Certified Engineer Process

MDOT Certified Engineer Process

The Department received approval from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to adopt a four-year record certification program for Construction Engineers. These certified engineers have demonstrated proficiency in oversight and proper documentation of federal-aid projects. Certified engineers in good standing may close out projects they have overseen without the standard MDOT Final Project Review. Certified engineers are also randomly audited to ensure proper documentation procedures are followed and to maintain the integrity of the certification process. After January 1, 2020, consultant engineers may also apply for certification. The engineer certification status will be considered independent of where the engineer works and will be transferable to other projects, offices and teams where the engineer oversees the project construction administration process. The certified engineer is ultimately responsible for the project documentation regardless of who is on their team or how long they have been in charge of the project. MDOT and local agency engineers who are currently certified will follow the recertification process when their current certification expires. Certified Engineers are required to update and maintain their contact/employment information with the MDOT Certification Engineer if they wish for their certification to remain in effect.

This MDOT Engineer Certification Program information supersedes all previous versions.

Current Certified Engineers

See the revised record certification list (June 2021) below.

Certified Engineer Application Process

The process to apply for certified engineer status is as follows:

• Send written request to the MDOT Certification Engineer Send email at CFS requesting certification application.
• Attach required supporting documents.

Certified Engineer Application Requirements

• Licensed Engineer in State of Michigan in good standing. Provide copy of current professional engineer license.
• MDOT Office Technician certification. Provide copy of current certificate.
• Certificate of Completion of NHI FHWA Contract Administration Core Curriculum (required after January 1, 2022)
• The applicant must submit a list of all projects they were in responsible charge of for the previous two years of the time of certification application request and all projects they are currently administering. Projects eligible for engineer certification application must meet the following criteria:
  • The engineer must be 100 percent in charge of the projects at the time of closeout and for the majority of the duration of the project.
  • Projects must contain major items of work from multiple divisions of work. Projects with all major work on a single pay item or division will only be considered if the other submitted projects contain a more diverse cross section of work over multiple divisions.
  • The MDOT Certification Engineer will select two completed or closed projects that have had Final Project Reviews completed and one active project (final estimate not generated) from the list submitted to examine.

The MDOT Certification Engineer, with approval from the MDOT Construction Contracts Engineer, may waive some requirements in special circumstances such as if the engineer has been working a single large multi-year project or other special circumstance.

Certified Engineer Application Review Procedures

• The MDOT Certification Engineer will review the applicant’s recent history of timely project closeout and review their recent Final Project Review reports.
• The MDOT Certification Engineer will compare the applicants submitted project list with the central office project list and select the 3 projects to be examined for review. (2 closed and one active project)
• The MDOT Certification Engineer will select a new sample of pay items different from the original file review items.
• The review will be performed on the file documentation “as is”. Deficient items will receive a negative score.
• All deficient items are to be addressed.
• Any deficient item scoring appeals must be directed to the MDOT Certification Engineer. If unresolved, the engineer may appeal to the MDOT Construction Contracts Engineer who will make a final decision.
• Discovery of any major deficiencies in the review will result in an automatic failure of the certified engineer application process.
• The engineer must score 80 percent on the Form 1117 to pass the review. If a score of 80 percent is not achieved, then the engineer will need to wait one year to reapply.
• The projects reviewed in the initial certification review cannot be used to reapply for certification again if initial application review fails.

Certified Engineer Status

• Engineers may only certify projects for which their certification was in effect prior to the project contract completion date.
• Engineers may not certify projects that they were not in responsible charge of for a substantial portion of the project and through project closeout.
• Engineer certification is effective for a period of four years or until certification status is revoked or engineer is on probation status.
• Engineers on probation may not certify any projects and Engineers may not certify projects after losing certification status.

Certified Engineer Review Audits

The MDOT Certification Engineer or designee (consultant) will perform periodic engineer certification review audits. The purpose of these review audits is to ensure the certified engineer is properly completing project documentation as expected. This process ensures the certification program has integrity over the four-year life of the certification.

• Review audits may be performed on projects that the certified engineer has closed in the previous 12 months.
• If the certified engineer has not closed a project in the previous 12 months, the review audit will postpone until the following year.
• Projects will be selected on a random basis without prior notice.
• Review audits will generally not occur more than once a year.
• Review audits may be performed remotely through ProjectWise.

If a review audit does not achieve a passing score:

• The certified engineer will be placed on probation.
• Engineers on probation may not close out projects as a certified engineer.
  • Probation:
    • The MDOT Certification Engineer will re-examine the project that failed after 30 days.
      • If the project with deficiencies was not addressed, then the engineer’s certification will be revoked.
      • If the project with deficiencies was addressed, then a second random project will be reviewed.
        • If the second project passes, probation is lifted.
        • If the second project fails, the engineer's certification is revoked. The engineer may not apply for recertification for a minimum of one year from the date that their certification was removed.
  • Loss of certification:
    • All projects (from that point forward) are required to have standard project file reviews.
    • Any appeals on loss of certification must be made in writing to the MDOT Construction Contracts Engineer.

Certified Engineer Renewal Process

• The MDOT certified engineer status will continue for a duration of four-years providing the certified engineer has not lost their certified engineer status. After the four-year certification period, the certification must be renewed.
• The certified engineer wishing to renew their certification must:
  • Send the MDOT Certification Engineer a request to renew certification a minimum of 3 months prior to the certification expiration date.
  • Send a list of all MDOT let projects that they were in charge of for the past two years.
• A sample of projects will be selected for review using the same requirements as the initial certification application.
• The engineer’s performance on audit reviews will be reviewed.

Continuing education in MDOT construction project administration is a requirement to maintain MDOT engineer certification. Engineers seeking renewal of their MDOT certified engineer status must submit:

• Certificate of completion for the NHI course Contract Administration Core Curriculum (FHWA NHI 134077). This requirement will become mandatory on January 1, 2022, to allow current certified engineers time to schedule and complete the course.
• A choice of:

A. Certificate of completion for the full five-day course for MDOT Certified Office Technician certification within the prior four years;

OR

B. Renewal of MDOT Certified Office Technician certification;

AND

• Submit documents showing proof of at least 30 CEH’s related to contract administration during the previous four years.
  • Examples of Conference CEH's:
    • Consultants/Local Agency: ACEC-MDOT Partnership conference, Region Construction Conferences, Contracts Management Conference, Region Local Agency conferences, County Road Association Conference (CRA), County Engineer's Workshop (CEW), etc.
    • MDOT: Statewide Construction Alignment Conference, MDOT Construction Technology Users Conference (CTUG), Local Agency Workshop, etc.
  • Examples of Training Course CEH’s:
    • Renewal of MDOT Certified Office Technician certification
    • MDOT Prevailing Wage Compliance course
    • MDOT materials acceptance process seminar
    • NHI courses (Claims, Contract Admin, etc.)

Applicants failing the certified engineer renewal process will follow procedures of the certified engineer application process after one year.

LAP Project Considerations

If a local agency engineer performs federally funded local agency projects by non-competitive bid contract (force account) projects, one of these force account projects must be selected for review as part of their Certified Engineer application or renewal.

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