Guidance for Creating Physical Map Revision (PMR) Projects in the MIP _________________________________________ Table of Contents Table of Contents..............................................................................................................................................1 1. Purpose......................................................................................................................................................1 2. Background...............................................................................................................................................1 3. Setting Up a PMR MIP Project..................................................................................................................2 3.1. Create Study Project: Create Project Screen..................................................................................2 3.1.1. Obtain List of Communities and Counties in Study Area..........................................................2 3.1.2. Select Region............................................................................................................................3 3.1.3. Create Study Project: Project Information Screen.....................................................................3 3.1.4. Create Study Project: Community Information Screen Selecting only County-wides..............3 3.1.5. Complete the Scoping module...................................................................................................4 3.2. Obligate Project Funds....................................................................................................................4 3.3. Data Development Activities..........................................................................................................6 3.3.1. Uploading Data for a Data Development Task..........................................................................7 3.4. Preliminary and Post-Preliminary Processes..................................................................................9 3.5. Uploading Study Data with No Associated MIP Task....................................................................9 4. Summary.................................................................................................................................................10 1. Purpose The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to users of the Mapping Information Platform (MIP) when they are setting up new mapping projects that are Physical Map Revisions (PMRs) wholly contained within one county. For users that are setting up PMRs that cross county boundaries or new mapping projects on a basin-wide (watershed) basis rather than as a county/community-based project, the Guidance for Creating Basin-Wide Projects in the MIP applies. The MIP Studies Workflow was designed for community based or county-wide projects. However, it does allow for the entry of PMR projects. This document provides the steps that users should follow for PMR projects into the MIP, including a number of workarounds to circumvent current system limitations. These steps will facilitate the proper setup of projects in the MIP to allow accurate storage and retrieval of the project data. It is possible that other PMR scenarios exist that are not fully covered in this document. FEMA is in the process of considering a fully operable technical solution for true basin-wide functionality in the MIP. The solution will address PMRs that cross county boundaries. This evaluation should lead to updates to the MIP to make the entry, tracking and reporting on basin-wide projects more user friendly and efficient. 2. Background The MIP, which was deployed in 2004 as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Map Modernization (Map Mod) program, facilitates the management, production, and sharing of flood hazard data and maps in a digital environment. It integrates program and project management, data storage and retrieval, standardized quality control reviews, and map production status tracking into one Web-based application. Another core component of Map Mod was to combine community-based paper Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) into a countywide product, and to deliver the new product in digital (DFIRM) Geographic Information System (GIS) format. Since its deployment in 2004, the MIP has continued to grow and evolve to meet the needs of FEMA and its contractors to manage and monitor the progress of its flood hazard mapping data. The MIP already accommodates Letters of Map Amendment (LOMA) and Letters of Map Revision (LOMR) cases. Like a LOMR, a PMR revises flood hazard data on a portion of an effective FIRM because of changed physical conditions. Unlike a LOMR, however, a PMR typically spans several panels, is funded by FEMA, and follows the same production and tracking process as a Flood Insurance Study (FIS) project. Historically, flood hazard analyses were performed for FISs at a community/county level and only addressed reaches within that jurisdiction. Flooding sources studied in a PMR project may span more than one jurisdiction. This document provides guidance on how to utilize the MIP study workflow application for a PMR project wholly contained within one county. The document is not intended to provide step-by-step guidance on the MIP workflow process, but it provides guidance and screen shots to highlight specific steps associated with PMR projects, from the creation of the project through the obligation of funds. 3. Setting Up a PMR MIP Project This section describes the MIP workflow steps and outlines impacts to the process caused by a study being PMR instead of countywide. A PMR project is set up similarly to a county-wide study project. The key differences between a PMR project and a county-wide study are in the naming of the PMR project and the removal of certain communities prior to the Preliminary Map Production module. 