CFR > Title 23 - Highways > CHAPTER I—FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION > SUBCHAPTER B—PAYMENT PROCEDURES (parts 140 to 192) > PART 172—ADMINISTRATION OF ENGINEERING AND DESIGN RELATED SERVICE CONTRACTS > 172.9—Approvals.

172.9—Approvals.

(a) Written procedures. The contracting agency shall prepare written procedures for each method of procurement it proposes to utilize. These written procedures and all revisions shall be approved by the FHWA for recipients of federal funds. Recipients shall approve the written procedures and all revisions for their subrecipients. These procedures shall, as appropriate to the particular method of procurement, cover the following steps:
(1) In preparing a scope of work, evaluation factors and cost estimate for selecting a consultant;
(2) In soliciting proposals from prospective consultants;
(3) In the evaluation of proposals and the ranking/selection of a consultant;
(4) In negotiation of the reimbursement to be paid to the selected consultant;
(5) In monitoring the consultant's work and in preparing a consultant's performance evaluation when completed; and
(6) In determining the extent to which the consultant, who is responsible for the professional quality, technical accuracy, and coordination of services, may be reasonably liable for costs resulting from errors or deficiencies in design furnished under its contract.
(b) Contracts. Contracts and contract settlements involving design services for projects that have not been delegated to the State under 23 U.S.C. 106(c), that do not fall under the small purchase procedures in § 172.5(a)(2), shall be subject to the prior approval by FHWA, unless an alternate approval procedure has been approved by FHWA.
(c) Major projects. Any contract, revision of a contract or settlement of a contract for design services for a project that is expected to fall under 23 U.S.C. 106(h) shall be submitted to the FHWA for approval.
(d) Consultant services in management roles. When Federal-aid highway funds participate in the contract, the contracting agency shall receive approval from the FHWA before hiring a consultant to act in a management role for the contracting agency.