Planned Special Events: Cost Management and Cost Recovery Primer

1. Report No.

FHWA-HOP-09-028

2. Government Accession No.

3. Recipient's Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

Planned Special Events: Cost Management and Cost Recovery Primer

5. Report Date

April 2009

6. Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s)

Jonathan Skolnik (JFA), Diana Stern (JFA), Rami Chami (JFA), Alexander Lane (JFA), C.S. "Bud" Kulesza, and Matthew Walker (DEA)

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Jack Faucett and Associates
4550 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 300N, Bethesda, Maryland 20814

C.S. Bud Kulesza, CMA, CFM
11613 Hollister Dr.
Austin, Texas 78739

Dunn Engineering Associates
66 Main St., Westhampton Beach, New York 11978

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH61-06-D-00005, T-08-005

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Operations
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

HOTO, HOP, US DOT

15. Supplementary Notes

Ms. Laurel Radow, COTM, FHWA Office of Operations. Report was performed under contract to Science Applications International Corporation.

16. Abstract

This purpose of this primer is to aid jurisdictions and agencies, especially Departments of Transportation, with identifying and managing the costs of planned special events (PSEs) and forming policy for cost recovery. Cost management—the effective, overarching control of an organization's finances—is a part of general management and creates accountability and transparency within the budget. Currently, in most cities the management of planned special events is fragmented across multiple agencies, and the costs and benefits of such events are not usually quantified or reported in any manner. The strategies and examples provided herein are meant to inform the reader on the basics of cost management and cost recovery, thereby facilitating more knowledgeable decision-making and encouraging further discussion among jurisdictions, agencies, and departments.

17. Key Words

Planned special events, PSE, Cost Management, Cost Recovery

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions.

19. Security Classification (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classification (of this page)

Unclassified

21. No of Pages

75

22. Price

N/A