The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter,
have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise.
  (1) Consultant Certification Information System (CCIS)--A
computer system used to collect and store information related to the
department's certification of providers.
  (2) Consultant selection team (CST)--The department's
team that evaluates statements of qualification and interviews and
selects the provider based on demonstrated qualifications.
  (3) Department--The Texas Department of Transportation.
  (4) Executive director--The executive director of the
department.
  (5) Interview and Contract Guide (ICG)--A document
provided by the department to short-listed providers that includes
instructions to prepare for the interview.
  (6) Managing office--The department's organizational
sub-unit responsible for overseeing the provider selection, leading
the contract negotiations, administering the contract, and processing
invoices.
  (7) Managing officer--The head of a managing office.
  (8) Non-listed category (NLC)--A formal classification,
developed by a managing office, used to define a specific sub-discipline
of work and provide the minimum technical qualifications for performing
the work. NLCs address project-specific work categories not covered
by the standard work categories.
  (9) Notice of intent (NOI)--A public announcement that
advertises the department's intent to enter into an architectural,
engineering, or surveying contract and provides instructions for preparation
and submittal of a statement of qualification generally referred to
as a solicitation.
  (10) Precertification--A department process conducted
to verify that a provider meets the minimum technical requirements
to perform work under a standard work category.
  (11) Prime provider--A firm that provides or proposes
to provide architectural, engineering, or surveying services under
contract with the state.
  (12) Provider--A prime provider or subprovider.
  (13) Relative importance factor (RIF)--The numerical
weight assigned to an evaluation criterion, used by the consultant
selection team to score statements of qualification and interviews.
  (14) Request for qualification (RFQ)--A public announcement
that advertises the department's intent to enter into an architectural,
engineering, or surveying contract and provides instructions for the
preparation and submittal of a statement of qualification generally
referred to as a solicitation.
  (15) Short list--The list of prime providers most qualified
to perform the services specified in an RFQ, as demonstrated by the
statement of qualification scores.
  (16) Solicitation--A request for qualification.
  (17) Standard work category--A formal classification,
developed by the department, used to define a specific sub-group of
work and provide the minimum technical qualifications for performing
the work.
  (18) Statement of qualification (SOQ)--A document prepared
by a prime provider, submitted in response to a request for qualification.

  (19) Subprovider--A firm that provides or supports,
or proposes to provide or support, architectural, engineering, or
surveying services under contract with a prime provider.