WORK PLAN GUIDELINES
FOR THE
(9
NATIONWIDE URBAN RUNOFF PROGRAM
Water Planning Division
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
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WORK PLAN GUIDELINES
FOR THE
NATIONWIDE URBAN RUNOFF PROGRAM
Water Planning Division
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
-------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
Appendix
Figure
6-1
Page
PREFACE ii
PROJECT OVERVIEW 1-1
INTRODUCTION 2-1
DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA 3-1
METHOD OF APPROACH 4-1
QUALITY ASSURANCE 5-1
SCHEDULE 6-1
PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES 7-1
RESOURCES 8-1
A-l
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Schedule for Street Cleaning Demonstration
Project 6-2
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PREFACE
The purpose of these guidelines is to help insure uniformity among
the work plans being submitted by the 208 agencies participating in the
Nationwide Urban Runoff Program (NURP). Therefore, all agencies should
follow the content and format of these guidelines when drawing up their
own designated prototype project work plans. The material should be
presented as indicated in the Table of Contents, and these guidelines
have been organized the same way. The remainder of this preface will
deal with the front matter of the work plan, and each subsequent sec-
tion of these guidelines will indicate what should be included in the
corresponding section of the work plan. It is recognized that the sub-
mitted work plans will differ in content and depth due to differences
in what is to be accomplished, project scope and funding, phasing and
duration of the contemplated effort. However, the need to be able to
compare work plans from all across the country, minimize unnecessary
duplication, determine the likelihood of meeting national objectives,
and measure progress against plans requires that work plans be organ-
ized uniformly. Therefore, deviations from these guidelines can only
be permitted on an exception basis.
Cover. The work plan cover should indicate the project title, prep-
aration date, name of the grantee (who the project is being done for),
and who will actually be performing the work. Other information and
design and layout are at the discretion of the preparer.
Title Page. The title page will simply present the information con-
tained on the cover minus any art work, logos, etc. In addition, it
should indicate who actually prepared the work plan.
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Signature Page. This is the approval sheet of the work plan. Its
organization is optional, but provision should be made for signatures
and dates by all designated responsible parties, including USEPA re-
gional and headquarters project officers.
Preface. Optional. May be used for any special acknowledgements,
statements of cooperation, etc.
Table of Contents. Should follow that of these guidelines.
List of Figures. Use if figures are included in the work plan.
List of Tables. Use if tables are included in the work plan.
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I. PROJECT OVERVIEW
This section of the work plan serves as an executive summary of the
material to follow. It should be brief and to the point. The overview
should highlight the "why", "where", "what", "when", and "who" of the
project. It is important that the project overview also address anti-
cipated problem areas and plans for overcoming same. A paragraph on
risk assessment should be included to provide the reader with a feel
for the likelihood of meeting project objectives. If desired, sub-
sections following the work plan format may be used as a method of or-
ganizing the overview, but alternatives are acceptable. The important
thing is that all key aspects of the work plan are covered.
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II. INTRODUCTION
This section should begin with a brief background discussion to set
the stage for the project to be conducted. A brief summary of existing
data may be given here if appropriate. This is the place in the work
plan to present the "why" of the project. Therefore, the project back-
ground should be followed by a problem statement/assessment. This dis-
cussion should crystallize the need for the project to the reader and
will be used to evaluate the elements of the work plan to follow.
The principal objective of the project should be presented next
along with any secondary objectives to be achieved. These project ob-
jectives should be carefully formulated, since they represent a prin-
cipal measuring stick against which the method of approach will be
evaluated. As an example, the principal objective of a street sweeping
project might be to compare the effectiveness of various street cleaning
programs in reducing urban runoff pollution. Secondary objectives might
include beneficial impacts on air .quality, investigation of the mass
balance relationships of street surface contaminants through various
sections of the stormwater drainage system, a study of public reaction
to on-street parking restrictions, etc. The project objectives should
be clearly stated and related to the needs set forth earlier in this
section. The pursuit of interesting but nonessential bypaths is
strongly discouraged. Keep in mind that the designated prototype pro-
jects are not research efforts; they are to provide information upon
which meaningful implementation plans can be based.
