants at least 

3 weeks to respond. 

•Properly identify the scope of work, required 

services, project schedule, project details, and 

selection criteria in all Requests for Qualifications 

(RFQs). 

•Select a committee to establish a well-defined 

scoring system and rate the Statements of 

Qualifications (SOQs). 

•Do not include requests for cost information, 

including hours or hourly rates, in the RFQ or 

anywhere in the selection process. 

•Use interviews when a clear decision cannot be 

made on the submitted SOQs. 

•If interviews are conducted, limit the interview 

shortlist to approximately three firms. 

•Notify the consultants at least 2 weeks in advance of 

an interview and identify the interview format and 

expectations. 

•Notify all parties of the final selection in a timely 

fashion. 

•Provide an individual debrief to provide feedback 

on submittals and/or interviews to any interested 

consultants who submitted SOQs. 

•Have the selected consultant prepare a detailed work 

scope and corresponding fee estimate to be used in 

contract negotiations. 

•Complete an independent fee estimate for 

professional services in accordance with the 

current version of AC 150/5100-14 before 

negotiating a professional services contract. 

•Include applicable Federal provisions in all 

consultant contracts. 

•In compliance with Federal law, do not include any 

Broad-Form Indemnity Language in contracts. 

•Stipulate in the contract the consultant’s key 

project personnel identified during the selection 

process. 

•Understand the role of the FAA in the consultants 

selection process. While the FAA might disapprove 

of the selected consultant, scope of work, cost, or 

contract, the agency only plays an advisory role in 

the selection process. 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

6 

IV. PLANNING 

An airport system or master plan is a comprehensive study of 

an airport or system of airports that prescribes short, 

medium, and long-term development plans to meet future 

airport demand. It is designed to put forward 

recommendations for the safe, efficient, and economical 

development of an airport to meet the needs of the 

community it serves. The plan should be thoughtful, wellcoordinated, practical, and cost-effective; include a realistic 

assessment of needs and resources; and be consistent with 

established goals and objectives. In addition, the plan 

should consider future enhancements planned by the FAA 

due to advances in technology related to automation 

information systems, communications, navigation, 

surveillance, and weather. Much of this work will be 

conducted under the NextGen initiative and will have an 

impact on how airports are planned and developed. New 

technology being developed for use in aircraft, on airport, 

and by air traffic through NextGen will provide benefits to 

individual airports, as well as the national airspace system. 

To ensure a successful planning process, we recommend the 

following practices: 

•“Plan first; program second.” Allow the results of 

the planning analysis to determine the facility 

requirements and needs based on FAA-approved 

forecasts. Then develop appropriate alternatives for 

airport development before selecting a preferred 

alternative to present in the Airport Layout Plan 

(ALP) drawing set. 

•Use phased planning projects for complex programs 

at larger airports. 

•Use “out-of-the-box” thinking to create a work 

program that is specific to the project. 

•Prepare for the planning assignment by developing 

a complete understanding of available information 

and project issues before the scoping meeting. 

•Conduct a pre-planning meeting with all involved 

parties to discuss realistic expectations and to 

determine which tasks should be included in the 

statement of work. 

• Throughout a planning study, provide 

opportunities for community involvement, which 

is critical for the study’s successful completion. 

- Form a technical advisory committee made 

up of representatives of airport users and 

the local community. 

- Include the State’s aviation department as 

well as the Metropolitan Planning 

Organization (MPO), if there is one. 

-Conduct regular committee meetings to 

provide updates on planning tasks and to 

seek input from members. 

•Bring potential adversaries to the table early in the 

planning process to help develop trust and 

credibility in the process and create a forum for 

mutal education. 

•In a master plan for general aviation airports with 

a low level of based aircraft and operations, use the 

aviation forecast developed in a State or metropolitan 

system plan to define the airport’s role, determine its 

reference code, and provide justification and timing 

for proposed development. 

•Include an appropriate level of engineering analysis 

in the planning processes to assure the plan can be 

implemented. 

•Use existing data from an airport’s pavement 

management study as input into the inventory and 

facility requirements for an individual airport master 

plan. 

•Obtain concurrence and/or resolve differences at 

“client group” meetings before technical advisory 

committee meetings or public presentations. 

