Project Milestones

Description

This screen is used to view the important dates, both estimated and actual, surrounding a specific project. The screen is divided into three columns:

1) MPMS Estimated – These dates are copied from MPMS based on the Lead MPMS Number associated with the project. They cannot be edited in ECMS. If MPMS does not contain data for a given milestone, the field is left blank.
2) ECMS Anticipated – These date fields are open for entry to authorized users.
3) ECMS Actual – These date fields are written to the Project Milestones table by the system when the corresponding event occurs.

For example, when bids for the project are opened, the Actual column of the Let Date field is filled with the bid opening date. However, not all milestones have a corresponding 'actual' date in ECMS. For example, the design approval, utility clearance, environmental clearance, and right of way clearance milestones are never updated with an actual date by ECMS.

Note: If the system fills a date more than once, for example, if a project is re-advertised after all bids are rejected, the new dates overwrite the old ones. ECMS only retains one ‘actual’ date for each applicable project milestone.

The Project Milestones screen provides part of the Project Information functionality and is accessed from the Go links on the Project Information screen or from the status link on the Project Letting Status screen.

Fields

Field Name	State	Description
Environmental Clearance	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that the necessary Environmental Clearance for the project will be obtained.
Design Approval	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that the Design will be approved. In the ECMS Actual column, this date represents the date that the corresponding Project Development Checklist item was marked as Complete.
Utility Clearance	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that the Utility Clearance will be approved.
Right of Way Clearance	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that the Right of Way Clearance Certificate will be approved.
Paper Let Date	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	This field is only displayed when the Project Type is "Emergency Partial ECMS" or "Local Partial ECMS". The user enters the date that the paper bids for the project were opened in this field.
Paper DBE/MBE/WBE Approval Date	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	This field is only displayed when the Project Type is "Emergency Partial ECMS" or "Local Partial ECMS". The user enters the date that the DBE Goal or MBE/WBE MPLs for the project were approved on paper. Note: If the DBE/MBE/WBE processes are to be handled off-line in paper form for the project, the BOD CMD Chief user group must still 'approve' the goal/MPL in ECMS (0%). Once this is done, the online minority participation, payment, and goal attainment functions will not be available for the project.
Paper Contract Award Date	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	This field is only displayed when the Project Type is "Emergency Partial ECMS" or "Local Partial ECMS". The user enters the date that the contract was awarded off-line.
Paper Contract Execution	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	This field is only displayed when the Project Type is "Emergency Partial ECMS" or "Local Partial ECMS". The user enters the date that the contract was executed off-line.
Let Date	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that the bids for the project will be opened. Functions that check the anticipated let date prior to its approval (e.g., the Project Letting Schedule screen) use the ECMS anticipated column of this milestone. The Let Date must be approved by the BOD Contract Management Division before the project can be advertised. Once the let date is approved, this field is protected, and the Let Date can only be changed by first disapproving the Let Date on the Project Letting Schedule screen (if project has not been advertised). In the ECMS Actual column, this date represents the date that the bids are actually opened. This date is written to the Project Milestones table by the Open Bids program. The actual date represents the date the Project Status changed from Advertised to Pre-Award.
Advertisement Date	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that the project will be advertised. In the ECMS Actual column, this date represents the date that the bid package is published (i.e., the project is advertised for bidding). If the project has more than one bid package, for example, if it is re-advertised after all bids are rejected, this will be the most recent date. The actual date represents the date the project status was updated from Design or Review Bid Package to Advertised.
Contract Awarded	ECMS Actual – Display Only	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that the contract will be awarded. In the ECMS Actual column, this date represents the date that the contract is awarded and sent for review/signature to the apparent low bidder. This is the date the project status changes from Pre-Award to Award. Note: For "Partial ECMS" projects (Emergency or Local), the date in the ECMS Actual column is updated by the system when the contract is 'accepted' in ECMS. From a business perspective, this may not be the date that is the actual 'award' date, because the formal award is handled off-line in paper form.
Contract Executed	ECMS Actual – Display Only	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that the contract will be executed. In the ECMS Actual column, this date represents the date that the contract is executed. This is the date the project status changes from Award to Pre-Construction. Note: For "Partial ECMS" projects (Emergency or Local), the date in the ECMS Actual column is updated by the system when the contract is 'accepted' in ECMS. From a business perspective, this may not be the date that is the actual 'execution' date, because the formal contract execution is handled off-line in paper form.
Notice to Proceed Issued	ECMS Actual – Display Only	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated) that the Notice to Proceed is will be issued. When the user requests the Notice to Proceed be issued (which may be for a future date), the system writes the date to the Actual column. This is the date the project status changes from Pre-Construction to NTP Issued. Note: For "Partial ECMS" projects (Emergency or Local), the date in the ECMS Actual column is updated by the system when the notice to proceed is processed in ECMS. From a business perspective, this may not be the date that is the actual 'NTP' date, because the formal Notice to Proceed is handled off-line in paper form.
Notice to Proceed Date	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that Notice to Proceed for the project will be issued. For "Partial ECMS" (Emergency and Local) projects, the user may enter the date the actual NTP was issued. In the ECMS Actual column, this date represents the date that the notice to proceed is actually issued. For "Partial ECMS" projects, this is the date the NTP was issued in ECMS and may differ from the actual date the contractor received notice to proceed (which occurs off-line for these projects). The value in the ECMS Actual column for this date is written to the Project Milestones table by the Batch Issue NTP program. The date represents the date the Project Status changed from NTP Issued to Construction. The ECMS Anticipated column of this field is protected when the project is in Award status and a Contract exists, as well as when the project is in Pre-Construction, NTP Issued, Construction, Post-Construction, or Final status. Note: Before the project can be submitted for QA review or published, this field must contain a valid date.
Physical Work Complete	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that the physical work for the project will be completed. If no MPMS Estimated or ECMS Anticipated dates exist, these columns are blank. In the ECMS Actual column, this date represents the date that the Acceptance Certificate is approved. The ECMS Anticipated column of this field is protected when the project is in Award status and a Contract exists, as well as when the project is in Pre-Construction, NTP Issued, Construction, Post-Construction, or Final status. When the Contract for the project is executed, the system subtracts the value in the ECMS Anticipated column of the NTP Issued date from the value in the ECMS Anticipated column of this date (and adds one day) to calculate the "Original Completion Days". At the same time, the Original Completion Date is set to the value in this field. Because the system uses the Anticipated NTP date rather than the Actual NTP date to calculate the Original Completion Days, a Time Extension may be required if the dates differ. Note: A valid date must exist in the ECMS Anticipated column before the project can be advertised. Once advertised, the date in the anticipated column is written to the bid package as the "Required Completion Date" and is used to calculate the Original Project Days when the contract is executed.
Acceptance Certificate Approved by PENNDOT	ECMS Anticipated – Editable	The estimated date (MPMS and ECMS Anticipated columns) that the project will be accepted. If no MPMS Estimated or ECMS Anticipated dates exist, these columns are blank. In the ECMS Actual column, this is the date the Acceptance Certificate is approved and the Project Status changes from Construction to Post-Construction.
Project Updated to Final Status	ECMS Anticipated - Editable	The estimated date that the project will be finalized. In the ECMS Actual column, this date is written by the system when the project status is updated to Final.
Go Links	Selectable	This drop-down list allows the user to select a destination screen to which they want to navigate. This field is used in conjunction with the Go button and performs a function similar to ‘fast pathing’ in a mainframe environment.

