Workforce Development

AASHTO CTE Annual MeetingJune 7, 2021

NCHRP Domestic Scans

• 18-02: Leading Practices in Modifying Agency Organization And Management To Accommodate Changing Transportation System Technologies

• 19-02: Leading Practices in Strategic Workforce Management by Transportation Agencies

NCHRP 20-68A “US Domestic Scan Program”

Domestic Scan 18-02“Leading Practices in Modifying Agency

Organization And Management To Accommodate Changing Transportation

System Technologies”Findings, Recommendations and Conclusion

AASHTO / NCHRP U.S. Domestic Scan Program

NCHRP 20-68A U. S. Domestic Scan Program

• The Program is a multi year project conducting 3-4 scans per year.• Each scan is selected by AASHTO and the NCHRP 20-68A Project

Panel• Each scan addresses a single technical topic of broad interest to

many state departments of transportation and other agencies• The purpose of each scan and of Project 20-68A as a whole is to

accelerate beneficial innovation by:– facilitating information sharing and technology exchange among

the states and other transportation agencies– identifying actionable items of common interest

AASHTO / NCHRPU.S. Domestic Scan Program

Scope for this Scan

“The scan will investigate how DOTs are changing theirorganizations, institutional arrangements, and managementpractices to improve transportation system performance throughadoption of new technologies. A diverse scan team—drawn frommaintenance, operations, and traffic engineering—will be tasked toreview the experience of DOTs or other agencies that have beennotably successful in their adoption of new technologies forintegrated corridor management, traffic incident management, androad-weather management, to explore the institutional andmanagement changes credited for the success and to extract lessonsthat can inform other agencies’ development.”

Anticipated Outcomes

“The scan report will provide guidance on leading practices forenhancing communications and coordination amongstmaintenance, operations, and traffic engineering staff and others,sharing of operational information across the organization andcase studies demonstrating these successes from agencies thathave been successful in establishing organizations that dealeffectively with changing transportation technology. The scanresults are likely to be of interest to several AASHTO committeesincluding the AASHTO Committees on Traffic Engineering,Construction, Maintenance and Transportation SystemOperations. .”

Scan TeamMichael Lewis –Scan Team ChairFormer Executive DirectorColorado DOT

Tom HarmanDirector, Center for Accelerating InnovationFederal Highway Administration

Scott MarlerDirector, Operations BureauIowa Department of Transportation

John Hibbard Director, Permits and Operations DivisionGeorgia DOT

Galen McGill Manager, Intelligent Transportation SystemsOregon Department of Transportation

John Nisbet Director & State Traffic Engineer Washington State DOT

Gene S. DonaldsonTMC Operations ManagerDelaware DOT

Rob Wight Director for Construction Utah DOT

Richard Roman Director, Bureau of Maintenance and Operations Pennsylvania DOT

Glenn BlackwelderTraffic Operations Engineer Utah DOT

William (Bill) Lambert Administrator/Traffic Engineer, Traffic DivisionNew Hampshire DOT

Anita Bush Chief Maintenance and Asset Management EngineerNevada DOT

Steve LundState Maintenance EngineerMinnesota Department of Transportation

Pamela Hutton, P.E. --SME

Marlon Spinks --AASHTO Liaison AASHTO Transportation Management Fellow (Michigan DOT)

AASHTO / NCHRP U.S. Domestic Scan Program

Scan 18-02 Team and Invited States/Agencies

SD

OR

CA

NV

UT

AZ

CO

NM

TX

OK

LA

MO

IL

WI

MN

WA

MI

INOH

PA

NY

TN

MS AL GA

SC

FL

NC

VA MDDC (FHWA, AASHTO)

DE

ME

MA

NHVT

KY

CTIA

WV

ID

ND

NJ

MT

KS

WY

NE

AR

RI

AK

HI

Team Member Home State

Host Agency State

Summary of Initial FindingsThe following represents these thematic areas and the team’s preliminary findings:

– Leadership and Cultural Traits of Highly Successful Organizations

– People – Knowledge, Skills and Abilities; and Strategies to Obtain These

– Organizational Structures – A Study of Principals– Business Processes Improvements– Performance Management – Collaboration at Its Finest

Leadership and Cultural Traits of Highly Successful Organizations

• Foster an environment of trust• Permission to make mistakes• Allows risk taking• Opportunistic• Articulates the need for change • Believes in good ideas• Learning organizations• Creates ambassadors• Communicates to the entire organization