•For master plans at major airports, ask the FAA 

Airports Division or ADO to coordinate a meeting 

with other elements of the FAA, such as Air 

Traffic, Technical Operations, and Flight Procedures, 

so that these offices can provide early input on the 

feasibility of the plan and identify potential issues 

with planned development. 

•Make user-friendly presentations tailored to the 

audience. 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

7 

•Ensure the master plan’s financial plan is realistic 

and implementable and concentrates on the first 5 

years of development. 

•During the master plan study, consider evaluating 

the costs versus benefits of the recommended 

projects by preparing an economic feasibility 

analysis to determine if the projects are a realisitc 

option before they get too far along in the process 

and are shown on a signed ALP. Only do this 

analysis for projects that are expected to be costly 

and that will require a future benefit-cost analysis to 

justify the need for allocating AIP discretionary 

funds. 

•Include an environmental overview in the scope of 

work of an airport master plan if environmentally 

sensitive areas have not already been designated 

under a previous environmental study. If 

development might be proposed with potential for 

environmental impacts at that location, get initial 

input from the appropriate agencies before deciding 

whether to show the development on an ALP. 

•Review Appendix D, “Consideration of 

Environmental Factors in Airport Master Planning,” 

in the current version of AC 150/5070-6, Airport 

Master Plans. 

•Establish a website to keep the public informed 

about the study. 

•FAA has issued an order that requires Safety Risk 

Management (SRM) on projects that impact the 

National Airspace System (NAS). The FAA will be 

working closely with the airport sponsors and 

consulting engineers to incorporate SRM 

requirements into the planning process for AIP 

funded projects. 

“Bring potential adversaries to the table early 

in the planning process to help develop trust 

and credibility in the process and create a 

forum for mutual education.” 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

8 

V. ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSING 

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), Federal agencies must disclose to the public the 

potential environmental impacts resulting from, and 

reasonable alternatives to, a proposed Federal action. To 

meet this requirement, the FAA must complete one of three 

levels of environmental review based on the nature of the 

project: Categorical Exclusion (CE), Environmental 

Assessment (EA), or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). 

The most extensive level of environmental review is the EIS. 

To address Congress’s concerns about the length of the 

environmental review process, particularly for EISs, the FAA 

committed to six initiatives to improve and streamline the 

environmental review process. One of these initiatives is to 

compile and issue a guide to best practices for EIS 

management and preparation. The FAA issued Best 

Practices for Environmental Impact Statement Management 

in July 2001 and updated it in January 2002. 

This guide includes best practices that are within the 

purview of airport proprietors and EIS consultants, as well as 

the FAA. It is based on their collective experience and 

comments. This document is an excellent resource for all 

parties involved in the preparation and coordination of 

environmental documents, such as EAs and EISs. Since the 

environmental best practices guide is a relatively long 

document, we do not repeat its contents in this ACC/FAA 

list of best practices. Keep in mind, however, that the 

environmental best practices document is not a substitute 

for the FAA environmental guidance contained in FAA 

Orders 1050.1, Environmental Impacts: Policies and 

Procedures, and 5050.4, National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) Implementing Instructions for Airport Projects. 

The FAA makes the environmental best practices document 

available on the FAA website at: 

http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/airports/environmental 

/eis_best_practices/. 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

9 

VI.CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN 

DEVELOPMENT 

The airport sponsor must leverage AIP grants, Passenger 

Facility Charge (PFC) collections, State grants, and revenues 

generated from airport operations to the extent possible to 

develop the airport and ensure its long-term viability. A 

Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is a document that guides 

investment of these funds for airport development, usually 

over a 5-year period. In order to guide investment decisionmaking effectively, the CIP should be well thought out, 

based on an approved ALP, and realistic. It should also 

contain responsible project cost estimates. To ensure an 

effective CIP, we recommend the following practices: 

•Accept development in the FAA’s Airport Capital 

Improvement Plan (ACIP) as the cornerstone of 

all AIP and PFC investment decisions. 

•Include consultants early in the development of cost 

estimates. 

•Use responsible preliminary estimates because they 

can provide the basis for programming projects. 

Construction costs should be based on a detailed 

engineering cost estimate. 

•Support “design-only” grants where cost effective 

and where development funding is anticipated in 

the subsequent year(s). 

•Be prepared to bid projects early in the Federal fiscal 

year so that construction can begin as early in the 

construction season as possible. 

