Title Page

The title page should follow the Transportation Agency procedures or style guide. At a minimum, it should contain the following information:

• OPERATION & MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR THE [insert name of system]
• The organization responsible for preparing the document
• Internal document control number, if available
• Revision version and date issued

1.0 Purpose of Document

This section identifies the scope and purpose of the O & M Plan. It explains how it fits in with related documents such as the Configuration Management Plan, operating manuals, and maintenance manuals. Included is a brief description of the system being operated and maintained. Also covered are its stakeholders, such as agencies and departments within agencies that rely on its successful operation. The system description should list all the system elements that are the subject of this document, including auxiliary equipment and facilities such as any special air conditioning, communications links, special lighting, and/or special furniture.

2.0 Facilities and Resources

This section identifies the facilities and resources to be used for system operation and maintenance. It should cover at least the following elements:

• Personnel, including positions, general qualifications, and specialty skills needed and a percentage of time dedicated to system operation or maintenance, if not full time.
• Building space, including for example, rooms and space within rooms, also specialty areas such as: workshops, raised floors, additional air conditioning, additional power, and communications trunks.
• Furniture, equipment, and tools.
• Training needed for operations & maintenance personnel, including off-site courses, on-site courses, and hands-on training on the system itself.
• Funding, including the amount needed each year and sources. Attempt to predict future costs, including unusual items such as end-of-life replacement.

3.0 Operations

This section describes policies and high-level procedures governing operation of the system. Minimally, it should address the activities described in the project’s Concept of Operations and any other activities needed to achieve the project’s objectives.

In general, the following information should be included in this section:

• A clear statement of system operation goals and expectations
• Hours of operation [if not continuous] or the conditions that trigger the commencement and termination of intermittent system operation
• Automated processes involved in system operation
• Operation activities [including monitoring of automated processes] needing human involvement and the personnel responsible for each
• Backup facilities, personnel, and procedures for invoking use of backups
• Interaction and coordination needed with other systems and personnel, including policies for decision making, overrides, and notification in the event of competing interests
• Special procedures and interactions which apply in the event of major emergencies
• Parameters used to monitor the effectiveness of system operation. Also, how those data are to be collected and reported
• Policies on security, covering access to the system [e.g., log in/out, password management, remote access, and firewalls.], and fire and safety.
• Procedures related to system health monitoring and reporting, initiation of maintenance actions, and hand-off between operation and maintenance personnel at both the start and end of maintenance actions
• Policies regarding data collection and archiving, including what data are to be stored for how long
• Policies regarding privacy, such as restrictions on the use of cameras and recording of information that may be able to identify individuals
• Policies regarding visits, telephone inquiries, and other interactions with interested parties such as other ITS professionals, researchers, news reporters, and the public
• Construction activities that must precede deployment
• Deployment of interfacing systems [especially by other agencies] that must precede deployment of a system feature
• The need to create a viable operational capability at each stage of the deployment. This influences how much of the system must be deployed at each step

Following the statement of the goals and objectives, a high level view of the deployment strategy is presented. This covers and describes each phase of deployment at each of the sites involved. It describes what is deployed. Where it is deployed. What operational capabilities are the results of this phase of the deployment? It ties the plan to the previously identified goals and objectives. So, the stakeholders can understand the rationale for each phase. This summary should include an estimate of the cost of each phase to show that the plan satisfies the funding profile and should show the overall deployment schedule.

4.0 Maintenance

This section describes policies and high-level procedures governing maintenance of the system. It should address both proactive [preventive] and reactive [corrective] activities needed to keep the system fully operational.

In general, the following information should be included in this section:

• Preventive maintenance activities and the time schedule or other triggers for each activity
• Corrective maintenance activities, the relative urgency of each, and the maximum target response and correction times for each type of fault
• Policies with regard to purchase of spare equipment, manufacturer or vendor maintenance agreements or extended warranties, and third party maintenance contracts
• Parameters used to monitor the effectiveness of system maintenance, and how those data are to be collected and reported
• Procedures for coordination with operations personnel and activities
• Demarcation of responsibilities relative to maintenance by other parties and procedures for coordination with personnel responsible for interconnected systems or components that are not part of this system

Appendix

A list of the names and contact information of personnel currently assigned to system operation and maintenance. Include the names and contact information of personnel in other parts of the organization or in other organizations, including emergency response services, with which system operations & maintenance personnel must interact.