Office of Operations
21st Century Operations Using 21st Century Technologies
Table of Contents

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

CHAPTER 9. OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS APPROVAL PROCESS

This chapter gives a summary of the final of three agency approval processes for Office of Operations (HOP) products: Office of Public Affairs (HPA) sign-off. When the Office of the Chief Counsel (HCC) approves an HOP product, the HOP Marketing and Outreach Coordinator (Coordinator) then forwards the product on to Public Affairs for their review. The product must be accompanied by a filled out Form FHWA-1528. This chapter will address all of these process components.

In 2011, the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Public Affairs began a new procedure requiring all program offices to obtain approval of any product (e.g., web content, publication, presentation, and article) that meet either of the following criteria:

  • Has a DOT/FHWA Signature (logo), endorsement, and funding.
  • Is available to external audiences via online, printed copy, or presentations. Refer to Table 4 for more details.

Why did Public Affairs institute this procedure? The HPA wants to:

  • Become more familiar with all the content that the agency produces.
  • Better assist FHWA to speak in one voice.
  • Take a more strategic agency-wide approach in promoting materials.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS APPROVAL PROTOCOLS

The HPA Publication Communications team has set the following guidelines for publishing materials.

Products Requiring Office of Public Affairs Approval

Table 4 describes items requiring HPA approval.


Table 4. Office of Public Affairs list of items requiring Office of Public Affairs approval.

Product

Process

New Public Initiatives (such as the annual National Work Zone Awareness Week)
  • Will be discussed in conceptual phase among Office of Operations (HOP) Project Manager (PM), HOP Marketing and Outreach Coordinator (Coordinator), and Office of Public Affairs (HPA) staff to develop strategies.
  • Requires HPA coordination/review/ approval prior to implementation of strategies.

New Publications
  • Will have HPA review/approval in the conceptual stage and before public release.

Articles (trade publications, newsletters, Web site content, etc.)
  • Needs HPA review/approval before public release.

Development of New FHWA Web Sites (external audiences)
  • Should be coordinated with HPA and FHWA’s Office of Administration (HAD) (IT services) during the conceptual phase prior to contracting or any pre-production activities.

New Web site Content (external sites)
  • Initial review by Coordinator.
  • Does not necessitate HPA coordination/ review until content is in final form and ready to be posted.

New Videos (development/ production/updating of current videos and derivative works)
  • Will be coordinated among HOP PM, Coordinator, and HPA staff during the conceptual phase prior to contracting or any pre-production activities.
  • Requires HPA coordination/review/ approval prior to proceeding with contracting or pre-production.
  • Must have HPA review/approval before release of final.

Social Media Content on FHWA Platforms Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr (text)
  • Initial discussion/review with PM and Coordinator.
  • Should be coordinated early with HOP and HPA to discuss audience, message, and desired outcomes.
  • Requires HPA review/editing/approval.
  • HPA will oversee posting once approved and after program office provides instructions to post on social media.

Proposed Social Media Content (video and campaigns)
  • Initial discussion/review with HOP PM and Coordinator.
  • Development should be coordinated with HPA early to discuss audience, message, and desired outcomes.
  • Requires HPA review/editing/approval.
  • HPA will undertake posting once approved and after program office provides instructions to post on social media.

Development of Communications/Marketing Strategies/Plans to Develop or Promote FHWA Products, Services, or Program Indicatives
  • Initial discussion among HOP PM, Coordinator and HPA staff.
  • HPA staff will be assigned to assist in the development of strategies/plan.
  • HPA staff will assist in coordination of appropriate approvals, including conferring with other offices as appropriate.

Products That May Not Require Office of Public Affairs Approval

Table 5 describes items that may not require HPA approval.

Table 5. Office of Public Affairs list of items that may not require Office of Public Affairs approval.
Product

Process

Communications/Marketing Activities Targeted toward Internal Audiences
  • Office of Operations (HOP) The Marketing and Outreach Coordinator (Coordinator) should make the determination regarding the need for additional assistance from Office of Public Affairs (HPA).