•Submit 5-year airport CIPs to the FAA as early as 

possible in the calendar year preceding the Federal 

fiscal year in which funding is sought (e.g., 

January 2009 for Federal fiscal year 2010 funding). 

•When developing airport CIPs, discuss with the 

FAA the status of environmental processing, 

reasonable AIP funding expectations, and other 

issues. 

•Unless environmental processing is complete, or it is 

reasonably certain that a Finding of No Significant 

Impact (FONSI) or Record of Decision (ROD) will 

be issued well before the end of the Federal fiscal 

year, show the associated design, land acquisition, 

and/or construction project(s) in the second or third 

year of the CIP, not in the first. 

•If environmental processing for a project has not yet 

begun, show the associated design, land acquisition, 

and/or construction project(s) in the year following 

the expected completion of the EA/EIS or in future 

years if appropriate, but not in the same year. 

•Show construction in the year following land 

acquisition, not in the same year. 

“In order to guide investment decisionmaking effectively, the CIP should be well 

thought out, based on an approved ALP, 

and realistic.” 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

10 

VII. PRE-DESIGN/PROJECT FORMULATION 

After programming a project in the CIP and entering into a 

planning or design contract for the project, perform some 

preliminary work to help streamline the process and ensure 

that all parties have the same understanding of the project. 

This step will help avoid surprises; and identify the 

expectations of all parties involved and areas for cost and 

time savings. We recommend the following practices: 

•Hold pre-design meetings and use existing data to 

guide discussions about specific project issues. 

•Seek to consolidate projects to achieve cost-effective 

development, reduce grant administration tasks and 

professional services, and provide the opportunity 

for more cost-effective construction bids. 

•Use scoping meetings to formulate projects and to 

establish a work scope and detailed fee proposal. 

•Include the consultant, sponsor, FAA, and other key 

stakeholders in scoping meetings. 

•Allow adequate time during the scoping meeting to 

confirm agreement on project goals and the process 

to be followed. 

•Establish realistic schedules to make it possible for 

all parties to deliver on agreed-upon commitments. 

•Promise only what can be reasonably delivered and 

be prepared to fulfill promises. 

•For projects that will involve other elements of the 

FAA, such as Air Traffic, Technical Operations, 

and/or Flight Procedures, ask the Airports Division 

or ADO to coordinate a meeting with effected 

offices so that they can provide early input to ensure 

that project(s) can proceed expeditiously. 

•Identify those portions of the project that are 

neither AIP-nor PFC-eligible and have a funding 

plan for that work. 

•Submit data and information to the FAA in the 

format requested on the AIP and/or PFC 

application forms.

•Coordinate draft PFC applications with the FAA to 

resolve any significant issues before conducting 

airline consultation. 

“Allow adequate time during the scoping 

meeting to confirm agreement on project 

goals and the processes to be followed.” 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

11 

VIII. DESIGN 

The design process starts with finalizing and approving the 

work scope and fee proposal and ends with the bidding of 

construction and/or equipment contracts. The design 

process takes into account the results of the planning, 

environmental, CIP development, and project formulation 

steps and results in a set of bid documents ready for 

advertisement. Since the design process impacts project 

costs, project schedules, and the end user’s operations, 

involved parties should keep in mind that clear 

communication during this stage is critical. We recommend 

the following practices: 

•Develop a project schedule and incorporate 

commitments to deadlines for critical milestones. 

•Have a design kickoff meeting with all stakeholders. 

•Promptly issue an authorization letter where 

certification is to be accepted and where FAA 

regional procedures require FAA authorization to 

proceed to bid. 

•Maintain communication between consultants and 

the FAA during the design phase to avoid surprises 

at the end of the process. 

•Develop realistic designs based on FAA-approved 

demand forecasts and the development shown on 

the FAA-approved ALP. 

•Identify changes to the original approved project 

scope immediately so all parties can assess the 

impact. 

•Have periodic design review meetings to enhance 

communication among the parties. 

•For projects that involve other elements of the FAA, 

such as Air Traffic, Technical Operations, and/or 

Flight Procedures, ask the Airports Division or 

ADO to coordinate a meeting with the affected 

offices so that they can provide design input to 

prevent possible surprises during or after 

construction. 

•Use available cost data on similar and recent 

projects to improve engineering cost estimates. 

