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

7. Addressing Needs on the National Level

The weakness and related implementation plan actions identified in common by many State DOTs and their partners suggests an agenda of needs for research, guidance, and training. Consistent with the capability dimensions, this agenda is focused on process and institutional improvements that are not substantially addressed by existing support materials developed among peers or by AASHTO, FHWA, or other entities. There is very little support material targeting culture-related issues (see Best Practices above and References below). Suggestions are presented in Table 7.1.

Table 7.1 Suggested National Activities to Support Improvements in Culture

Activity	Culture Element	Sponsor(s)	Comments
Develop resources and collect examples of TSM&O business cases	Technical Understanding and Business Case Outreach – Internal and External	FHWA, AASHTO, NOCoE	Build on material already included in the NOCoE web site and incorporate case studies and B/C material from ITS Joint Program Office and FHWA web sites
Support appropriate level of national consistency in “branding” TSM&O as key transportation agency function	Technical Understanding and Business Case Outreach – Internal and External	FHWA, AASHTO, NOCoE	Ensure that external communications from both to the public use common language and most effective examples
Establish regular forum for State DOT leadership (chief engineers, district engineers) to discuss TSM&O-related issues and provide a group of peers for potential peer exchanges	Leadership/Champions	FHWA, AASHTO, NOCoE	No TSM&O forum for agency leadership exists (top management is not often involved in any peer-to-peer discussion in AASHTO, Regional Operations Forums, etc.)
Identify and communicate payoffs from new forms of public-private partnerships, including towing and recovery incentives and travel data	Policy/Program Status/Authorities	FHWA, AASHTO, NOCoE	Many DOTs remain unaware of the dramatic payoffs from these types of arrangements
Identify and communicate the impact of operations and technology focus continuity across TSM&O and connected vehicles (CV)	Technical Understanding and Business Case Outreach – Internal and External	FHWA, AASHTO, NOCoE, TRB, transportation associations	Public interest in CV can be used as a “hook” to support TSM&O by noting the baseline TSM&O functions that support various CV applications

NOCoE – National Operations Center of Excellence
TRB – Transportation Research Board