The Project Initiation Folder (aka Orange Folder) is a file folder (typically orange in color) that is circulated to initiate a project through the groups that provide project support, including design, Environment/Health/Safety, Facilities Operations, and the Facilities Environmental Planner, who oversees National Environmental Policy Act/California Environmental Quality Act (NEPA/CEQA) compliance. The folder may contain a routing sheet to initiate the assignment of project personnel and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) by their respective supervisors and managers.
The Project Coordinator is responsible for preparing the Project Initiation Folder, circulating it, and expediting the return of the folder to the Project Manager. Through this process, the project team is assigned and the NEPA/CEQA process is identified and/or resolved. A copy of the approved NEPA/CEQA documentation is kept in the project file; acknowledgment of completion of the review is made by the Environmental Planner in the Project Initiation Folder.