People – Knowledge, Skills and Abilities; and Strategies to Attract Such• Required skill sets are evolving• Focus on technical skills and abilities• Cross-trained employees• Employees value career mobility• Employees and managers value flexibility • Recognize a need to recruit and retain a younger

workforce• Internal staff development is critical• Outsourcing of work may be necessary

Organizational Structures – A Study of Principals

• There is no perfect organizational structure• Cross cutting organizational structures can be

beneficial• Openness to Matrix and/or Traditional organization

structures • Matrix management blended HQ staff with regional• Organizational structure should focus on key

organizational priorities • Building cross-cutting relationships is a healthy practice• Embedding IT staff topical working units is beneficial• Organizational change driven access to information

Business Process Improvements

• Business improvement cycles are essential• Use of Non-traditional procurement methods• New methods of funding and programming• Project development processes for TSMO • A focus on asset management for TSMO

Performance Management

• Actions must show benefits• Data must inform decisions• Expectations must be considered• Workforce satisfaction measures are useful• Performance measures must be relevant• The critical few – key measures• Cascading performance measures are useful

Collaboration at Its Finest

• Early and often engagement• Internal collaboration across organizational

boundaries• External partnerships should be comprehensive• University partnerships to develop the next

workforce• Private partnerships for new competencies and

skills• Legislative partnerships allow for the public use

of new technologies

Recommendations

• Leadership and Culturalo Consider an Organization Culture Self-Assessment o Integrating operations into agency culture

• People – Attract and Retain Talento Adopt and/or develop strategies for obtaining and maintaining core

competencieso Keep the most interesting projects in house as a strategy for retaining

and engaging employees.

Recommendations (cont.)

• Organizational Structures o Consider more flexible staff arrangementso Consider embedding IT and GIS staff within more

traditional work units o Consider the use of agency steering committees o Utilize proven change management techniques and

strategies.

Recommendations (cont.)• Business Processes Improvement Recommendations

o Be open to utilizing non-traditional procurement methods.o Consider asset management strategies for emerging technologyo Incorporate technology projects into the STP

• Performance Management Recommendationso Use data to augment the reporting of performance measureso Focus on a few key strategic measures

• Recommendations for Enhanced Collaborationo Seek to develop and enhance organizational and external

partnerships

Actions and Strategies Increase Awareness of Findings and Recommendations

• Present the preliminary findings and recommendations at several upcoming meetings and conferences

• Develop a series of news articles for the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)

• Develop a series of webinars for the NOCoE outreach program• Develop in-depth resource-based case studies• Conduct organizational based peer exchanges• Develop and incorporate a new leadership module for AASHTO’s Chief

Executive Officer (CEO) Orientation• Develop and incorporate a new leadership module for AASHTO’s

Executive Leadership Training• Incorporate technology strategies and data collection opportunities

within Every Day Counts (EDC)• Connection to Domestic Scan 19-02 Leading Practices in Strategic

Workforce Management by Transportation Agencies

Actions and Strategies (cont.)

Develop Tools and Resources to Support Organizational Leadership• Develop an Agency Culture Self-Assessment Tool• Develop a research-based needs assessment tool for a

technology driven agency• Develop an Operations Academy version 2.0• Develop an organizational based training module for the

Regional Operations Forums• Develop academic coursework

Actions and Strategies (cont.)

Develop Tools and Resources to Attract and Retain Talent• Review and update hiring practices • Standardized job descriptions for technology driven titles. • Develop a core competency versus prevailing wage matrix. • Develop a hiring manager satisfaction survey

Actions and Strategies (cont.)

Develop Tools and Resources for Organizational Change• Development of an organizational structure for technology

driven agencies training class. • Develop an organizational based change management classDevelop Tools and Resources to Support Business Process Improvement• Develop and offer coursework to standardize the asset

management for new technologies• Develop new processes for programming and funding

technology projects

Actions and Strategies (cont.)

Develop Tools and Resources to Support Enhanced Performance Management• Develop and offer a national class on using technology driven

data to enhance performance reporting • Develop a follow-on national class for the use of performance

measures to enhance and support overall agency management.

Develop Tools for Enhanced Collaboration• Develop and support processes for enhanced collaboration

Conclusion

In conclusion, this scan team found that the technology changes now and in the future, will drive organizational change.

They were quick to recall a famous quote, “Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.” -- Will Rogers.

