BACKGROUND

NCHRP Research Report 952 Guidebook for Managing Data from Emerging Technologies for Transportation was just recently published. This guidebook is meant to help state departments of transportation (DOT) in the near-term to begin or further efforts toward more effectively managing and using data from emerging technologies for operations and planning decision-making, with the ultimate, long-term goal of organization-wide shifts to modern data management practices that will carry state DOTs into the future. Based on the study, the panel requested an implementation program to bring the guidebook to state DOTs to facilitate application and implementation of its various components.

The research conducted for NCHRP 08-116 proved that most agencies still rely on traditional data management systems/practices and struggle with data accessibility and quality, yet they want to leverage data from emerging technologies to improve strategic and tactical decision-making. The modern, big data concepts and approaches presented in the guidebook are absolutely critical to the ability of state DOTs to effectively manage emerging technology datasets. They are also completely new and run contrary to most state DOTs’ traditional approaches to data systems and management. As such, an implementation program is needed to gauge the ability of state DOTs to apply the recommendations, roadmap, and tools presented in NCHRP Research Report 952 and to develop case studies of successful implementations and lessons learned.

OBJECTIVE

NCHRP has identified a consultant to bring the recommendations, roadmap, and tools to state DOTs that are interested in not only better managing data from emerging technologies but deriving direct benefits from using the data in ways they simply cannot currently due to limitations in their existing data systems and management approaches and practices.

The proposed implementation efforts and associated services will include the following:

1. Virtual Kick-off Orientation Web Conference with Participants from each Implementing Agency – For each of the four agencies, the research team will host a virtual kick-off orientation web conference to provide an overview of NCHRP Research Report 952 Guidebook for Managing Data from Emerging Technologies for Transportation, its purpose and components, the scope of problems to which it can be applied, and the implementation process and timeline. During the conference, the team will also identify the major challenges and limitations of each state in utilizing data and their overall goals for this implementation.

2. Virtual or On-Site Training Workshop – Training workshops will provide agencies an opportunity to interact with the research team to learn in more detail about the modern, big data approach to managing data from emerging technologies. The purpose of the workshops is to (1) train the DOT and other agency staff on the overall contents of the guidebook with a special focus on the elements that may be the most challenging for agencies as identified in the kick-off calls and (2) to define the scope of the implementation effort to best utilize agency resources and appropriately reflect the implementation budget.

3. Tailored Implementation Support for Agency Pilots – The team will provide technical support to each agency that is specific to the component(s) of the Guidebook for Managing Data from Emerging Technologies that each agency chooses to apply.

4. Peer Exchange Among DOTs – The team will organize and facilitate a peer exchange among the state DOTs participating in the implementation activities. Ideally, the peer exchange would be hosted by one of the participating agencies, and 2-3 participants from each state would be invited to join to compare and share experiences, successes, challenges, lessons learned, and next steps.

5. Analysis and Synthesis of Implementation Results: Upon completion of the pilot implementations, the research team will assess the results across the agency implementation efforts and provide a summary of findings.

6. National Webinar to Share Experiences – The team will organize and facilitate a national webinar (either through TRB or through the National Operations Center of Excellence, NOCoE), which will spotlight each of the implementation agencies, their experiences, successes, challenges, and lessons learned.