USACE is taking bold actions to improve its performance and engineer solutions for the nation’s toughest challenges through the Revolutionize USACE Civil Works initiative.  Traditional delivery of the annual Civil Works program is being overhauled by using innovative tools, modernizing internal processes, and pursuing alternative financing approaches. USACE is streamlining permit processes and eliminating duplicative reviews to expedite permit decisions for infrastructure projects while protecting the environment.  Speeding up how USACE does business will save millions of dollars and complete projects sooner.

The Revolutionize USACE Civil Works initiative has three objectives:

•  Accelerate Project Delivery
• Transform Project Financing and Budgeting
• Improve Permitting and Regulation Reform

The activities undertaken by USACE as part of the Administration's Infrastructure Initiative have been incorporated into the broader Revolutionize USACE Civil Works effort to transform how we deliver infrastructure for the nation through authorized Civil Works projects and the permitting of projects.

Accelerate Project Delivery:  USACE is modernizing the traditional delivery of the Civil Works program to accelerate infrastructure projects. These actions include:

• Modify processes to accelerate infrastructure delivery and enable non-federal sponsors to complete authorized projects.
• Delegate decision-making to speed up decisions and implement solutions earlier.
• Streamline contracting processes to reduce the time it takes to start projects.

Transform Project Financing and Budgeting:  USACE is also exploring a variety of alternative financing mechanisms and budget processes to accelerate project delivery with fewer resources and less federal involvement.  These include:

• Implementation of a variety of alternative financing mechanisms and budget processes to accelerate project delivery with fewer resources and less federal involvement.
• The development of the Civil Works Public Private Partnership (P3) Pilot Program to provide upfront funding and leverage appropriations while optimizing local participation and promoting risk sharing in project delivery.
• Development of a WIFIA (Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) federal loan program was initiated by USACE in 2018.  WIFIA can increase non-federal entities’ ability to build, operate and/or maintain water resource infrastructure.
• Propose ways to reshape the budgeting process providing increased flexibility and to fund projects more efficiently.

Improve Permitting and Regulation Reform:  USACE is streamlining permit processes and eliminating duplicative reviews to expedite permit decisions for infrastructure projects. Specifically:

• Eliminate the need for local sponsors to complete duplicative reviews and analyses for authorized Civil Works projects undertaken by non-federal interests.
• Recent guidance to the Regulatory program and USACE studies provides specific procedures for USACE coordination in both lead and cooperating agency NEPA roles.  This will streamline and synchronize federal review and authorization processes for better coordination and more efficient decisions.
• Streamlining of Section 408 permissions allowing modifications to completed USACE projects.  These changes eliminate weeks of review time, reduce pending permissions by as much as 50 percent in many districts, and provides for decisions to be made within 90 days when all necessary information is supplied.
• In addition to these efforts, USACE issued a memorandum for both 404 and 408 decisions that establishes a “lead district” to manage permits/permissions that span multiple districts.  This identifies a single point of contact for permit applicants and eliminates redundant reviews.
• A Regulatory Guidance Letter has been published that provides clear and consistent direction on mitigation crediting for removal of in-stream obsolete structures, thereby allowing for better predictability for mitigation providers.  USACE is working on additional actions to streamline the review of mitigation bank and In-Lieu Fee Programs to increase predictability and transparency for mitigation sponsors.
• USACE recently completed the review of 53 regulations identified under Executive Order 13777 to determine what regulations should be modified, repealed, or replaced.  This effort clarifies those regulations suitable to be streamlined and identifies any regulations that may no longer be relevant.

USACE will be holding webinars for our partners in June 2019 to provide an overview of the actions under Revolutionize USACE Civil Works, obtain feedback on efforts to date, and gain input on activities going forward.  The information on these webinars is below.

Partner Webinar Details:

June 20, 2019 from 2:00 – 3:30pm EST
Follow the link to join the meeting:
https://usace.webex.com/usace/j.php?MTID=m99729ae03a81888175f37d946d7538b2

Or click on the link https://usace.webex.com and put
in the meeting number:  961 615 762          

It is best to just have the webinar call you but if you want to call in separately, the conference call information is below.
USA Toll-Free:  888-273-3658 
ACCESS CODE:  8350039
SECURITY CODE:  0039

June 28, 2019 from 2:00 – 3:30pm EST
Follow the link to join the meeting: 
https://usace.webex.com/usace/j.php?MTID=m68478d3c6410563b5a076e0148a64a63

Or click on the link https://usace.webex.com and put
in the meeting number:  969 258 582          

It is best to just have the webinar call you but if you want to call in separately, the conference call information is below.
USA Toll-Free:  888-273-3658
ACCESS CODE:  8350039
SECURITY CODE:  0039

The USACE Infrastructure Team held webinars at the end of 2018 to provide information and obtain feedback from our partners on Revolutionize USACE Civil Works and the work USACE has been conducting to revitalize our nation's infrastructure.  The slides from the webinars can be found here.

If you have questions regarding the webinars, please contact us at
CW.Infrastructure.Team@usace.army.mil.

Feedback on Revolutionize USACE Civil Works may be submitted electronically to:
CW.Infrastructure.Team@usace.army.mil

The links listed below provide more information on efforts being conducted through Revolutionize USACE Civil Works.

• USACE Infrastructure Initiative website
• USACE Civil Works P3 Pilot Program
• Revolutionize USACE Brochure

USACE press releases related to Revolutionize USACE Civil Works efforts will be listed here.

• USACE Requests Information on Conceptual Public-Private Partnership (P3) Delivery of Civil Works Projects