•Specify equipment using a “performance 

specification” as opposed to basing the specification 

on a particular vendor’s equipment or procuring 

equipment through a State procurement. 

•Complete the design of current fiscal year projects 

and be prepared to bid the projects as early as 

possible in the fiscal year so that construction can 

begin as early in the construction season as possible. 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

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IX. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION 

Project implementation for construction and equipment 

projects begins with the bidding of construction and/or 

equipment procurement contracts (which normally occurs 

before submitting a Federal grant application) and ends with 

the physical completion of construction and/or delivery/ 

installation of equipment. Project implementation for land 

acquisition projects begins with the issuance of a Notice to 

Proceed to the appraiser (which normally occurs before 

submission of a Federal grant application) and ends with the 

closing of all land purchases. We recommend the following 

practices: 

General 

•Submit current Federal fiscal year AIP grant 

applications to the FAA as early as possible in the 

fiscal year so that the grant can be issued as early in 

the construction season as possible. 

•Keep projects moving to use public and airport 

funds effectively and to achieve return on public 

investment as early as possible. 

•Submit Pay Requests to the FAA or execute treasury 

draw-downs (if reimbursement is via Letter of 

Credit) at the completion of each major project 

element, but no less than every 6 months. 

•Ensure that the amount of the Pay Request or 

treasury draw-down is commensurate with the 

amount of work completed on the project. 

•Submit all required project documentation to the 

FAA in accordance with the schedule established by 

the FAA project manager. 

Construction and/or Equipment Procurement Projects 

•Base AIP grant applications on bids. 

• Review the FAA Form 5010, Airport Master 

Record to verify that all airport approaches are clear 

before submitting an AIP grant application. 

•Follow the requirements of Title 49 CFR Section 

18.36, Procurement. 

•Include the “Buy American” preference for AIP 

projects in the contract. 

•Obtain an independent cost estimate for 

construction projects before bidding the project, as 

appropriate. 

•Request FAA approval of any deviations from FAA 

standard specifications before advertising bids. 

•Properly document construction projects that are 

implemented under an alternative process, such as 

design-build or construction management at risk, 

to reflect the latest FAA guidance. 

•Implement and enforce construction safety plans. 

•To prevent delays, submit any required FAA Form 

7460-1, Notice of Proposed Construction or 

Alteration well in advance of the start of 

construction. 

•Attend the “pre-tentative allocation” meeting, 

conducted by the FAA program/project managers 

for all parties, to establish a schedule for bidding, 

AIP grant application submission, and other 

requirements. 

•Maintain constant communication between design 

and construction observation personnel. Design 

personnel should be made aware of changes in the 

field. Provide minutes of meetings and weekly 

reports to the consultant’s design project manager. 

•Conduct a pre-construction conference in 

accordance with FAA guidelines. Thoroughly 

discuss critical project issues and pertinent concerns. 

As each project can be unique in type and 

complexity, tailor the agenda for each conference to 

address the concerns of the specific project. 

•Conduct weekly progress meetings that analyze the 

previous week’s activities and look ahead at the next 

2 weeks of construction operations. Analyze the 

schedule, and make adjustments as needed. 

•Acquire Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) 

participation forms as soon as possible after a DBE 

subcontractor completes work. 

•Complete and accept all applicable testing 

requirements in accordance with project 

specifications. 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

13 

•Require material testing personnel to maintain a 

continuous summary of test results. This is required 

as part of the project closeout documentation. 

Land Acquisition Projects 

•Check with the local FAA office to determine 

specific land acquisition requirements. 

•For detailed requirements, see the current version 

of FAA AC 150/5100-17, Land Acquisition and 

Relocation Assistance for Airport Improvement 

Program Assisted Projects. 

•Make every effort to acquire property before 

applying for a Federal grant. 

- If land cannot be purchased before applying 

for a Federal grant, have purchase 

agreements and/or final condemnation 

awards available at the time of the grant 

application. 

-At a minimum, have all land appraisals 

available at the time of the grant 

application. 

•Since land acquisition projects can be time 

consuming, ensure adequate lead-time and funding 

to complete the land acquisition and relocation 

process. 

•Ensure there is enough lead time to accomplish 

relocations of displaced persons (homeowners, 

businesses, farms) before land is needed for 

scheduled construction or open to traffic dates. 

•Establish a legal team to prepare for condemnation 

in case it is needed during the project. 