3.1. Create Study Project: Create Project Screen The first step in setting up a PMR project is for a FEMA Project Officer to create a project record in the MIP database. Scoping baseline information (contracted organization, cost, and schedule) is also entered at this point. Create Study Project Screen shot 3.1.1. Obtain List of Communities and Counties in Study Area The FEMA Regional staff should work with their Production and Technical Services (PTS) contractors, if needed, to determine the complete list of communities within the county which will be affected by the PMR. Community names will need to be obtained before the last data development task of the project is completed. It is important to distinguish correctly the communities that must stay and those that must be removed from the case prior to preliminary map production. More communities need to be in the workflow than it may appear at first. For example, the PMR may be for a map change that is completely within the corporate limits of one community. However, all panels of the PMR should be inspected carefully. There may be some communities with no SFHA changes adjacent to the community of interest. If they fall on the panels that are revised for the one community of interest, they need to be listed on the LFD summary as well, and thus available in the MIP workflow from preliminary through post- preliminary processing. 3.1.2. Select Region Only one Region can be selected for MIP data storage purposes. If the PMR project spans more than one Region, the Guidance for Creating Basin-Wide Projects in the MIP applies. NOTE: Contractors must be set up as valid contractors in the selected Region in order to be able to continue in the MIP studies workflow. Workflow tasks can only be assigned to users with MIP access rights to the Region selected on the initial screen. Step-by-step work instructions are available under the Create A Project link on the MIP at: https://hazards.fema.gov/femaportal/wps/portal/usercare_training#projectofficer. 3.1.3. Create Study Project: Project Information Screen One of the more important aspects of a PMR is the need to name a project differently than a countywide study. On the Project Information Screen, complete the required fields, as indicated by the red asterisk. When naming the project, use the naming convention of ‘ (,< state>) PMR’. If there is scoping for this project, populate the remaining fields on the Project Information Screen with contract information. If there is no scoping for this project, dummy information will be entered. . An arbitrary Planned Start Date and a Planned End Date one day later . The FEMA Project Officer’s Organization Type and Organization Name, so that the MIP will route the Scoping tasks to the FEMA Project Officer’s work list . Amount is $1 . Any Federal Funding Year . Any Cost Type . N/A for Contract or Agreement Number 3.1.4. Create Study Project: Community Information Screen Selecting only County-wides Select “County-wide”. This will include all the communities at first, but this is not a problem in data development because the engineering and mapping tasks don’t have any community-specific checkboxes or entry fields in the workflow. Selecting County-wide will also cause one file directory structure to be created under the County folder on Citrix and will require only one data upload per task. A MIP Help ticket will be submitted for those communities that are not affected by the PMR to be removed from the PMR project anytime before the preliminary map production module launches. Setting up the project with the county-wide selection will limit the project to one DFIRM database task. Complete the fields on the remaining screens and complete the task. The project is now created. 3.1.5. Complete the Scoping module The next step is to Complete the Scoping module, which consists of three tasks. 1. Complete the Prepare for Scoping task, clicking all required checkboxes, entering arbitrary dates, and entering N/A in all free text fields. 2. Complete the Conduct Scoping Meeting task, clicking all required checkboxes, entering arbitrary dates, and entering N/A in all free text fields. 3. Complete the Finalize Project Scope task. . On the Scoping Cost screen, click the required checkbox, enter the same Federal Funding Year used in Create Study Project, and enter $1. . On the Project Leverage screen, select “No”. . On the Map Panels screen, click “Add All” to save time. It is not necessary to remove effective panels not included in the PMR project for the workflow to progress properly. If it is desired to have the appropriate effective panels appear in the list of panel numbers in Crystal reports, then click to remove those not included in the project. Selection of effective panels doesn’t have any downstream consequences in the workflow. . In the Select Scoped Tasks section on the next screen, check all Scoped Task boxes to avoid having to add any missed ones later (only MIP Help can add them in if they are missed at this step). In the Select Areas for Study section, select the county-wide from the Area dropdown box and click “Add Area.” 3.2. Obligate Project Funds An important step in creating any project is the next task: Obligate Project Funds. At this step, data development tasks are chosen and funds are obligated for those tasks. The process for a PMR project is the same as that used for a county-wide study. In the Task Information section of the Obligate Project Funds screen, select the appropriate tasks to include in the project and select the same Task Area (county-wide) for those tasks (Acquire Base Map, Develop Topographic Data, Perform Field Survey, Develop Hydrologic Data, Develop Hydraulic data, Perform Coastal Analysis, Perform Alluvial Fan analysis, Perform Floodplain Mapping, and/or Develop DFIRM Database). Every project needs to have at least a Develop DFIRM Database Task associated with it. All data will be stored under the county under the project’s case number. Even though a PMR revises the flood hazard information on only a portion of a county, a PMR project will include an updated county-wide GIS database. Select the data development tasks from the Task Name dropdown. This will add a placeholder for each task to the project. Next add the Contract Information and click “Add Task Cost”. Independent Quality Assurance is optional on all tasks. Once the Task Information and Contract Information are entered, click “Add Task” to save this task information to the project. Repeat for each data development task that has been