§ 42-13-2. Organization and functions of the department.
(a) The department shall be organized in accordance with a project management-based program
and shall utilize an asset management system.
(1) A project management-based program manages the delivery of the department's portfolio
of transportation improvement projects from project conception to the project completion.
Project management activities include:
(i) Managing and reporting on the delivery status of portfolio projects;
(ii) Developing overall workload and budget for the portfolio;
(iii) Developing and implementing the tools to estimate the resources necessary to deliver
the projects; and
(iv) Developing and implementing processes and tools to improve the management of the projects.
(2) Asset management is the process used for managing transportation infrastructure by
improving decision making for resource allocation. Asset management activities include
a systemic process based on economic, engineering, and business principles which includes
the following functions:
(i) Completing a comprehensive inventory of system assets;
(ii) Monitoring system performance; and
(iii) Performing analysis utilizing accurate data for managing various assets within the
transportation network.
(b) The director of transportation shall appoint a chief operating officer to oversee
the day-to-day operations of the department.
(c) The department shall be organized into such divisions as are described in this section
and such other divisions, subdivisions, and agencies as the director shall find are
necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the department, including: division
of finance; division of planning; division of project management; division of operations
and maintenance; office of civil rights; office of safety; office of external affairs;
office of legal; office of personnel; and office of information services.
(d) The director may assign such other responsibilities as the director shall find appropriate
and may reassign functions other than as set out in this section if the director finds
the reassignment necessary to the proper and efficient functioning of the department
or of the state's transportation system.
(e) The department shall submit a report annually no later than March 31 to the speaker
of the house, the president of the senate, and the house and senate fiscal advisors
concerning the status of the ten-year (10) transportation plan.
(f) Any functions, duties, and staff relating to the Rhode Island department of transportation's
external audit section shall be transferred to the Rhode Island department of administration's
office of internal audit and program integrity, or its successor, upon passage [Feb.
11, 2016].
(1) The chief of the office of internal audit and program integrity, or its successor,
who shall be the administrative head of the office of internal audit and program integrity,
or its successor, shall supervise, coordinate, and/or conduct audits, civil and administrative
investigations, and inspections or oversight reviews, when necessary, relating to
programs and operations listed in this section.
(2) The office of internal audit and program integrity's (or its successor's) authorization
shall include, but not be limited to, evaluating the efficiency of operations and
internal controls, preventing and detecting fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement
in the expenditure of public funds, whether state, federal, or those revenues collected
by the use of tolls and related to any and all transportation-related programs and
operations as well as the procurement of any supplies, services, or construction,
by the department of transportation or related institutions of the department of transportation.
Investigations may include the expenditures by nongovernmental agencies of federal,
state, and local public funds. As deemed necessary or expedient by the office of internal
audit and program integrity, or its successor, audits may be made relative to the
financial affairs or the economy and efficiency of management of the department of
transportation or related institutions.