Actions

Action	Description
? (icon)	When the user clicks this icon, they are taken to the screen’s “Tell Me About” Help document, which provides a brief screen description, a definition of each field, and a definition of each ‘action’ (link, button, icon).
Up/Down Arrows (icon)	When the user clicks the up arrow at the top left corner of the display, they are taken to the top of the screen view. When the user clicks the down arrow at the top left corner of the display, they are taken to the bottom of the screen view. TIP: The function buttons such as BACK, EDIT, and SAVE are always located at the extreme bottom of the screen. Use the down arrow to quickly move to the buttons you need.
Calendar/Clock (icon)	When the user clicks this icon, the ECMS Date Selection Tool is displayed in a separate browser window. By default, the current month and year are displayed. The user selects the day portion of the date by clicking the day on the calendar display. The date is populated to the screen field in mm/dd/yyyy format.
Go (button)	When the user clicks this button, the destination screen they selected from the Go Links drop-down field is displayed.
Back (button)	When the user clicks this button, they are returned to the previous screen in the browser history.
Edit (button)	When the user clicks this button, the screen switches to edit mode. The button is only displayed when the user has edit authority and only when the screen is in read mode.
Save (button)	When the user clicks this button, any changes to the screen are saved to the database, and a message is displayed informing the user that the save was successful. When the user clicks OK on the message box, control remains on this screen.

Related Help Documents

Topic	Help Document
Navigation	How Do I View Project Milestones

Created by
Joseph D Howe/PennDOT on 03/16/2005 at 10:55:07 AM