Frequently Asked Questions: Project Tracker

Follow these steps to estimate the average time to receive a Project Review Report (PRR):

1. Navigate to the Project Tracker and scroll to the “Average Processing Times and Targeted Service-Level Agreements (SLA)” section.
2. Identify the right table for your project type: either “Energy and Industrial approaches (E and I)” or “Natural Climate Solutions (NCS),” depending on which category applies to your project activities.
3. Identify the applicable request type (i.e., registration, verification, registration and verification, pipeline listing, withdrawal, or exemption) and the corresponding row.
   • To calculate the average time to receive a PRR, proceed as follows:
   • If your project is in the first review round, add together the numbers in the “Average” columns for “Document Completeness Check”, “In Queue,” “Technical Review Stage 1,” and “Technical Review Stage 2.”
   • If your project is in the second or third review round, add together the numbers in the “Average” columns for “Response Received”, “Technical Review Stage 1,” and “Technical Review Stage 2,”

The sum of the numbers is the average number of business days it has taken for proponents of similar project requests to receive a PRR.

Example: For an NCS project requesting registration where the project is in the first review round, the calculation of the average time to receive a PRR might be as follows (the below numbers in the example below are hypothetical, please refer to the Project Tracker for the current numbers):

Days for “Document Completeness Check”: 5

+ Days for “In Queue”: 19
+ Days for “Technical Review Stage 1”: 23
+ Days for “Technical Review Stage 2”: 19
= 66 business days to receive a PRR

Note: For each stage in the review process, the Project Tracker lists average timelines (“Average”) and targeted processing times (“Targeted SLA”).

The “Average” column shows the rolling average of the project review times at each stage for cases closed in the last three months. This information helps proponents estimate when they can expect their PRRs. We cannot predict exact dates.

A review round consists of a project going through Technical Review stages 1 and 2. It ends when findings are sent to the validation/verification body (VVB) or when the review is closed. If findings remain open (i.e., if not all concerns have been addressed or not all questions have been answered), the project goes through both Technical Review stages again. If there are still open findings after three review rounds, the project may be denied.

Verra’s review process varies by project request type as follows:

• Request for pipeline listing: Document Completeness Check, In Queue, Technical Review Stage 1 (TR1), and Public Comment Period (PCP) Opened/Closed
• Request for exemption or withdrawal: Document Completeness Check, In Queue, TR1, and, if necessary, Technical Review Stage 2 (TR2)
• Request for registration, verification, or registration and verification: Document Completeness Check, PCP Opened/Closed (PCP occurs at verification for the CCBS, SD VISta, and Plastic Programs only), In Queue, TR1, TR2, Pending VVB Input, and Response Received

In all requests other than pipeline listing, Verra may identify any non-conformities found during its review and send those to the VVB (resulting in the stage “Pending VVB Input”). When a VVB addresses the non-conformities identified by Verra in a Project Review Report (PRR), it returns revised documents to Verra, and the request enters the stage “Response Received.” When a Verra reviewer is available, the request will progress through TR1 and, if necessary, TR2. Where the findings are addressed to Verra’s satisfaction, Verra approves the request and notifies the project proponent (or authorized representative) and validation/verification body.

The following factors impact project review timelines: project type, project size, methodology, and the quality and completeness of the submitted project documents.

Requests from projects using both the VCS and CCBS Programs are conducted separately, but their results are combined into one PRR, which is then sent to the VVB.

Projects for which review requests are closed are by default not being displayed in the Project Tracker. Please check the “Include Closed Cases” box on the top left-hand corner of the Project Tracker to view these projects.

If you are still experiencing problems finding a project in the Project Tracker, please email info@verra.org.