The department may select projects for development that it believes would benefit from the formation of a public-private partnership under the TIP program, and present a draft request for proposals for the selected project or projects to the commission for review and approval to proceed with a solicitation. In making its recommendation of projects for solicitation, the department should seek those that offer the greatest potential to accelerate cost-effective delivery of the project, promote innovative approaches to delivering the project, provide a means of financing for the project that might not otherwise be readily available under a traditional project delivery process, or otherwise meet the policy goals established in RCW 47.29.040. Before approving any projects proposed for solicitation, the commission must ensure that the projects are included in the Washington transportation plan or otherwise identified by the commission as being a priority need for the state.