FHWA Resource Center
RC Success Stories
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
Your Link To Successful Solutions For Today's Transportation
MAY 2001
2 FOR THE ROAD
A DOUBLE SAFETY SOLUTION
Unified Certification Program Forum Hits The Target
The Southern Resource Center (SRC) Civil Rights Team (Teresa Banks, Director and Mary Jane Daluge, Specialist) sponsored a first-of-its-kind forum to advance the Unified Certification Program (UCP) in the SRC's area. It was jointly planned with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
This successful forum was held March 21-22 in Atlanta, Georgia to assist the states in the SRC's area to meet a major new Federal requirement that was issued by the United States Department Of Transportation (USDOT) (Disadvantage Business Enterprise regulations at 49 CFR Part 26).
The new regulation requires that all DOT recipients who receive funds from the FAA, FHWA and FTA must sign an agreement to establish a UCP for certifying minority and women-owned firms in their state. This "One-Stop" program must be submitted to USDOT for approval by March 4, 2002.
The UCP Forum's Objectives:
- Provide information to DOT recipients on UCP requirements.
- Share information on lessons learned in developing a UCP.
- Bring program partners responsible for certification together to identify issues and discuss strategies to advance the development of a UCP.
The forum was attended by approximately 200 participants representing State DOT's, airport, rail and port, transit authorities, cities and counties, as well as FHWA, FTA and FAA. This forum proved to be a catalyst to get participants started on their UCP. It helped attendees identify obstacles and issues that may occur in their development of a UCP.
These barriers fell into three general categories: organization, communication, and funding/resources. After identifying barriers, the attendees were tasked with finding methods to overcome them in a state action plan.
The SRC's Civil Rights team, FAA and FTA really hit the target with their effort. On a scale of 1-5 (five being excellent), the forum scored a 4.09 average. A UPC forum is highly recommended for other regions in the United States since the March 4, 2002 deadline is fast approaching.
Expected Outcomes
- Agreements reached on issues and strategies that need to be addressed in UCP development.
- Each state will formulate an approach to advance the UCP process.
- A brief action plan (by state) is developed to follow-up on UCP process with responsible persons and time frames
If you would like to receive a detail copy of the UCP Froum's Report or other Civil Rights assistance, please contact:
Teresa A. Banks: 404-562-3592 or Mary Jane Daluge: 404.562.3915
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