Providing relevant, accurate, and timely information in an easy-to-use format benefits any executive, primarily ones with the breadth of responsibilities found in transportation departments. Executive Management Information Systems (EMIS) are relatively new to departments of transportation and as such AASHTO requested a project to develop guidelines to assist member departments in the development and implementation of EMISs. The objectives of the project were to: (1) develop a prototype to assist DOT executives in understanding what an EMIS can do for their departments, and (2) outline the step-by-step process that would be needed to design, implement, and support an EMIS.

On behalf of the NCHRP, the contract research agency worked with an AASHTO task force to develop a guide for implementing executive management information systems in state DOTs. Work is completed, and the agency's final report has been submitted. Copies of the report were sent to all state DOTs. Research Results Digest 173, summarizing the work, has also been prepared and distributed.