scoped. In certain circumstances, multiple contractors will be performing different tasks for the same PMR project. The only difference in the setup of the project is in the Obligate Project Funds task. As in study projects with only one contractor, add the required tasks. However, at the Contract Information section, add the different organizations and costs. This will ensure that the correct mapping partner receives the appropriate tasks on its Work Items list. The screenshot below displays all of the tasks added for our sample PMR project. The project setup is complete, and now these tasks are assigned to the Producer workbench for completion. Obligate Project Funds screen shot This screenshot displays all of the tasks added for our sample PMR project 3.3. Data Development Activities In this example, because only one contractor is assigned for all tasks, all tasks appear on the Work Items list of the assigned contractor. The default Work Items display lists all of the tasks. For more clarity about assigned tasks on the Work Items list, click the Options link, highlight the desired field and click the arrow to the right to add it to the list of displayed columns, and click Save. The Options link allows the Work Items to be customized to personal preference. 3.3.1. Uploading Data for a Data Development Task When uploading data for this task, the user must include data in the metadata file for the county- wide for the PMR project. This includes naming the metadata file correctly and ensuring the correct data are included. Without the exact information shown below, the MIP Search and Retrieve application will not find the study data. Avoid using a template from another county or community, since it is easy to forget to update all the references to that other project. Work Items list of the assigned contractor option link for more clarity. Work Items list of the assigned contractor screen shot Naming the Metadata File The file name must include the Community Identification Number (CID) for the county where the PMR project is to be stored. Update the FEMA Case Number In the metadata file, update the FEMA Case tag to equal the case number of the project. In the test example, the case number would be 10-07-0033S. The accuracy and completeness of the information is critical. Add Placekey Elements for the County In the metadata file, update and add placekey elements for the county, as if it were a county-wide project, rather than the communities affected by the PMR. In the test example, placekey elements are added for the community Tama County, as follows: REGION VII STATE IA COUNTY TAMA COUNTY COUNTY-FIPS 19171 COMMUNITY TAMA COUNTY FEMA-CID 19171C Additional assistance in editing metadata files, and specifically the placekey elements, can be found on the MIP under the Tools and Links tab. Uploading Data for a Data Development Task screen shot 3.4. Preliminary and Post-Preliminary Processes The Develop DFIRM Database task determines the path for the subsequent DFIRM quality reviews and preliminary and post-preliminary due processes. As discussed in section 3.1.1 of this Guidance, anytime before the start of the Preliminary Map Production module, the Producer must send an e-mail to MIP Help and have them remove the communities from the case that are not affected by the PMR. Once a PMR project reaches this point in the MIP workflow, the standard preliminary and post-preliminary procedures apply. 3.5. Uploading Study Data with No Associated MIP Task The MIP Workflow currently has no task for uploading certain types of study data, including Technical Support Data Notebooks (TSDN), appeals correspondence, studies correspondence, Preliminary FIS reports, and scoping data. These types of study data deliverables (artifacts) are loaded through the Tools and Links, Data Upload, Load Studies Data Artifacts portlet. Load Study Data Artifact screen shot for study data with no associated MIP task. As shown in the screenshot above, select the FEMA Case Number and the type of artifact to be stored. Since there are no metadata files for these types of data, it is important to make sure that the Abstract section describes the geographic area covered by the study. At a minimum, all communities affected by the PMR should be listed in the Abstract section. Using the example shown in previous sections, a user would enter “TSDN for Test (Tama Co, IA) PMR”. If the project was set up properly, as defined in the Create Project Task, Finalize Project Scope, and Obligate Project Funds sections, the study data artifacts will be loaded to the county folder. When using the Search & Retrieve tool for a community associated with a PMR project, the MIP is capable of returning results for the project only if searched by county or case number. 4. Summary The MIP can be used for PMR projects, but specific business rules and methods must be applied at key steps in the MIP Project workflow. These key steps are: Create Project Task, Finalize Project Scope, Obligate Project Funds, and Data Development Activities. The following table summarizes the highlights of MIP project requirements at each key step for PMR projects. Task Critical Information Create Project Task Required Naming convention – ‘‘ (,< state>) PMR’”. Community information screen – select county-wide. Determine all affected communities, even those that only appear on panels affected by the study. Call or email the MIP Help team prior to preliminary map production to remove the communities from the county that are not included in the PMR. Finalize Project Scope Choose all map panels The Basin Boundary Area check box is not necessary Obligate Project Funds Select the countywide Task Area for each task assigned Enter the actual communities for that task in the Task Description section For Develop DFIRM Database, click the Add All Areas button Data Development Activities Make sure to upload the correct data for the contracted task, not just what is displayed in the title of the task. Data Development Activities with No MIP Tasks For TSDNs, appeals correspondence, studies correspondence, preliminary FIS reports, and scoping data, be sure to list all the affected communities in the Abstract field of the MIP Load Studies Data Artifacts portlet.