The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is undergoing a national effort to improve feasibility study execution and to modernize the planning process as part of the Corps’ Civil Works Transformation. New feasibility studies are aiming to follow a “3x3x3” rule - study timeframe of three years, at a cost of $3 million, utilizing 3 levels of vertical team coordination, and of a "reasonable" report size.
To achieve these goals, the Corps has developed the SMART Planning program; SMART Planning is:
S: Specific
M: Measurable
A: Attainable
R: Risk Informed
T: Timely
In order to comply with these national efforts, the Delta Management portion of the LCA Mississippi River Hydrodynamic and Delta Management Study is currently undergoing a rescoping effort to identify ways to save time and cut costs under the new Corps of Engineers SMART Planning directives. Upon completion of the rescoping effort, the Project Development Team will outline the new goals, major tasks, timeline, and cost of the Delta Management Study.
For more information on the SMART Planning process, please visit:
http://planning.usace.army.mil/toolbox/smart.cfm