Categories of Directives

1. What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter defines a directive and lists the categories of directives and discusses when you use each of them, their audience, duration, and purpose.
   
   
2. What is a directive? A directive is a written communication that establishes policy, organization, methods, procedures, requirements, guidelines, or delegations of authority. It also give you information essential to the administration or operation of the agency. All directives are prepared according to general writing and formatting guidelines in this Handbook. The Directives Control Point (DCP) assigns a subject classification code to all directives to assist you in searching and finding a particular directive.
   
   
3. What are the different categories of directives?
   1. Notices. Notices are temporary issuances, transmitting one-time or short-term instructions or information, that are expected to remain in effect for a predetermined period of time--not to exceed 1 year. A predetermined expiration date appears on Notices, except when the DCP and the originating office mutually agree that it is not practicable. Each is identified by a subject classification code determined by the DCP. Notices may receive internal distribution only, or may be distributed to States, metropolitan planning organizations, and Governor's Highway Safety Representatives.
      
      
   2. Orders. Orders are internal directives that contain permanent or long-lasting policy, instructions, and procedures. Each is identified by a subject classification code. When policy, instructions, and procedures are highly detailed and lengthy, the Order will be issued as a Manual or Handbook. They may be organized by volume or part, chapter, section, subsection, and paragraph, as appropriate. They contain tables of contents and may contain indexes.
      
      
   3. Technical Advisories. Technical Advisories (TAs) contain permanent or long-lasting detailed techniques or technical material that is advisory in nature and is directed toward State highway agencies, Governor's Highway Safety Representatives, or local government jurisdictions, as well as FHWA organizations. TAs must not be used to impose requirements, issue policy, or modify existing directives (other than other TAs). A Technical Advisory is identified by a subject classification code. Though technical in nature, TAs should use plain language principles as much as possible.
      
      
   4. Joint Interagency Orders and Notices. Joint directives issue policies and procedures for programs that are administered jointly by FHWA and other DOT administrations. Presently, the FHWA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issue joint policies, procedures, and information regarding the joint administration of the highway safety and transit programs.
      
      
   5. Federal-Aid Policy Guide (FAPG). The FAPG documents the FHWA's current policies, regulations, and nonregulatory procedural guidance information related to the Federal-aid Highway Program. A small portion of these materials relates to the agency's Federal Lands Highway Program. The Guide contains the Federal-aid regulations that are published in Title 23 and certain portions of Title 49 in the Code of Federal Regulations, as well as the nonregulatory non-CFR-related guidance material, aimed primarily toward the FHWA field offices.
      
      

      Use the following table to determine which category of directive to draft.

   IF the purpose of the directive is to issue..	AND the duration is	AND the audience is	THEN draft a.
   instructions or information	temporary or short-term	internal or external	Notice.
   policy, instructions, and procedures	permanent or long-standing	internal	Order.
   detailed techniques or technical material that is advisory in nature	permanent or long-lasting	internal or external	Technical Advisory.
   policies, requirements, or guidance relating to the Federal-aid and certain Federal Lands Programs	permanent	internal or external	FAPG transmittal.
   policies and procedures pertaining to jointly administered programs	permanent	internal or external	Joint Order.
   policies and procedures pertaining to jointly administered programs	temporary	internal or external	Joint Notice.

Introduction | Table of Contents | Chapter 2