This section should be concluded with a scope of work that clearly
delineates what is and is not to be considered a part of the project.
This is especially important in view of the fact that CPP efforts will
be proceeding in parallel with the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program.
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III. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA
This section is the place in the work plan to address the "where"
of the project. It should provide a description of those aspects of
the study area that are germane to the project such as population and
demographic data; climatic information; geological, topographical,
and hydrological data; land use and receiving water information; and
so on. The actual scope of the project will determine which character-
istics should be included in the description. Using the street sweep-
ing evaluation as an example, the characteristics of the basin that need
to be described are: condition and type of present sewage system, traf-
fic conditions, construction activities on-going, road surface type and
condition, etc. Include any information on the receiving waters af-
fected by the project, including any statistics on present water qual-
ity. Charts, maps, photographs, and any other illustrative information
could be useful here.
It is important that this section not only justify the selection
of the study area from a local perspective, but that it also present
the advantages the selected study area offers from a regional and nation-
wide viewpoint. With regard to data transferability, it would be help-
ful if similar areas within the planning district are delineated and
others within (or even outside) the region are noted if such information
is reasonably available.
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IV. METHOD OF APPROACH
This section will comprise the bulk of the work plan in that it
must present the "what" of the project in sufficient detail to con-
vince a knowledgeable reader that there is a high likelihood that pro-
ject objectives can be met if the work plan is followed. Project
execution should be broken down into a series of logical tasks (they
may be parallel as well as serial), each with its own identified sub-
objective and implementation plan. Task interrelationship's should
be delineated and any critical dependencies noted. For larger, more
complex projects, consideration should be given to including a depend-
ency network in the work plan. An estimate of the manpower required
and the time required for completion of each task should be given as
well as a summary discussion of what is involved in its execution.
As an abbreviated illustration, the following sample of the Method
of Approach for a street sweeping evaluation project is presented.
What follows is suggestive, not exhaustive. Other tasks might be in-
cluded, and task discussions are far from complete.
TASK 1. WORK PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
OBJECTIVE. To dzveZop a dAan
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TASK 2. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND LABORATORY SET-UP.
OBJECTIVE. To piovi.de. a. &tata>tic.aJLLi] baAnd e.x.peAA.me.ntaŁ
to 064 (till tkat the. planntd & ample, nimbeA and fae.que.ncy asie. apptio-
psiiate., that ptiopzsi pasiam&teA 4eŁecŁton -it, made., that any con-
fjcundcng vasu,a.bŁeA one. -ide.nti^ed and accounted ^on., and that the.
data. gathe/Ung and axiaJiybiA e^oAXi wJM- be AatiA factory.
DISCUSSION. A general description of what this involves would be
given. In this task discussion, a description of the types of equipment
to be used and why they were selected would be appropriate. For this
task it would be important to present an analysis showing how the number
of subsamples necessary to describe the condition of the study area
would be determined. This would involve a discussion of the statistical
procedures used to determine the number of samples (n) necessary as a
function of the allowable error or uncertainty. If possible, illustrate
the discussion by going through sample problems with given numbers. If
the information can be portrayed through graphical methods, this is
strongly encouraged.
This discussion would also include a list of the parameters to be
analyzed, with a provision for adding or deleting parameters if the on-
going study finds this necessary. This task description lends itself
to including graphs and charts detailing pollutants to be analyzed and
the respective percentages of allowable error or the estimated number
of samples required for various percentages of allowable error. This
discussion would also include summary information on laboratory proce-
dures and techniques to be used, calculations for determining the re-
quired number of samples or the required frequency of street sweeping,
and any relevant information gathered in past studies that is necessary
for an explanation of the proposed study design and procedures. Provide
manpower and time estimates.
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TASK 3. FULL-SCALE TESTS.
