WORK ZONE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT: MAKING IT HAPPEN IN YOUR AGENCY

Performance measurement can significantly improve work zone safety and operations. However, measurement does not just "happen." Effective work zone performance measurement occurs when an agency plans for it and incorporates it into its overall organizational processes. As stated earlier, such processes should be based on an agency’s understanding of:

What is being measured,
How it is being measured, and
Why it is being measured.

Several good sources of information exist that are relevant to how to set up a work zone performance measurement program (9, 19, 20, 21). The following is a compilation of key steps that will facilitate agency efforts to implement work zone performance measurement.

Identify and Engage Stakeholders and Other Work Zone Performance Measure Users

Agencies should begin their efforts to implement work zone performance measurement by determining those who can use and benefit from having good measures. This may include representatives from several divisions and offices within the agency as well as stakeholders outside of the agency. This group should be brought together to discuss and define the following:

Needs for work zone performance measures,
Work zone performance goals or targets (based on policy and procedures), and
"Champions" for performance measurement.

This group helps to establish the "why" for work zone performance measurement. The group may also help to define how the measures will be used once they are available, such as to update requirements for monitoring in transportation management plans (TMPs) or in project plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&Es).

Pick Work Zone Performance Measures

This step answers the "what" for work zone performance measurement. The information provided in this primer identifies several types of measures that can be used. Typically, it is more useful to select a limited number of key measures to track, rather than to try to follow a large number of measures that are related to each other. A target should be associated with each measure so that everyone knows what equates to success.

Identify Data Sources

This step is critical to the success of work zone performance measurement implementation. An agency may identify a very good performance measure, but not be able to obtain the data needed to compute and track it. It may be necessary to iterate between this step and the previous one to determine what measures will meet the needs of the agency and have the data necessary to compute them. Information provided in this primer can help an agency in determining what data it has available or can easily obtain to support work zone performance measurement. Whenever available, agencies should make use of existing data sources, such as real-time traffic sensor data from regional transportation management centers and already-established third-party agreements for travel time data, for its work zone performance measurement efforts.

Define Analysis Requirements

In this step, an agency determines specifically how the data obtained will be translated to the desired work zone performance measures. Answers to questions such as the number of projects to monitor, the process to be used for selecting projects, the monitoring frequency of those projects, and the sample sizes of data to be obtained are resolved at this point.

Assign Roles and Responsibilities

At this point, an agency should determine who will have responsibility for doing the data collection, analysis, and documentation of the performance measures. Typically, this step will have budgetary implications, since staff time and other resources will be needed. Determining where the funding will come from to support this effort is important at this stage, and is why it is important to determine who the champions for work zone performance measurement are within the agency and among the other stakeholders.

Define Methods for Disseminating the Results

This step is sometimes overlooked, but is very critical to the successful implementation of work zone performance measurement. Given that an agency has already determined the needs for performance measures, decisions are made at this step as to the best methods for getting those measures to those who need the information. In some cases, it may be desirable to make the measures available to the public or to other external users. In these instances, the use of "dashboard"-type displays of key measures on an agency’s website may be appropriate (22) . In other cases, the agency may incorporate the results into its annual report. In still other cases, regular updates of the measures may be provided via email or through official memoranda to key users within and outside of the organization.

Review and Refine Measures as Needed

This process should not be considered a "one-and-done" activity. Rather, it is an iterative process that continually improves work zone performance measurement. Changes in performance measurement needs, data sources, and improved knowledge and understanding of how to use the measures to improve agency operations will undoubtedly occur over time. An agency can take an incremental approach to work zone performance measurement, selecting a few key measures to target initially, and then revising or adding to those measures as understanding of them and of their value to the agency increases. Agencies should plan to revisit their work zone performance measurement program on a regular basis. One opportunity for regular review is during a work zone process review, which is required every two years by 23 CFR 630 Subpart J (1).

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