AASHTO / NCHRPU.S. Domestic Scan Program

Further information on this scan and the NCHRP 20-68A U.S. Domestic Scan program

is available at:

http://144.171.11.40/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1570

Orhttp://www.domesticscan.org/

Questions?

AASHTO / NCHRPU.S. Domestic Scan Program

NCHRP 20-68D “US Domestic Scan Program”

Domestic Scan 19-02

“Leading Practices in Strategic Workforce Management by Transportation Agencies”

Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations

NCHRP Panel’s General Guidance to the Scan Team

“This scan will examine innovative strategic workforce management strategies DOTS are implementing, particularly those activities that can be quickly adopted and implemented to recruit, develop, and retain the workforce they need today and for the future……The scan team will consider common elements of strategic workforce management, such as skills metrics and forecasting, succession planning, employee development, employee wellness and engagement, employee recognition, recruitment, retention, diversity and inclusion, and change management. Outsourcing of functions historically performed within an agency may also be considered. The team must consider agency cultural differences and the context in which the strategic workforce management is applied.”

NCHRP Panel’s General Guidance to the Scan Team (Cont.)

“ This scan … is likely to be integrated with other NCHRP activities related to workforce development and knowledge management. The scan results are likely to be of interest to all of AASHTO committees but particularly to the AASHTO Committees on Agency Administration, Human Resources, Civil Rights, and Knowledge Management, as well as FHWA’s Center for Transportation Workforce Development. ”

Scan Team

Amanda Holland – Team ChairDeputy CommissionerAlaska Department of Administration

Karen A. BoboDirector, Center for Transportation Workforce Development Federal Highway Administration

Brian RobinsonDeputy Human Resources DirectorGeorgia DOT

John L. Hibbard, P.E. Operations Division Director Georgia DOT

Kendra M. Campbell, MSIS, PHR, SHRM-CPHRD-Compensation and HRIS ManagerTexas Department of Transportation

Lorri EconomyChief Learning OfficerUtah Department of Transportation

Rob Wight Region 1 DirectorUtah DOT

Ashley McGuckinChief, Division of Human ResourcesCalifornia Department of Transportation

Szandra KeszethelyiAssistant Division Chief, Human Resources. California Department of Transportation

Tammy J RobertsProject ManagerLeadership Program ReviewSafety and Management ServicesCalifornia Department of transportation

Craig Crick Employee Development ManagerNevada Department of Transportation

Alexis MartinAdministrator, Bureau of Human ResourcesNew Hampshire DOTRoom 140, JOM Building

William R. Lambert, PETraffic Engineer/AdministratorNew Hampshire DOT

Lee WilkinsonDirector, Administrative Services DivisionIowa DOT

Brian Brown Deputy Director of Human ResourcesOhio DOT

Amanda HenryStrategic HR Business PartnerMaryland SHA

Jeremy GorntoInternal Innovation ConsultantMaryland SHA

Rick A. Smith, MSHRM, SPHR -SME

Scan 19-02 Team Members Home States

SD

OR

CA

NV

UT

AZ

CO

NM

TX

OK

LA

MO

IL

WI

MN

WA

MI

INOH

PA

NY

TN

MS AL GA

SC(SME)

FL

NC

VA MDDC(FHWA)

DE

ME

MA

NHVT

KY

CTIA

WV

ID

ND

NJ

MT

KS

WY

NE

AR

RI

AK

HI

Team Member Home State

Host Agency State

Scan 19-02 Team Members Home States And Invited Agency States

SD

OR

CA

NV

UT

AZ

CO

NM

TX

OK

LA

MO

IL

WI

MN

WA

MI

INOH

PA

NY

TN

MS AL GA

SC(SME)

FL

NC

VA MDDC(FHWA)

DE

ME

MA

NHVT

KY

CTIA

WV

ID

ND

NJ

MT

KS

WY

NE

AR

RI

AK

HI

Team Member Home State

Invited Agency State

Leading Practices in Strategic Workforce Management by Transportation Agencies

Strategic Workforce Plan Model

Findings

Conclusions

Recommendations

Strategic Workforce Plan Model

Workforce Management Planning Steps

DefineDefine current state of work, workforce, and workplace•Analyze retirement, turnover, and retention data.•Analyze internal factors such as organizational culture and education and skills development.

ConductConduct organizational design review•Identify role designation•Identify areas of above average success and places where we could realize cost and/or productivity savings or greater efficiency.

