Guide to Producing Successful Communications Products: Supplement to the Federal Highway Administration Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center R&D Communication Reference Guide

CHAPTER 1. PRODUCT GUIDE OVERVIEW

The Federal Highway Administration Office of Operations – Guide to Producing Successful Communications Products is a supplement to the FHWA's Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center R&D Communication Reference Guide and the FHWA Publication Style Guide. This guide provides an overview of the Offices of Operations (HOP), the Chief Counsel (HCC), and Public Affairs (HPA) approval processes. It also outlines printing and Web posting standards for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) HOP products. The standards within this guide should not be confused with other Federal government and agency guidelines, such as the Federal Highway Administration Correspondence Manual.

The Product Guide is intended for both HOP staff and contractors. The guide will greatly improve their knowledge of the process, thus improving the quality of the product.

The Product Guide contains eleven chapters that offer a step-by-step guide through the product approval processes and specifics on Federal government, agency, and HOP product standards and guidelines. The orders of the chapters reflect the step by step process that the Project Manager (PM) will follow from product conception throughout the approval process.

1. Chapter 1. Product Guide Overview.
2. Chapter 2. Form- FHWA-1113 Related to Acquisition Process. The HOP acquisitions process includes garnering HPA approval of Form FHWA-1113.
3. Chapter 3. Style Guidelines for All Products. This chapter offers an overview of agency and HOP style and formatting guidelines for all products.
4. Chapter 4. Technical Report Product Order of Elements. Agency guidelines direct that technical reports have mandatory and discretionary elements that will follow a certain sequence.
5. Chapter 5. Other Products Order of Elements. Non-technical report products often need to follow a certain sequence as well.
6. Chapter 6. Obtaining a Publication Number. Nearly all HOP products for external customers require an HOP-issued publication number supplied by the Information Specialist when the product is near final draft stage.
7. Chapter 7. Marketing and Outreach Coordinator and Information Specialist Reviews. Upon reviewing and approving a final draft of an HOP product, HOP Project Managers should then forward the material to HOP's Marketing and Outreach Coordinator and to the Information Specialist for their review. The Marketing and Outreach Coordinator reviews the product for editorial, public affairs, and risk-based content and the Information Specialist conducts an assessment of adherence to formatting guidelines.
8. Chapter 8. Office of the Chief Counsel Review. After an HOP product has been approved by the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator and the Information Specialist, the former forwards it on to the HCC to ensure that the product meets Good Guidance principles.
9. Chapter 9. Office of Public Affairs Approval Process. Once the HCC applies its seal of approval, the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator sends the HOP product to the HPA. This submittal represents a HOP endorsement that the product is ready as-is for public release.
10. Chapter 10. Government Publishing Office Process/Review. After the HPA approves a product, it can be provided to external audiences. In the modern digital world, not all HOP products are printed but this chapter will walk you through the process.
11. Chapter 11. Section 508-HTML compliant Web Package Process/Review. Until the HPA approves a product, a Contractor should not move forward with converting material to 508-HTML compliant material.
12. Appendix A. Sample Form FHWA-1113 "Clearance Request for Public Materials – Video, Print, Web, Social Media, or Multimedia." This is the "light bulb" form to be used when a project is in its conceptual phase. When the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator and the Office of Public Affairs staff sign off on the form, the approval form is uploaded into PRISM acquisitions software.
13. Appendix B. Project Manager Product Review Checklist. This "cheat sheet" is not a comprehensive listing of the required elements addressed in Chapters 4-6. Instead, it lists the most common mistakes currently made in producing a product.
14. Appendix C. Sample Form DOT F 1700.7 "Technical Report Documentation Page." This product abstract is provided to the National Institute of Standards and Technology and provides valuable background information regarding the report.
15. Appendix D. Samples of Disclaimer Notices. Disclaimers provide critical context to readers about product content.
16. Appendix E. Obtaining an Office of Operations Publications Number Form and Publication Categories. Request a publication number from the Information Specialist when you are nearing a final draft. If none of the standing publications categories suit your product, confer with the Information Specialist about adding another category.
17. Appendix F. Sample Acknowledgments Page. This appendix outlines the proper standards for writing an Acknowledgments Page.
18. Appendix G. Sample Form FHWA-1528 "Authorization to Proceed to Printing/Reprinting/Web Posting/Multimedia/Video Production." This form accompanies all products that are submitted to the Office of Public Affairs. The form requires the digital signatures of both the HOP PM and the Office Director (or his/her designee.)
19. Appendix H. Average Timeframe for the Office of Operations Product Review and the Office of the Chief Counsel and the Office of Public Affairs Approval Processes. To help the HOP PM plan ahead in developing a deliverables schedule, this appendix gives an idea of average anticipated timeframes for HOP/HCC/HPA review turnarounds and the printing and/or Web posting processes.

OFFICE OF OPERATIONS PRODUCT REVIEW KEY STAFF

Two members of the HOP Resource Team have primary oversight over these processes:

1. Information Specialist responsibilities include:
   • Providing Publication Number.
   • Assessing product formatting adherence to HOP and FHWA product guidelines.
   • Submitting Government Publishing Office (GPO) package to FHWA Office of Information and Management Services Publishing and Visual Communications Team.
   • Reviewing 508-HTML compliant Web package and posting to the Web.
   • Serving as HOP Liaison with the Office of Public Affairs backup for Marketing and Outreach Coordinator.
2. Marketing and Outreach Coordinator responsibilities include:
   • Acting as HOP Liaison with the Office of Public Affairs.
   • Processing the "Clearance Request for Public Materials - Video, Print, Web, Social, Media, or Multimedia" Form FHWA-1113 and submitting to Public Affairs.
   • Submitting the completed "Authorization to Proceed to Printing/Reprinting/Web Posting/Multimedia/Video Production" Form FHWA-1528 to Public Affairs for final review.
   • Reviewing and assessing editorial content for HOP products (e.g., reports, presentations, and marketing materials) and forwarding consecutively to HCC and to HPA for review.