Minor Edits, Updates, and Revisions to Existing Web Content
  • HOP Coordinator should make the determination regarding the need for additional assistance from HPA. For example, updated annual statistics may merit HPA interest.

Presentations Approval Criteria

A presentation requires a Form FHWA-1528 if presented to an external audience.

Table 6 below displays the approval criteria for presentations.

Table 6. Federal Highway Administration Office of Public Affairs approval criteria for presentations.
Audience

Office of Public Affairs Approval Needed

No Office of Public Affairs Approval Needed

External audience – External presentation made by staff to peers in person, via webinar, etc. but not provided electronically.

check mark

 

External audience – Technical presentation made by staff to peers that will be made available to participants/public (i.e., posted on an external website and/or given to participants electronically and/or given via webinar.)*

check mark

 

External audience – All presentations posted on our Web site *

check mark

 

Internal Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) audience – presentation that discusses FHWA policy.

 

check mark

Internal FHWA audience – Technical presentation made by staff person to peers.

 

check mark

(*Allow 10 Federal business days for Office of Public Affairs review).

OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS REVIEW

Office of Public Affairs Approval Process

After HCC approves a product, the HOP Project Manager (PM) should send both the final draft product and a filled-out and digitally-signed Form FHWA-1528 to the Coordinator. The HOP PM may obtain the Form FHWA-1528 “Authorization to Proceed to Printing/Reprinting/Web Posting/Multimedia/Video Production” at http://staffnet.fhwa.dot.gov/informs/adobeforms/fhwa1528.pdf, or from the Coordinator. The HOP PM will complete and digitally-sign the form and then obtain the Office Director’s digital-only signature. (HPA will not accept handwritten signatures on Form FHWA-1528.) A Form FHWA-1528 file name title should spell out the name of the product, use no special characters, and include the month and year.

The HOP PM should forward the filled-out form to the Coordinator with the final product. The Coordinator will submit both the product and the Form FHWA-1528 to Public Affairs. (Further information on the form can be found in the Form FHWA-1528 section below.)

The standard HPA review turnaround time is 10 Federal business days. The Coordinator will keep you informed when HPA has a backlog due to higher priorities.

If HPA finds issues with the product, then the Coordinator will return the product to the HOP PM with comments. The review process will start over once the HOP PM has remediated the product and submitted the updated product to the Coordinator for review along with a signed Form FHWA-1528. The Contractor must resolve the issues within five Federal business days. The subsequent review process can take up to additional 10 Federal Business Days. Once accepted by the Coordinator, the product will be submitted to HPA for another review.

Once approved by HPA, the Coordinator will provide the HPA-signed Form FHWA-1528 to the HOP PM.
Refer to the following websites for more detailed information:

Form FHWA-1528

Form FHWA-1528 accompanies HOP products that are forwarded for HPA approval. Figure 13 displays the process for submitting Form FHWA-1528.

Figure 13

Figure 13. Flow Chart. Form FHWA-1528 review process.

Obtaining Office of Public Affairs Authorization for Form FHWA-1528

The Form FHWA-1528 needs to accompany a final product for HPA review. HPA must approve the form before the product can be released to the public.

Refer to Appendix F for a sample Form FHWA-1528 "Authorization to Proceed to Printing/Reprinting/Web Posting/Multimedia/Video Production".

Link to the Form FHWA-1528 instructions can be found at: http://our.dot.gov/office/fhwa.dss/operations/HOP/Shared%20Documents/OPS%20III%20and%20Freight%20Forms%20and%20Templates/FHWA%201528%20Template.pdf.6

4 This link is only available to FHWA staff. Return to note 4.

5This link is only available to FHWA staff. Return to note 5.

6This link is only available to FHWA Office of Operations staff. Return to note 6.

Office of Operations