The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) has transitioned to a new Learning Management System. Workday Learning is now replacing the previous system, IowaDOTU.
The Iowa DOT would like to ensure that all meetings and events hosted by DOT are accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation in order to attend a training, please contact Mary Beth Sprouse at least one week in advance of the session that you plan to attend. Thank you!
The Local Systems Bureau is hosting ½ day Spring Meeting on Wednesday, March 26 in Boone. This training will cover changes and hot topics for anyone working on Federal-aid projects for a Local Public Agency, including Cities, Counties, Consultants, MPOs and RPAs.
The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) has transitioned to a new Learning Management System. Workday Learning is now replacing the previous IowaDOTU system.
The Local Systems Bureau is hosting Federal-aid Overview Seminars again in early 2025. This training is for anyone working on Federal-aid projects for a Local Public Agency, including Cities, Counties, Consultants, MPOs and RPAs. The Federal-aid Overview Seminar is broken into two days for each training.
Day 1 will be focused on Pre-Construction activities, including Project Programming, Project Concept, Environmental Overview, Project Development, Right-of-Way, and Letting. (Agenda - coming soon)
Day 2 will focus on Construction Inspection and Contract Administration, including Construction Inspection, Contract Administration, Materials inspection, Doc Express®, Appia®, and Project Close-out. (Agenda - coming soon)
The following trainings will be held:
January 22-23 in Boone - Fareway Conference Center, Cobblestone Inn & Suites (Central Region)
Attendees may choose to attend Day 1 or Day 2 or both days, depending on each individual’s role in Federal-aid projects. These seminars are in-person only. Please encourage ALL of your staff who work on Federal-aid projects to attend, at least for one day depending on their job duties.
APPIA for Local Public Agencies
Appia is a web-based application used to facilitate the administration and documentation of construction projects. This training is designed for all local agency and consultant staff who are involved in the construction inspection and administration process.
The class will include an overview of the application, a demonstration of the application, and a hands-on training exercise. This class is meant for new users and those who need more than a refresher.
This is an IN PERSON training. Participants will be required to bring their own wireless-capable electronic device, such as a tablet or laptop. A phone is not suitable for this training.
The use of Appia will be required for cities starting with the April 2025 letting for DOT-let projects. The use of Appia has been required for counties since the April 2022 letting on all Iowa DOT-administered projects. If a city or county staff member who performs construction inspection or administration has not yet attended an Appia training, they need to attend one of these. All local agency personnel are encouraged to attend if they have not attended an Appia training within the last few years.
All classes will be held from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, with check-in starting at 8:45 AM.
January 15 – Manning, Timmerman Shelter House (Park Ave)
February 3 – Washington Public Library, Nicola Stoufer Room (115 W Washington St)
February 20 – Ames, District 1 DOT Training Garage (57073 US Hwy 30, use new exit and frontage road for access)
March 11 – Monticello City Hall, Council Chambers (200 East First Street)
April 2 – Ames, District 1 DOT Training Garage (57073 US Hwy 30, use new exit and frontage road for access)
April 24 – Des Moines, Des Moines Municipal Services Center (1551 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway)
Register for Appia trainings through WorkDay Learning. Instructions are at the top of the page.
Please contact Niki Stinn, Local Systems Secondary Road Engineer, at niki.stinn@iowadot.us with any questions pertaining to these trainings.
Contract Administration training is available through the Iowa Department of Transportation Technical Training and Certification Program (TTCP). The Training Manuals and the accompanying PowerPoint presentations are available for use by engineers and inspectors who were unable to attend the course and need the information. Access to these documents does not replace the recommendation to take the trainings; attendance at the trainings is tracked. These are intended as reference only, to be used until the next year’s training becomes available.
Iowa DOT has a Developmental Specification for Electronic Ticketing, DS-23032. Below is a 47-minute, recorded webinar from May 2023, hosted by Matt Miller, the E-Construction Administrator for the Construction and Materials Bureau at Iowa DOT.
