NEM & Texas Supplements

Abbreviations

100

This abbreviation stands for the quality assurance process governing an employee's authorized scope for engineering practices.

What is EJAA (Engineering Job Approval Authority)?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX500.1(I) (TXNEM Supp... p. 1) & NEM Part 501.0(C) (National E... p. 12)

200

This federal rule framework dictates how Value Engineering Change Proposals are handled in Texas NRCS Federal contracts.

What is the FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation)?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX500.1(K) (TXNEM Supp... p. 1) & TX512.3(D)(1) (TXNEM Supp... p. 34)

300

This state agency manages Texas dam safety regulations and collaborates with the NRCS on formal inspections via a memorandum of understanding.

What is the TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX500.1(HH) (TXNEM Supp... p. 2) & TX503.59 (TXNEM Supp... p. 25)

400

This core national policy dictates that all engineering work performed by or for the NRCS must conform to this manual.

What is the National Engineering Manual (NEM)?

• Reference: NEM Part 500, Section 500.2 (National E... p. 11)

500

This type of data can only be used for practice design when procedures in a specific National Instruction are followed.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Data

- Reference: TXNEM 540.3

Authorizations

100

Texas NRCS policy enforces this hard restriction regarding the delegation of engineering authority to non-NRCS employees.

What is that non-NRCS employees shall not be delegated engineering authority?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX501, Subpart A, Section TX501.1(B) (TXNEM Supp... p. 3)

200

For individuals in their present position for less than 3 years, their engineering job approval authority must be reviewed and updated at this frequency.

What is annually?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX501.4(B)(7)(a) (TXNEM Supp... p. 5) & NEM Part 501.4(B)(7) (National E... p. 14)

300

This official retains the ultimate delegated engineering job approval authority for all engineering work carried out within the state of Texas.

Who is the State Conservation Engineer (SCE)?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX501.4(B) (TXNEM Supp... p. 3) & NEM Part 501.4(A) (National E... p. 13)

400

This is the maximum design approval job class that can generally be delegated to a non-licensed NRCS engineer.

What is Class IV?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX501, Subpart A, Section TX501.4(B)(6) (Table 1) (TXNEM Supp... p. 5)

500

An employee must have this level or higher of design EJAA in order for it to remain in effect during the 6-month transition period after transferring to another Zone within Texas.

What is EJAA job class II.

- Reference: TXNEM 501.4 B 9

Design Reviews

100

For Class I and II engineering jobs in Texas, this specific type of technical verification must be performed by someone other than the designer.

What is a computational check?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX501, Subpart A, Section TX501.5(A)(3) (Table 2) (TXNEM Supp... p. 7)

200

To act as the official design reviewer for a Class III or Class IV job, an employee must possess this level of EJAA.

What is an EJAA level equal to or greater than the job class being reviewed?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX501, Subpart A, Section TX501.5(A)(3) (Table 2) (TXNEM Supp... p. 7)

300

A Class V design review in Texas must be completed and documented by an individual holding this specific credential.

What is a Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in Texas?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX501, Subpart A, Section TX501.5(A)(3) (Table 2) (TXNEM Supp... p. 7)

400

Class VI designs must be submitted directly to this individual or their designee for formal technical review prior to approval.

Who is the State Conservation Engineer (SCE)?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX501, Subpart A, Section TX501.5(A)(3) (Table 2) (TXNEM Supp... p. 7)

500

National policy dictates that a Class VIII job cannot be approved by the State Conservation Engineer without the prior technical review and concurrence of this official.

Who is the Director of the Conservation Engineering Division (CED)?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX501.5(A)(3) (Table 2) (TXNEM Supp... p. 7) & NEM Part 501.4(C)(3) (National E... p. 14)

Utilities Inventory

100

This specific number must be physically called by a contractor to initiate an underground utility location request in the field.

What is 811?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX503, Subpart A, Section TX503.2(E)(4)(a) (TXNEM Supp... p. 24)

200

Due to severe liability risks, NRCS personnel are strictly forbidden from providing these to a cooperator or contractor for utility location requests.

What are GPS (or GNSS) coordinates?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX503, Subpart A, Section TX503.2(E)(3) (TXNEM Supp... p. 23)

300

This administrative action can occur if a cooperator fails to submit Form TX-ENG-80B.

What is the termination of NRCS assistance for the practice?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX503.4(C)(2) (TXNEM Supp... p. 24) & NEM Part 503.4(A)(5) (National E... p. 28)

400

This critical engineering milestone must not begin until Form TX-ENG-80B has been completed, returned, signed, and dated by an NRCS employee.

What is final construction staking of the practice?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX503, Subpart A, Section TX503.4(C)(3) (TXNEM Supp... p. 24)

 

500

This safety directive must be followed immediately by all NRCS personnel if a dangerous utility is struck or ruptured during active construction operations.

What is to immediately evacuate the area?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX503, Subpart A, Section TX503.4(C)(5) (TXNEM Supp... p. 24)

Planning & Design

100

Under the Texas planning guidelines, appropriate engineering job approval authority is defined as any delegated design authority that is not designated as this word.

What is "None"?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX510, Section TX510.1(E) (TXNEM Supp... p. 32)

200

This administrative item must be prepared for all project work and all designs submitted to the State Office staff for review, regardless of the EJAA category.

What is a design folder and design report?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX511, Subpart B, Section TX511.10(B) (TXNEM Supp... p. 33)

300

All requests originating from field personnel seeking a State Office design review must be routed through this intermediate official.

Who is the Zone Engineer?

• Reference: TXNEM Part TX511, Subpart B, Section TX511.10(C) (TXNEM Supp... p. 33)

400

Policy mandates that this single component determines the overall engineering job classification when analyzing multiple design criteria.

What is the highest category of any single most-limiting factor?

• Reference: NEM Part 501, Subpart A, Section 501.4(D) (National E... p. 14)

500

All engineering designs can be divided into these 3 design stages.

Data Collection & Evaluation, Preliminary Design, and Final Design

- Reference: NEM 511.2