Overview 

FTA's New Recipient Webinar Module 1: FTA Programs, Processes, and Resources, provides an introductory training module for new FTA recipients to provide a high-level understanding of FTA oversight programs and processes. During the session, FTA discusses the purpose of FTA oversight, highlights the oversight process, provides an overview of the Contractors Manual, and discusses how to prepare for a review and available resources.

Initial offerings of this webinar were held for FTA Region 4 recipients on December 13, 2022 and December 15, 2022. The presentation for this webinar can be found here. FTA intends to hold additional offerings of this webinar in the future. 

FTA has aggregated resources below that were either referenced during this webinar or may serve useful to new FTA recipients that participate in this webinar.

Federal Transit Administration

Best Practices Procurement Manual
Best Practices Procurement Manual
This manual provides FTA recipients with detailed information about third-party procurement requirements to help improve internal processes and avoid pitfalls. The manual covers the entire procurement cycle: (1) Planning, (2) Selecting Type of Contracting Method, (3) Evaluation of Proposals and Contract Award, and (4) Contract Administration.

Buy America Handbook 
Buy America Handbook for Rolling Stock Procurements
The purpose of this handbook is to assist recipients in understanding and correctly applying FTA’s pre-award and post-delivery audit requirements for rolling stock vehicle purchases.

Calculating, Documenting, and Charging Operating Expenses Webinar 
Calculating, Documenting, and Charging Operating Expenses Webinars
This webinar explained eligible operating expenses, explained how to calculate FTA operating assistance, examined appropriate documentation of operating expenses and Electronic Clearing House (ECHO) draws, and described recommended actions if an error is made in calculating operating assistance. Both the webinar recording and the slides are available at this link.

Sample Completed Operating Expenses Worksheet
Sample Operating Expense Worksheet
This worksheet was presented during FTA’s Calculating, Documenting, and Charging Operating Expenses Webinar and provides an example of a completed worksheet. The worksheet and instructions may be found in FTA C. 9030.1E – Appendix C. 

Sample ECHO Draw Documentation
Sample Echo Draw
This sample ECHO draw documentation was presented during FTA’s Calculating, Documenting, and Charging Operating Expenses Webinar. It is real ECHO draw documentation provided by a real FTA recipient.

Federal Financial Report Guidance
Guidance on TrAMS Federal Financial Reports Selected Topics
This guide provides instructions on how to complete Federal Financial Reports when there is an amendment to de-obligate funds, report over-match, and how to handle special condition amounts.

Fiscal Year 2022 Contractor Manual for Triennial and State Management Reviews
Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 CORTAP Contractors Manual
The FY22 Comprehensive Review Contractors Manual conveys FTA’s expectations of oversight contractors for assessing compliance of FTA recipients. The Contractors Manual contains every question asked during the Triennial and State Management Reviews, explains the federal regulations, and identifies the documentation that is required to demonstrate compliance during a Triennial and State Management Review.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
This is an electronic version of the Standard Form LLL, which FTA recipients are required to complete and submit to FTA when they use local funds to lobby for federal transit purposes. Federal regulations prohibit recipients from using federal funds for lobbying activities.

National Cooperative Highway Research Program 

National Cooperative Highway Research Program 20 65 Task 45 New Urban Areas: A Transit Guidance Brief
New Urban Areas: A Transit Guidance Brief
This brief addresses issues that are likely to be encountered in starting transit service or implementing urban transit service.

National Rural Transit Assistance Program

Advanced Topics in Financial Management and Cost Allocation Tools You Can Use!
National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) Webinar: Advanced Topics in Financial Management and Cost Allocation Tools
This webinar was sponsored by FTA in partnership with National RTAP. The webinar addressed service-based cost allocation plans and issues surrounding pricing and operating sponsored service. The webinar also explained National RTAP’s Cost Allocation Calculator, which is available at this link: Cost Allocation Calculator. The webinar slides are available at this link: Advanced Topics in Financial Management and Cost Allocation Tools You Can Use!

Cost Allocation Webinar 
National RTAP/National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) Cost Allocation Webinar
This webinar was sponsored by FTA in partnership with the NCMM and National RTAP. The webinar explained different types of cost allocation methodologies and provided tools for developing a cost allocation plan. The webinar slides are available at this link: Cost Allocation Webinar Presentation. The Q&A from the webinar are available at this link: Cost Allocation Webinar Questions and Answers.

Boards that Perform
Resource Library Search
This training module examines ten key roles and responsibilities for board members and provides guidance for holding effective board meetings, developing committee and advisory group structures, and dividing responsibilities between board members and staff.

Transit Acronym Dictionary  
Resource Library Search
This dictionary includes government agencies, industry-wide organizations, legislation, and phrases commonly used in the transit industry.

National RTAP's FTA 101: An Introduction to the Federal Transit Administration
Resource Library Search
This training module gives new public transportation professionals a general overview of the FTA. It introduces key FTA terms and acronyms that are important to the federal relationship to the transit industry. This module is intended to be a starting point in learning about the FTA.