•In establishing the project clearance schedule, 

prioritize improved property and difficult relocation 

cases. 

• In anticipation of initiating land acquisition 

negotiations: 

- Solicit and prepare fair market value 

appraisals of needed property. 

- Interview displaced persons and determine 

relocation payment eligibility (Acquisition 

Stage Relocation Plan). 

-Conduct an Environmental Site Assessment 

of suspected contaminated property. 

- Complete the appraisal review. 

•Make all reasonable attempts to negotiate an 

agreement or an acceptable administrative 

settlement to avoid condemnation. 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

14 

X. PROJECT CLOSEOUT 

The intent of the following recommended practices is to 

ensure that projects are closed as soon as possible after they 

are completed so that unused Federal funds can be recovered 

and used for other important projects. While they are 

consolidated here, many of these recommendations should 

be covered in the pre-construction conference and 

throughout project implementation. 

•Clarify the closeout responsibilities of each party 

involved in the project. 

•In the first quarter of the Federal fiscal year, look for 

notification from FAA program/project managers 

and airport sponsors indicating the FAA’s desire to 

close out particular grants that are scheduled to be 

physically and financially complete during the fiscal 

year. 

•Strive to close out projects within 90 days of a 

project’s physical, financial, and administrative 

completion. 

•Complete project closeout documentation as soon 

as possible while information is still fresh in 

everyone’s mind. 

•Throughout the project, keep all project documents 

up-to-date, including as-builts, financials, materials 

manuals, and electronic drawings, to ensure a timely 

project closeout. 

•Complete record drawings in a timely manner so 

that they can be submitted electronically to the 

airport sponsor’s Geographic Information Systems 

(GIS) and engineering departments for review. 

•Facilitate the timely submission of closeout 

documentation by providing contractors with a list 

of required documentation for project closeout well 

before construction is complete. 

•Submit all required documentation to the FAA as 

soon as possible after completion of the project. 

Contact the FAA project manager to confirm 

requirements and proper formats. 

•Conduct a pre-final inspection with the contractor 

and construction observation personnel to allow the 

contractor time to address issues before final 

inspection. 

•Schedule final inspections as soon as work is 

substantially complete and in consultation with all 

parties involved to ensure participation by the 

sponsor, the consultant, and, where appropriate, the 

FAA or State. 

•Create a punch list of items to be completed and 

track progress on the completion of these items in 

order to approve final payment. 

•Receive concurrence from all involved parties for 

final payment and process payment as soon as work 

is complete. 

•Resolve any liquidated damage disputes or 

contractor claims expeditiously. 

“Strive to close out projects within 90 

days of a project’s physical, financial, 

and administrative completion.” 
Improving the Quality of Airport Projects: ACC/FAA Best Practices 

15 

CONCLUSION 

Carrying out these best practices depends, to a large degree, 

on the quality of the relationships among those involved. It 

is important, therefore, that the FAA, the sponsors and their 

consultants, and State aviation agencies nurture open and 

continuous communication. 

Finally, as our national system of airports and the airport 

industry continues to mature and grow, the list of best 

practices in this document will likely be further refined and 

improved. Accordingly, we encourage readers to send 

suggestions for improving this list to the ACC or FAA. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

We would like to acknowledge members of the ACC/FAA Best 

Practices Update Task Force for their in-depth technical 

knowledge of airports and for their understanding of what it 

takes to participate in and complete successful projects. We also 

thank them for their commitment to making this ACC/FAA 

best practices document update truly valuable. They sought 

input from their respective organizations and generously 

contributed their time. We are confident that those involved in 

the enhancement and expansion of the U.S. National Airport 

System will benefit tremendously. 

- Paula Hochstetler, ACC President 

- D. Kirk Shaffer, FAA Associate 

Administrator for Airports 

Members of the Task Force: 

Troy Butler 

FAA Southern Region 

Rodney Joel 

FAA Headquarters 

Frank Kulka 

Urban Engineers, Inc. 

Michael Kluttz 

Robert and Company 

Barbara Kulvelis 

HNTB Corporation 

Lori Pagnanelli 

FAA Eastern Region 

Andrew Platz 

Mead & Hunt, Inc. 

T. J. Schulz 

ACC 

Holland Young 

Jacobs Consultancy 

Layout and design compliments of Urban Engineers, Inc.