(a) STA responsibilities. STAs or other recipients shall develop and sustain organizational capacity and provide the resources necessary for the procurement, management, and administration of engineering and design related consultant services, reimbursed in whole or in part with FAHP funding, as specified in 23 U.S.C. 302(a). Responsibilities shall include the following:

(1) Preparing and maintaining written policies and procedures for the procurement, management, and administration of engineering and design related consultant services in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section;

(2) Establishing a procedure for estimating the level of effort, schedule, and costs of needed consultant services and associated agency staffing and resources for management and oversight in support of project authorization requests submitted to FHWA for approval, as specified in 23 CFR 630.106;

(3) Procuring, managing, and administering engineering and design related consultant services in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws, regulations, and approved policies and procedures, as specified in 23 CFR 1.9(a); and

(4) Administering subawards in accordance with State laws and procedures as specified in 2 CFR part 1201, and the requirements of 23 U.S.C. 106(g)(4), and 2 CFR 200.331. Administering subawards includes providing oversight of the procurement, management, and administration of engineering and design related consultant services by subrecipients to ensure compliance with applicable Federal and State laws and regulations. Nothing in this part shall be taken as relieving the STA (or other recipient) of its responsibility under laws and regulations applicable to the FAHP for the work performed under any consultant agreement or contract entered into by a subrecipient.

(b) Subrecipient responsibilities. Subrecipients shall develop and sustain organizational capacity and provide the resources necessary for the procurement, management, and administration of engineering and design related consultant services, reimbursed in whole or in part with FAHP funding as specified in 23 U.S.C. 106(g)(4)(A). Responsibilities shall include the following:

(1) Adopting written policies and procedures prescribed by the awarding STA or other recipient for the procurement, management, and administration of engineering and design related consultant services in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws and regulations; or when not prescribed, shall include:

(i) Preparing and maintaining its own written policies and procedures in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section; or

(ii) Submitting documentation associated with each procurement and subsequent contract to the awarding STA or other grantee for review to assess compliance with applicable Federal and State laws, regulations, and the requirements of this part;

(2) Procuring, managing, and administering engineering and design related consultant services in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws, regulations, and approved policies and procedures, as specified in 23 CFR 1.9(a).

(c) Written policies and procedures. The contracting agency shall prepare and maintain written policies and procedures for the procurement, management, and administration of engineering and design related consultant services. The FHWA shall approve the written policies and procedures, including all revisions to such policies and procedures, of the STA or recipient to assess compliance with applicable requirements. The STA or other recipient shall approve the written policies and procedures, including all revisions to such policies and procedures, of a subrecipient to assess compliance with applicable requirements. These policies and procedures shall address, as appropriate for each method of procurement a contracting agency proposes to use, the following items to ensure compliance with Federal and State laws, regulations, and the requirements of this part:

(1) Preparing a scope of work and evaluation factors for the ranking/selection of a consultant;

(2) Soliciting interests, qualifications, or proposals from prospective consultants;

(3) Preventing, identifying, and mitigating conflicts of interest for employees of both the contracting agency and consultants and promptly disclosing in writing any potential conflict to the STA and FHWA, as specified in 2 CFR 200.112 and 23 CFR 1.33, and the requirements of this part.

(4) Verifying suspension and debarment actions and eligibility of consultants, as specified in 2 CFR part 1200 and 2 CFR part 180;

(5) Evaluating interests, qualifications, or proposals and the ranking/selection of a consultant;

(6) Determining, based upon State procedures and the size and complexity of a project, the need for additional discussions following RFP submission and evaluation;

(7) Preparing an independent agency estimate for use in negotiation with the selected consultant;

(8) Selecting appropriate contract type, payment method, and terms and incorporating required contract provisions, assurances, and certifications in accordance with §172.9;

(9) Negotiating a contract with the selected consultant including instructions for proper disposal of concealed cost proposals of unsuccessful bidders;

(10) Establishing elements of contract costs, accepting indirect cost rate(s) for application to contracts, and assuring consultant compliance with the Federal cost principles in accordance with §172.11;

(11) Ensuring consultant costs billed are allowable in accordance with the Federal cost principles and consistent with the contract terms as well as the acceptability and progress of the consultant's work;

(12) Monitoring the consultant's work and compliance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of the contract;

(13) Preparing a consultant's performance evaluation when services are completed and using such performance data in future evaluation and ranking of consultant to provide similar services;

(14) Closing-out a contract;

(15) Retaining supporting programmatic and contract records, as specified in 2 CFR 200.333 and the requirements of this part;

(16) Determining the extent to which the consultant, which is responsible for the professional quality, technical accuracy, and coordination of services, may be reasonably liable for costs resulting from errors and omissions in the work furnished under its contract;

(17) Assessing administrative, contractual, or legal remedies in instances where consultants violate or breach contract terms and conditions, and providing for such sanctions and penalties as may be appropriate; and

(18) Resolving disputes in the procurement, management, and administration of engineering and design related consultant services.

(d) A contracting agency may formally adopt, by statute or within approved written policies and procedures as specified in paragraph (c) of this section, any direct Federal Government or other contracting regulation, standard, or procedure provided its application does not conflict with the provisions of 23 U.S.C. 112, the requirements of this part, and other laws and regulations applicable to the FAHP.

(e) Notwithstanding paragraph (d) of this section, a contracting agency shall have a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 12 months from the effective date of this rule unless an extension is granted for unique or extenuating circumstances, to issue or update current written policies and procedures for review and approval in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section and consistent with the requirements of this part.