The Transportation Program Management System (TPMS) Development program used by our cities and counties has been upgraded in coordination with other internal DOT systems. Additionally, the web-based Bid Item Application (BIA) tool will no longer be supported; instead, project bid items will be entered within the new TPDev 2020 program. The Iowa County Engineers Association (ICEA) Service Bureau has hosted and recorded training videos to help users navigate the new system. Short, subject-specific TPMS instructional videos will eventually be posted within the Help menu of TPMS.
Please keep in mind that with this large of a system transition, there will be bumps along the way. Our goal is to make it as painless as possible. For questions, please reach out to the following:
Questions about coordinating turn-in of plans with the DOT staff:
View Street Finance Report (SFR) training options. In-person classes may be limited to room size. Additional classes may be added if the current offerings become full.
Federal-aid Training Resources for Local Agencies in Iowa
Federal-aid Overview Seminar
The Local Systems Bureau conducts the Federal-aid Overview Seminar as part of the Iowa DOT’s administration and oversight of Local Public Agency (LPA) Federal-aid projects. The Overview Seminar is for LPAs and consultant staff. It provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of the Federal-aid project development and construction, and is based on the Local Systems Bureau's Federal-aid Project Development Guide and Instructional Memorandums (IMs).
Contract Administration
Projects let through Iowa DOT follow Iowa DOT Specifications. Projects involving Federal-aid involve additional contract administration requirements tied to the federal funding. Failure to properly document the progress of a project may result in loss of Federal-aid for that project and may jeopardize the utilization of Federal-aid on future projects. While the above Federal-aid Overview Seminar provides an overview of all aspects of the Federal-aid project development and construction, Iowa DOT also offers three additional, and more detailed construction Contract Administration courses. These course descriptions and details on how to sign up for the Contract Administration courses can be found in the Technical Training Certification Program (TTCP) Information and Registration Book. Local Systems highly recommends these trainings for anyone administering Federal-aid projects. Additional resources are available on the Local Systems Bureau website under Instructional Memorandums and Federal-Aid Guide and Post-Letting Resources.
Iowa DOT Certifications & Recertifications
Iowa DOT Technical Training and Certification Program (TTCP) provides training courses in the areas of construction and materials. The program includes certifications for agencies, industry, producers, and consultants for highway materials testing and inspection. For additional details including the current TTCP Registration Book, program updates, and contact information visit the TTCP section of the website.
The TC3 Trainings you see on the above list are through Iowa DOT’s AASHTO Membership and, as such, only available to Iowa DOT Employees. For entities outside the Iowa DOT, these same courses can be purchased through the AASHTO Store. Some of these TC3 courses (also sometimes referred to as TTS Courses) are available for FREE to LPAs through a national partnership between AASHTO, FHWA, and LTAP. Please visit LTAP’s Website for additional details.
Iowa DOT also offers four construction field inspection courses. Additional information can be found in the TTCP Registration Book, listed under “What other classes are offered?”. Each is a two-day live class taught by subject matter experts from our Iowa DOT Construction and Materials Bureau. New inspectors for LPAs, and consultants in their employ can register and attend for FREE. Capacity is limited, so please do not sign up unless you plan to attend.
Grading Field Inspection
HMA Paving Field Inspection
PCC Paving Field Inspection
Structural Field Inspection.
Federal-aid Essentials
More and more, transportation agencies must pursue better, faster, and smarter ways of doing business. Federal-aid Essentials offers a central online library of informational videos and resources, designed specifically for LPAs. Each video addresses a single topic, condensing the complex regulations and requirements of the Federal-aid Highway Program into easy-to-understand concepts and illustrated examples.
Note: The information in the videos was developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for a national audience and is very general. Iowa may have more specific requirements that will need to be followed. Therefore, LPA Federal-aid projects in Iowa should always follow the procedures provided in our IMs.
Local Technical Assistance Program
Iowa's Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), which is part of the Institute for Transportation (InTrans) at Iowa State University, is dedicated to helping Iowa's local governments keep up with growing demands on local roads, streets, bridges, and public transportation. The Iowa LTAP provides technical and management assistance to Iowa's local transportation officials through a variety of programs and training opportunities. For example, LTAP has many of their previously recorded webinars , many of which are available for free on-demand. This includes a very basic, 6-webinar series on Basic Construction Inspection for those who are new to construction inspection.
