LOUISIANA’S LOCAL PUBLIC AGENCY (LPA) TEAM INTERACTED WITH PEERS FROM FIVE OTHER STATES DURING THE VIRTUAL LPA PEER EXCHANGE THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY FHWA IN OCTOBER 2020.
Among the Louisiana’s team members were: Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) Local Public Assistance (LPA) Programs Director Tanya Moore; FHWA Project Delivery Team Leader Mary Stringfellow; and LTAP Director Steve Strength. They were joined by staff members from respective FHWA divisions and Department of Transportation (DOT) offices in Georgia, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico and Washington. Each state DOT administers the LPA program to ensure systematic planning and delivery of highway projects that receive federal FHWA and state DOT funding.
The two-day virtual exchange allowed the LPA peers to learn from each other’s experiences in managing the LPA program, which included insights into training challenges, project successes, program opportunities, and future plans. All six states had one thing in common—a proven success in FHWADOTD-LTAP collaboration. Like others, Louisiana takes a great deal of pride in it because LTAP works closely with DOTD and FHWA in providing technical assistance and training to the municipalities, cities, and parishes that receive federal and state highway funds.
It was shared among the peers that there have been a few hurdles in terms of risk assessment processes, program evaluations, and project closeouts, but they also looked into future opportunities. These included regular updating of the LPA manuals, implementing of electronic contract signing, providing virtual courses, implementing certification and recertification programs, producing step-by-step videos, and leveraging training resources. Learn more about Louisiana’s LPA training program.