AlignAlign with strategic direction•Perform SWOT analysis •Conduct risk assessment

Workforce Management Planning Steps

Develop

Develop strategies to address identified gaps•Develop recruitment and retention programs, succession planning activities, learning and development events, etc. to address the priorities and activities identified in Step 5 in order to close the gaps.

•Engage employees at all levels.

PerformPerform gap analysis between current and future states•Prioritize organization’s business and workforce needs.•Identify gaps between the current state and desired future state.

IdentifyIdentify future state of work, workforce, and workplace•Identify top workforce and industry trends and disruptors impacting agency’s future.

•Analyze external factors such as pending legislation, new technologies, and shifting societal priorities.

Workforce Management Planning Steps

Document and implement the SWFP

Develop implementation timeline to support Step 6 – look for areas that will have the greatest impact.

Identify champions across the organization.

Monitor, evaluate, report, and refine the SWFP

Monitor, track, and record outcomes and results from the various elements of the SWFP.

Report results and outcomes from the SWFP, including established performance metrics, on a recurring schedule such as quarterly.

Select FindingsSelect Findings

No “one size fits all” approach to workforce management.

Developing and implementing a strategic workforce management plan requires effective change management.

Peer exchange is a good way to kick off a workforce management plan.

Technology plays a key role in workforce management.

Select FindingsSelect Findings

It is important to have key metrics to measure the plan’s success.

Involve employees at all levels when developing a workforce management plan.

Developmental readiness may be a better predictor and more useful approach than performance management.

Leadership plays a key role in workforce management.

Select FindingsSelect Findings

Modern work environment includes considerations for recruitment, engagement, retention, and facilities as well as strategies for workplace flexibility (e.g. telework).

Workforce asset management – employees are most valuable asset, if not retained we lose that investment.

Retention strategies are needed for current workforce.

Competency models assist with recruiting and career path.

Select FindingsConclusions

Needs to be promoted through training and feedback.Effective leadership

WFP Elements

Peer exchanges

Comprehensive workforce plan

Develop elements of workforce plan used by state DOTs.

Peer exchanges supporting strategic workforce planning should be promoted.

Programs vary by structure, content and internal versus external.

Select FindingsConclusions

Data-driven decision-making helps drive strategic plan including strategic workforce initiatives.

Data Driven

Communication Plan

Context-sensitive Solutions

Short- and Long-Term

Develop communication plan early.

Develop solutions that take into account : unions, demographics, social unrest, legislative constraints, etc.

Apply transportation planning approach to workforce management planning.

Select FindingsConclusions

There is a need to include diversity to get the skills we need in the workforce. Diversity

Asset ManagementApproach like asset management to help leadership understand - e.g. business value analysis, quantify cost of investment in hiring/talent management.

Select FindingsRecommendations

Develop a SWMP using the elements presented in the report.

Develop Strategic Workforce Plan (SWMP)

Select FindingsRecommendations

Align the workforce plan to the organization’s mission and strategic goals to achieve maximum results.

Strategic Alignment

Select FindingsRecommendations

Raise awareness of peer exchange options (e.g. SP&R, AASHTO Research & Innovation group).

States interested in developing a workforce plan may engage in formal peer exchange.

Optimize AASHTO (Portal), NTTD (Base Camp), SHRM online knowledge sharing and meeting opportunities.

Leader development programs (e.g. AASHTO, WASHTO, etc.).

Investigate external resources to support development of strategic workforce management

Select FindingsRecommendations

Develop a long term, durable strategy supported by leadership even through turnover/changing circumstances.

Develop Business Case

Select FindingsRecommendations

Recognize people are the most important resource.

Planning and managing that resource is key to organization’s success.

Prioritize workforce management with the same sense of urgency as traditional enterprise asset management.

People Resource

Select FindingsRecommendations

Identify who is responsible for strategic workforce management (make sure it has a home – who is champion; based on context).

Identify Strategic Workforce Management Champion

Select FindingsRecommendations

Review role of workforce asset management and its function in organizations.

Incorporate strategic workforce management into AASHTO formal leadership development.

Establish an AASHTO Workforce Management Task Force

Select FindingsRecommendations

AASHTO should develop and publish a strategic workforce management guidebook for DOTs.

Publish Strategic Workforce Management Guidebook

NCHRP 20-68D “US Domestic Scan Program”

Domestic Scan 19-02

“Leading Practices in Strategic Workforce Management by Transportation Agencies”

Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations