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Transportation for Communities - Advancing Projects Through Partnerships


Partner Portal

Essential Information

If you are a new TCAPP user, the Partner Portal provides essential information on the collaborative partnership that is the basis for TCAPP.

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
State Department of Transportation (DOT)
Resource Agency

Who makes transportation decisions? What do they care about? What are their roles? These questions are essential to collaboration - find the answers on the Partner Portal.

Partners and Stakeholders

TCAPP makes a very clear distinction between partners and stakeholders:

  • Partners are those agencies with federally-mandated decision-making authority: the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), resource agencies, and state departments of transportation (DOTs). Partners must share their decision-making authority, or collaboration will not work.
  • Stakeholders are any agencies, organizations or individuals that do not have a mandated decision making authority. Stakeholders include those who are impacted or otherwise interested in the outcome of the process, and their input is a necessary and invaluable part of collaborative decision making.

Adding Partners

While TCAPP has been designed with the four identified partners in mind, it is important to recognize that these may not represent the full range of partners who may be involved in decision making on a given plan, program, or project. For example, a particular process might require decision-making involvement from a unit of local government or from a funding partner (such as a non-profit organization) or implementation partner (such as a transit agency). In defining whether these types of agencies or organizations are "partners" rather than "stakeholders" it is necessary to consider their decision making authority. Is approval from these agencies required, and if their approval is not attained would that cause the plan/project to automatically fail? It is very important that all participating agencies/individuals understand their roles as either partners (with decision-making authority at some point within the process) or stakeholders (with an advisory role throughout the process).

How do I add a new partner?

To add a new partner to decision making using TCAPP:

  • Identify the new partner interests for each phase in which they will participate
  • Establish the partner’s role at each key decision based on the interests
  • Identify the questions, data, tools and technologies that are necessary for their interests to be considered and addressed
  • Reach consensus with all partners on this change in decision making authority
  • Alert stakeholders to this change in the partnership as soon as practical

For more understanding of Stakeholders and their roles within TCAPP see "How do Stakeholders Collaborate?"

Partner Interests

In order to collaborate, it is essential that each agency understand what other partners care about. Each partner has a set of specific interests that guides their involvement in transportation decision making. These interests relate to the agency’s mission and authority within transportation decision making.

A summary of each agency’s interests is presented below. Detailed information on the interests of each partner can be found by clicking on the agency’s name, or, click here for a full printable table of interests PDF Icon.

The Federal Highway Administration has a primary interest in ensuring that transportation plans and projects are collaborative and inclusive, and that decisions meet legal and regulatory requirements, are consistently applied, and represent a wise use of public funds.

Metropolitan Planning Organizations have an interest in ensuring that long-range transportation plans and corridor plans address the community’s vision and needs and incorporate all legally required elements, and that programming/funding decisions are consistent with plans, legal requirements, and the desires of the community.

State Departments of Transportation are interested in ensuring that transportation decisions are consistent with statewide needs and policies, meet legal requirements, consider maintenance and operations issues, wisely use public funds, and are inclusive of the public.

Resource Agencies are primarily interested in ensuring that conservation planning is considered to the greatest extent possible, and  that the environmental review process is carried out properly and in accordance with environmental regulations.

Partner Roles

There are four possible roles for partners at each key decision in the Decision Guide: 

decision maker role Decision Maker

The agency (or agencies) that acts as the lead for the key decision or has a requirement to take legal action as part of the decision-making process.  This partner has the ability to stop the process if the interests of the agency are not being adequately met at this key decision.  Example: MPOs are the decision makers in the key decision LRP-9 (Adopt Finding of Conformity by MPO).

advisor role Advisor

A decision-making partner that provides input and feedback at the key decision, including indications of support or opposition to the decision and any particular issues of concern.  While this partner cannot stop the process at this key decision, their feedback and support may be critical to avoid revisiting issues or decisions in future key decisions where the advising agency is the decision maker.  Example: State DOTs are advisors for key decision PRO-3 (Approve Project List Drawn from Adopted Plan Scenario or Solution Set).

observer role Observer

A decision-making partner with limited involvement in a key decision.  An observer is invited to participate in the process and kept updated for informational purposes, but does not provide substantive input or direction at the key decision.  Example: FHWA is an observer at key decision COR-5 (Approve Evaluation Criteria, Methodology, and Performance Measures).

no role No Role

A decision-making partner has no interest in the key decision because the resulting action is outside the role/involvement of its agency.  Example: resource agencies have no role in the key decision LRP-5 (Approve Financial Assumptions).

The role of each partner changes from one key decision to another, as well as between phases.  TCAPP identifies the role of each partner at each key decision, and multiple partners can often have the same role on a key decision.  This represents a true sharing of decision making authority across the transportation process.  Understanding these partner roles and how they change throughout the process is essential to ensuring successful collaboration.  In cases where this partnership is expanded to bring in additional partners beyond the four identified in TCAPP, it is very important to identify and document the interests and roles of these additional partners at each key decision, using the existing information in TCAPP as a guide.

For Further Information…

For additional information about the roles and interests of each partner in transportation decision making, and to access other information tailored to each partner’s interests, see the individual agency pages listed below.  

We invite your comments/concerns about this website and its contents. Please send us an email at transportationforcommunities@gmail.com.