R&R Prioritization & Funding Management

R&R projects are submitted, prioritized, and funded through the following processes.

Submittal

Projects must first be eligible for the R&R Program to be considered. Eligible projects:

  • Must be an E&G building
  • Cannot be a department-owned piece of equipment.

Projects can be submitted by Planning, Energy, & Facilities (PEF) and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) employees. Schools and colleges should contact Planning, Design and Construction for assistance with submitting projects.

To request use of R&R funds for your project, you must submit the:

We recommend that you include photos and any relevant backup documents with your submission. This form initiates the prioritization process, which determines when the project may be funded. Once use of R&R funds is approved, your project manager must submit the:

More information about the process is discussed below.

Prioritization

Committee

In order to make well-informed decisions, the R&R Prioritization Committee consists of representatives from various departments, including Facilities Operations and Maintenance, Utilities and Energy Management, Environmental Health and Safety, and Project Management and Construction Services.

Process

The prioritization process is based on an analytical hierarchy consisting of nine criteria:

  • Impact on people
  • Impact on environment
  • Intellectual property damage
  • Physical property damage
  • Time disruption
  • Area impact (how many people are affected)
  • Public image
  • Probability of failure
  • Return on investment

These criteria are used to rank each project, which helps determine when the project will be funded.

Communicating Funding Status

The Prioritization Committee meets monthly to review and prioritize all submissions received by that month's communicated deadline. Within two days of the committee meeting the submitter will receive notification whether the project will be funded immediately (unscheduled) or placed on the five-year plan. If funded immediately, the communication will also include the next steps required to complete the process.

Funding

Two funding avenues are used by the R&R program:

Planned Funding

This funding consists of projects on the program's five-year plan. The plan is broken down into five fiscal years. The current fiscal year plan is not subject to change. However, the following four fiscal years are subject to change, based on the ranking of new projects or if the client requests the project be delayed until another fiscal year. Depending on the scope and schedule of the project, funding may be released in phases. It may be phased over multiple fiscal years or phased within one fiscal year.

Unscheduled Funding

This funding is for projects identified throughout each fiscal year that:

  • Rank high enough for immediate funding
  • Resolve system failures
  • Present an opportunity. For example, when one project is being implemented, that effort may offer an opportunity to resolve another issue.

Requesting Transfer of R&R Funds

There are two methods for receiving R&R funds:

  • When a capital project (CP) already exists, and use of R&R funds is approved: Your project manager must submit the Request to Transfer Funds Form (PDF) electronically to Brandy Hamblet, brandy.hamblet@austin.utexas.edu.
  • When a capital project does not exist: The R&R coordinator will submit a Service Request on your behalf to have a CP created. The assigned project manager will then coordinate the transfer of funds.

For more information, contact Program Coordinator Brandy Hamblet, brandy.hamblet@austin.utexas.edu.