Prince William County’s Facilities & Fleet Management and Public Works Departments Earn Reaccreditation from American Public Works Association

The Prince William County Department of Facilities and Fleet Management, or FFM, and the Department of Public Works were recently reaccredited by the American Public Works Association, or APWA, which formally verified and recognized that both departments fully comply with management practices outlined in APWA’s Public Works Management Practices Manual.  

The purpose of APWA accreditation is to promote excellence in the operation and management of a public works agency, its programs and its employees. Accreditation is designed to assist the agency in the continuous improvement of operations and management and in providing a valid and objective evaluation of agency programs as a service to the public and the profession.  

“Facilities and Fleet Management and Public Works successfully completed its reaccreditation evaluation with the American Public Works Association,” said Prince William County Director of Facilities and Fleet Management Matt Villareale. “We had two evaluators and a staff member from APWA review our submission. They reviewed 80 management practices and found us to be fully compliant with all of them.”   

All government agencies responsible for public works functions can apply for APWA accreditation, which lasts four years. During that period, organizations submit semi-annual updates to show compliance with APWA standards, with reaccreditation opportunities every four years.  

“Accreditation provides an opportunity for FFM and Public Works to compare their operations against national standards. FFM and Public Works are being proactive in ensuring they are current with new operational standards and improving existing ones,” Villareale said. “Ultimately, this leads to a better experience for the residents and employees utilizing our facilities and fleet. Over the last four years and especially the last six months, a lot of work was completed to make this successful.” 

The accreditation process includes five steps: 

•  Self-Assessment: Using the Public Works Management Practices Manual, the agency conducts an internal review of its practices and compares them to the recommended practices in the manual. 

• Application: A formal application is submitted once the agency commits to the accreditation process. 

• Improvement: The agency addresses areas needing improvement to meet the recommended practices. 

• Evaluation: Following the completion of the improvement phase, the agency will request a site visit. The site visit will consist of a review and evaluation of the agency to determine the level of compliance with all applicable practices. 

• Accreditation: The Accreditation Council will review the site visit results and recommendations, and the team will vote on awarding or denying accreditation. 

“This is the third APWA reaccreditation for Public Works, since earning our inaugural accreditation in 2012. Upholding this honor indicates our commitment to improving our organizational framework, holding ourselves accountable and gaining the community’s trust in our ability to deliver prompt and quality services,” Prince William County Director of Public Works Khattab Shammout said. “But we’re not done yet—we plan to continue building upon these standards and create a sustainable community where anyone can live, work and enjoy.”  

Prince William County Executive Chris Shorter praised the departments, stating, "We are incredibly proud of our Public Works and FFM departments for their reaccreditation, which underscores our county's commitment for excellence. Our county staff works tirelessly to ensure that county residents are well served, and this reaccreditation serves as proof of that commitment." 

Find out more information about FFM at pwcva.gov/ffm and Public Works at pwcva.gov/publicworks.