2.0 DATA SOURCE, AVAILABILITY, AND RISKS

2.1 Data Source

The telecommuting element of the Minnesota UPA is funded by the state, with no federal resources. The Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota is overseeing the telecommuting, ROWE, and flexible work arrangements program. As a result, the data for the telecommuting analysis will be obtained from the Humphrey Institute and their contractors.

The Minnesota UPA telecommuting program elements and process are outlined in two documents – Urban Partnership Agreement Telecommuting Program for the Twin Cities² and Telework Initiative Implementation Plan.³ The scope of the program has been expanded from the target of 500 telecommuters in the I-35W corridor identified in the Minnesota UPA term sheet to a metropolitan-wide focus. The term telework is being used to implement the program as it appears to better resonate with employers.

The goal outlined in the Implementation Plan is to promote increased use of telework, ROWE, and flexible work scheduling to reduce peak period commuting by eliminating trips or shifting travel to off-peak hours. The identified target is to establish or expand telework programs to retain a minimum of 2,700 employee participants for at least three months. The focus is on mid- to large-sized employers.

The five Transportation Management Organizations (TMOs) in the region are conducting the telework recruiting activities. The TMOs are Downtown Minneapolis, Anoka County, I-494 Commuter Services, St. Paul Smart-trips, and Metro Transit Commuter Services. CultureRx LLC, which is a consulting firm specializing in the adoption of ROWE, is also responsible for working with employers interested in implementing ROWE. The implementation plan includes five task teams to develop, implement, manage, and evaluate the program. The task teams focus on project management, marketing and branding, recruitment, consulting and training, and evaluation.

The Humphrey Institute is monitoring and evaluating all elements of the telework program, including employee productivity, employer costs, and other factors for all participating employers. The national UPA evaluation has a narrower focus. The national evaluation team is interested in the impacts of the telework program on traffic congestion in the I-35W corridor. As a result, the national evaluation is interested is the number of employees currently using I-35W who switch to telework, ROWE, or alternative work arrangements, thereby eliminating trips from I-35W or changing travel times to less congested time periods.

As described in this test plan, data on employers and their employees participating in the telework, ROWE, and flexible work arrangements program will be obtained from the Humphrey Institute. The surveys to be used to fully assess the influence of the telecommuting, ROWE, and flexible work arrangements program are presented in the Survey, Interviews, and Focus Groups Test Plan.

Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs Participating Employer and Employee Records. The data source for this test plan is the employers participating in the telework, ROWE, and flexible work arrangements program. Information from these employers on participating employees will also be used as available.

The Humphrey Institute will maintain records on the total number of employers and employees in the program. Table 2-1 provides an outline of the data the national evaluation needs from the Humphrey Institute on an ongoing basis to track participating employers and employees. Use of this table is intended to provide an easy mechanism for obtaining updated information on employers and their employees participating in the telecommuting elements of the Minnesota UPA.

Table 2-1. Basic Information on Participating Employers

Participating Company
Address
Location
I-35W Corridor
Downtown Minneapolis
I-494 Corridor
Other
Type of Telecommuting
ROWE
Telework
Alternative Work Arrangement
Number of Employees
Number of Eligible Employees
Number of Participating Employees
Number of Participating Employees Using I-35W in Commute

2.2 Data Availability

The data needed to identify employers and employees participating in telework, ROWE, and flexible work arrangements will be provided monthly by the Humphrey Institute and maintained in a database. For each participating employer, the information in Table 2-1 will be provided by the Humphrey Institute to the Battelle team on a monthly basis throughout the project.

2.3 Potential Risks

There do not appear to be any significant risks associated with obtaining information on the employers participating in the telework, ROWE, and flexible work arrangements program from the Humphrey Institute. The telecommuting program involves ongoing marketing, recruitment, participation, and evaluation. Marketing activities and recruiting employers and employees have been initiated. Two major employers, Fairview Hospital and Hennepin County, have begun participating. The ongoing nature of the program, with employers and employees joining at different times throughout the pre- and post-deployment period of other UPA projects, may cause some scheduling challenges for the national evaluation. To help mitigate any potential risks, members of the Battelle team will remain in regular contact with researchers at the Humphrey Institute to ensure the ongoing exchange of information.

² Urban Partnership Agreement Telecommuting Program for the Twin Cities, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, March 3, 2009.
³ Telework Initiative Implementation Plan, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, and SRF Consulting, April 17, 2009.