Transit leaders agree that the industry is experiencing a growing number of challenges regarding human capital and institutional knowledge. Transit agencies are facing an exodus of employees due to retirements, low retention of highly skilled employees, and an increasingly mobile workforce. Employees leaving transit agencies, in many cases, are individuals who possess specialized knowledge and unique experience that are critical for sustaining efficient operation of the agency. This is occurring at a time when transit agencies are facing increasing customer expectations, aging infrastructure, rapidly changing technologies, shifting ridership patterns, and continuing budget constraints.

 

It is imperative that transit agencies take steps to preserve critical knowledge and proactively plan for the workforce needs of the future. As a result of internal and external pressures, transit agencies are looking to other transportation modes, different industries, and the private sector for best practices to manage and transfer knowledge to support sustainable operations and effective performance in the future. Moving forward, it will be essential for transit agencies to proactively invest in efforts to identify what knowledge is needed now and in the future; where that knowledge is located (e.g., people, systems, artifacts, culture, standard operating procedures); who needs it; and how to best disseminate or transfer knowledge.

The objective of this research is to develop a resource for transit agencies on KM to protect institutional knowledge and support strategic workforce development. The resource should help transit agencies ensure continued access to specialized knowledge of operations and business practices.

STATUS: The research project  is complete.  The final report has been published as a pre-publication  and will be published in the regular TCR series as TCRP Report 194: Knowledge Management Resource to Support Strategic Workforce Development for Transit Agencies.