OBJECTIVE. To Qotk&i acAuat A&i&nt 4weep-cng data. to attow c.om
pasuAonA ofi tkn e.&fie.ctiveneAA oft vaiiouA bttuizt cŁean^.ng
to be mode.
DISCUSSION. Since this task is a major element of the evaluation
project, a large amount of effort might well be devoted to its imple-
mentation. Included in the discussion would be a listing of the types
of sweepers to be used and the various frequencies for each type. The
narrative would contain any information on the handling of the equipment,
maintenance and operation, and manufacturer's involvement. Institu-
tional considerations, parking bans, public involvement, etc., would be
discussed. A summary is also needed on how the data collected will be
used to compare the effectiveness of the various street cleaning pro-
grams. Provide manpower and time estimates.
TASK 4. PARTICULATE ROUTING AND MASS BALANCES.
OBJECTIVE. To ^investigate. AoLLdb x.ouŁing and a&AOdiate.d mat>A
tke. &tn.
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TASK 5. TREATABLITY AND ECONOMIC EVALUATION.
OBJECTIVE. To de^teAmcne. tke. ovvwJUL e.^e.ctivweAA o mana.gme.nt,
cott conAsideAotLonA, ui&titv&ionoJL fiacto/ii>, and both poApe,ctt> oft pubtic SLe.acti.on.
DISCUSSION. The discussion would describe in detail the costing
model to be used, including accounting procedures and assumptions.
Terms such as Return on Net Investment (RONI) and Discounted Cash Flow
(DCF) would be carefully defined to avoid ambiguity. The various data
analyses to be performed would be detailed, including descriptions of
anticipated conditions to be encountered in the study and how they will
be accounted for in the analyses, (e.g., parked cars, varied traffic,
leaf removal, etc.). Cost-effectiveness parameters to be used would be
described, e.g. dollars per pound removed from street surfaces vs re-
ceiving water by constituent of interest, etc.
Plans for gathering and analyzing residuals management data would
be included, and projected impacts of the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) would be accounted for. The discussion would pre-
sent plans for measuring and analyzing public reaction to the project,
including examples of questionaires where appropriate. Provide man-
power and time estimates.
TASK 6. FUGITIVE PARTICULATE LOSSES
OBJECTIVE. To de^teAmine. a-Uiboinz. fag-itive. pafiticutate. envc
VOAA.OUA combination* oŁ i.nfitu.znci.ng
4-4
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DISCUSSION. The project methodology for accounting for fugitive
dust would be described. Included would be a discussion of the antic-
ipated variables to be encountered, the estimated importance of their
effects on fugitive particle emission rates and their variabilities,
and any possible synergistic or antagonistic effects. Provide manpower
and time estimates.
TASK 7. PROJECT REVIEW MEETINGS.
QBJECTIl/E. To coordinate. pn.ojQ.ct implementation among aJUL -in-
volved panties, ievj,ew ptogte^* , allow faon. public pa/iticpation,
and pt.ovx.de a foiim faon. oAAeAtment and midcouAAe. connection a&
waAAonted.
DISCUSSION. This task area would be included in any work plan re-
gardless of the subject of investigation. Included would be a discus-
sion of all necessary meetings, plans for scheduling meetings, or actual
preliminary schedules as appropriate, and lists of participants for the
various types of meetings to be held during the course of the project.
Careful attention to plans for public participation meetings is appro-
priate. Include provisions for calling ad hoc meetings as situations
warrant. Provide manpower and cost estimates.
TASK 8. REPORTING.
QBJECTIl/E. To cleanly and concisely n.epont pn.ogn.eAA
>, communicate, &ndi.YiQt> , and t/ianA&eA technology
DISCUSSION. This task area would also be included in any work plan
regardless of the subject of study. The discussion would detail all
types of reports to be submitted as part of the effort, their frequency,
and distribution. What is to be included in each type of report (e.g.,
4-5
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monthly progress, fiscal, technical quarterly, annual, episodic, and
final reports) would be explicitly set forth. Annotated outlines of
each type of report would be especially useful here. Provide manpower
and cost estimates.
