Improving Transportation Systems Management and Operations – Capability Maturity Model Workshop White Paper – Collaboration

Appendix: Steps to Implement Common Implementation Plan Priority Actions for Collaboration Dimension

The steps listed below implement the most common priority actions identified by workshop participants when developing their implementation plans. Although the actions themselves are not stated, they generally address improvement in each of the collaboration elements. The steps for each action were developed by the workshop site core team, assisted by a template of facilitator-supplied suggested steps based on workshop outputs, and structured consistent with the basic CMM guidance presented in the AASHTO TMCs Guidance.

Public Safety Agency Collaboration

1. Establish a committee that meets regularly to discuss TMCs and encourage dissemination of TMCs knowledge. Develop goals for this committee and outline the issues it would address. Explore the possibility of using existing committees to expand TMCs responsibilities and roles. Establish a TIM Working Group to provide a forum for developing a coordinated TIM plan.
2. Review peer State TIM programs and coordination efforts to identify successful practices to engage and sustain involvement of TIM partners, program structures, effective strategies for promoting TIM, and successful practices for overcoming challenges or roadblocks.
3. Establish a more formal structure and means of interaction where established relationships already promote some good coordination on TIM processes. Identify those areas that need additional outreach and engagement and formulate a strategy to build TIM coordination processes. Consider corridor-level TIM programs.
4. Identify specific operational agreements for TIM that outline roles and responsibilities for different responders. Explore feasibility of updating current mutual aid agreements to include TMCs objectives.
5. Develop mutually acceptable performance metrics to establish a basis for measuring the relationship between changes in procedures and improved performance.
6. Collect and analyze performance data for incidents, emergencies, and events of different types.
7. Establish a process for consistent debriefings after major incidents (crashes, storms) involving multiple responder agencies. Leverage example processes from a peer State review. Identify champions/co-champions from TIM responders to support this effort. Engage senior management/executive level personnel from local police, sheriff, or fire agencies (as appropriate on a regional basis).
8. Identify gaps or challenges in furthering collaboration for TMCs, initially with traffic incident management. Identify additional constraints to partnering where there has been resistance or lack of involvement.
9. Document data sharing issues, including current data sharing arrangements, and institutional barriers to sharing data among partners to support TMCs needs. Consider leveraging a Performance Measure data plan to address some of these issues.

MPO/RTPA/Local Government Collaboration

1. Establish a committee that meets regularly to discuss TMCs and encourage dissemination of TMCs knowledge. Develop goals for this committee and outline the issues it would address. Explore the possibility of using existing committees to expand TMCs responsibilities and roles. Identify lead for championing staff participation/getting on meeting agendas.
2. Encourage creation of an operations committee/group within the organization.
3. Develop mutually acceptable performance metrics to establish a basis for measuring the relationship between changes in procedures and improved performance. Collect and analyze performance data for incidents, emergencies, and events of different types.
4. Identify information transfer needs and reach agreement on data items, formats, and sequences and how information will be communicated at each stage in incident and emergency management.
5. Engage in continuing discussions with local agencies regarding sharing of closed circuit television camera and surveillance information.
6. Engage in continuing discussions with local agencies to promote signal systems and highway coordination.
7. Establish a major incident and emergency debriefing process for review and rationalization of responsibilities and procedures.
8. Explore the possibility of Computer Aided Dispatch information integration as a method for improving prompt incident identification while addressing potential interoperability issues, reluctance, and privacy concerns. Identify potential pilot opportunity to advance automating this information exchange.
9. Selectively put formal agreements and goals in place regarding regional operations, incident management, etc., where the benefit of securing program/activity sustainability can be confirmed.
10. Identify approaches to improved interstate collaboration in multistate metro or corridor contexts.