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FHWA Order H 1321.1B

Order
Subject
FHWA Directives Management Program Handbook: Chapter 7
Classification Code Date Office of Primary Interest
H 1321.1B April 10, 2000 HAIM-10

Reviewing, Revising, and Canceling

  1. How often must I review my organization's directives for currency?

    1. The originating office conducts a formal review of each permanent directive following an appropriate period after issuance to determine its effectiveness, and no more than 3 years after issuance to judge its current applicability.
    2. In reviewing a directive, you should consider the following:

      (1) the nature and extent of complaints or suggestions received, especially ones received from those affected by the directive,

      (2) the need to simplify or clarify language, i.e., use more plain language. Consider especially the number of requests received for interpretations, or the problems experienced in the enforcement of the directive,

      (3) the need to eliminate overlapping and duplicative directives,

      (4) the need to eliminate conflicts and inconsistencies in directives,

      (5) the importance and continued relevance of the problem the directive was originally intended to solve,

      (6) the burdens imposed on those affected by the directive,

      (7) the degree to which technology, economic conditions, or other factors have changed in the area affected by the directive, and

      (8) the number of requests received for exemption from a directive, and the number granted.

  2. How do I change an existing directive?

    1. Use the following table when updating a directive.
      Item Explanation
      1 Update Orders, TAs, and the FAPG by modifying the current document, using the agency's baseline word processing software. The DCP maintains the official current electronic version.
      2 Use the redline method to show what lines of text were changed, added, or deleted. When posted on the Internet, the redline method will show as red text in your browser. This will draw your readers' attention to the changes. The red text will return to black text in subsequent changes.
      3 Consider issuing a complete revision when 50 percent or more of the directive is changed.
      4 Notices are changed by reissuing the entire directive. Exceptions must be cleared with the DCP.


    2. Issuing Changes or Revisions

      Use the following table when preparing changes and revisions.

      Item Explanation
      1 Changes to Orders, TAs, and the FAPG are transmitted by Order Changes, TA Changes, and FAPG Transmittals, respectively.
      2 The identification number and the date of the Order Change, Technical Advisory Change, and FAPG Transmittal replace the identification number and date of the original directive.
      3 Order Changes and Technical Advisory Changes are identified by Chg. 1, Chg. 2, etc., along with the original classification code. Example: FHWA Order 9000.1, Chg. 2. The FAPG changes are identified by the next sequential transmittal number.
      4 A complete revision retains the classification code of the existing directive, followed by an alphabetical letter, indicating the number of revisions. Example: First revision of FHWA Order 9000.1 is FHWA Order 9000.1A; second revision is 9000.1B, etc.
      5 The title of a change will generally be the same as that of the original directive.


  3. How do I cancel a directive?

    Use the following table to cancel a directive.

    Item Explanation
    1 A Notice is usually a self-canceling directive, issued with a predetermined expiration date. A Notice may be canceled before the expiration date by issuing a superseding directive or by the Annual Directives Review (ADR).
    2 An Order or TA is canceled or superseded by another Order, TA, or the ADR.
    3 An Order, TA, or Notice canceling or superseding a directive has a cancellation paragraph. The directive being canceled or superseded is fully identified, i.e., subject classification code, subject, and date.
    4 An FAPG directive is canceled or superseded only by a subsequent FAPG Transmittal.


  4. Who has the authority to cancel or change a directive? A change to or a cancellation of a directive must be signed and issued only by the same level of management that signed the original directive, or by higher-level management.

  5. Is the process any different from clearing an original directive? No. The provisions in this Handbook dealing with format, clearance, processing, etc. also apply when changing, revising, or canceling a directive.

Related Sites:

Department of Transportation Orders
FHWA Legislation and Regulations
Plain Language

Chapter 6 | Table of Contents

Page last modified on October 19, 2015
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000