4-6
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V. QUALITY ASSURANCE
Quality assurance is so vital to all designated prototype projects
of the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program that a separate section of the
work plan should be devoted to it. Here is the place to detail sample
gathering and field techniques, sample preservation and handling proce-
dures, equipment calibration and cleaning protocols, laboratory analyt-
ical methods to be used, etc. An organization diagram showing how the
quality assurance effort fits in with the rest of the project would be
useful. Identify the quality assurance coordinator if possible. Use
the NURP Quality Assurance guidelines to assist in preparation of this
section of the work plan. This section should explain how quality as-
surance will be effected, identify laboratories to be used in sample
splitting, sources of performance check samples, and so forth, rather
than simply parroting back words from the guidelines. Provide separate
estimates of personnel and fiscal resources if at all feasible.
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VI. SCHEDULE
This section of the work plan addresses the "when" of the project.
A graphical presentation to accompany the narrative is desired. For
all but the most comply projects, a simple bar or Gnatt chart will
probably suffice. This should show each project task and its respec-
tive time frame over the life of the project. Monthly time intervals
are desired. The schedule should also indicate when outputs of each
task are expected. An example is given in Figure 6-1. Any project
particulars that might impact upon the schedule, such as receipt of
long lead time procurement items, should be shown separately. The nar-
rative of this section should summarize what is depicted graphically
including any trigger points for task initiation or completion, espe-
cially those that depend upon outputs from other tasks or that are out-
side the control of the project manager (e.g., start of the spring
rains).
6-1
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TASKS
1. WORK PLAN DEVELOPMENT
2. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND
LABORATORY SETUP
3. FULL-SCALE TESTS
SWEEPER
FLUSHER
SUEEPER/FLUSHER COMBINATION
REGENERATIVE AIR
STATE-OF-THE-ART SWEEPER
VACUUM
EXISTING PROGRAM
4. ROUTING AND MASS BALANCES
TRACER STUDIES
RUNOFF MEASUREMENTS
5. TREATABILITY/ECONOMIC
EVALUATION OF METHODS
6. FUGITIVE AIRBORNE
PARTICULATE EMISSIONS
7. PROJECT REVIEW MEETINGS
8. REPORTS
QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORTS
FINAL REPORT
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(AVERAGE MONTHLY
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VII. PERSONNEL AND FACILITIES
This section may be brief, but should address the "who" of the
project. Project participants should be identified, and roles and
responsibilities clearly set forth. Where the use of outside consult-
ants is contemplated, the name of the firm (if selected) and a brief
experience/capabilities summary should be included; otherwise indicate
the procedures to be used to select the consultant. Brief background
sketchs of key project personnel including any nonproject related as-
signments they will be given during the course of the project should
be given. Indicate the division or agency they are assigned to and
their tenure in their current positions.
This section of the work plan is the place to identify all equip-
ment and facilities that are to be used in the execution of the project.
For equipment not currently in inventory, indicate acquisition method-
ology and plans. Identify all key and special facilities required for
project implementation, analytical laboratories to be used, etc.
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VIII. RESOURCES
This section of the work plan should provide all budget information
pertinent to the project. Tables plus an explanatory narrative should
suffice for this purpose. The allocation of project resources should
include a breakdown by labor category and cost on a task basis. Cost
estimates should be specific and reasonably complete, including person-
nel, travel, computer time, equipment and supplies, laboratory fees,
etc.
A summary for the overall project should be included. It should
contain a planned expenditure chart against which actual spending can
be compared with plans.
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APPENDICES
Appendices may be used for material that would otherwise clutter
the main body of the work plan. Examples might include detailed pres-
entations of prior data, letters of agreement or cooperation, technical
derivations, or descriptions of computer programs, models, and the like.
Use of the appendices is optional, and only material that is germane
to the understanding of the work plan should be included.
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