BACKGROUND

Although data provide opportunities to facilitate decision-making at transportation agencies, there are challenges involved in managing large and diverse data that serve multiple business needs. These challenges are manifested in various aspects of data management, such as data quality assurance, integration, and access. NCHRP Synthesis 508: Data Management and Governance Practices provides information on practices in data governance, data warehousing and cloud computing, data integration and sharing, and data quality assurance. This information can be used by transportation agencies to learn about and ultimately advance the current state of the practice in transportation data management and governance. NCHRP Synthesis 508 also showed that a pyramid-shaped data governance structure is commonly used in the data governance area. This structure consists of (1) an upper-level council or committee providing oversight and strategic direction, (2) enterprise data stewards providing coordination across business units, and (3) stewards accountable for the quality and use of individual information technology.

Since the publication of NCHRP Synthesis 508, data governance and management practices have evolved, and new practices, such as an increased focus on digital project delivery and data integration, are emerging, requiring a reassessment of the state of practice. Therefore, there’s a need to capture and share the current state of practice to enable transportation agencies and state departments of transportation (DOTs) to adapt and better address their organizational needs around data management and governance practices.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to document and promote current and emerging data management and governance practices, among transportation agencies of various levels of maturity, and successes and challenges on these practices. This objective will be realized through the conduct and analysis of two peer exchanges, and the development of communication and dissemination products developed for and refined by the peer exchanges. Each peer exchange will deal with topics that may include, but are not limited to,

• Data governance and management,
• Data quality assurance,
• Data literacy training,
• Data integration and sharing,
• Data warehousing,
• Data security,
• Data governance technology solutions,
• Organizational change management (roles and responsibilities), and
• Value of implementing a data governance program.

RESEARCH PLAN

To realize the objective, the research plan shall describe appropriate deliverables that include, but are not limited to:

1. A potential list of participants for the peer exchanges, along their respective roles and responsibilities, which will be used by the project panel to help finalize the actual list of participants.
2. A summary of the guidelines for conducting the peer exchanges, including key questions to be answered, along with an agenda.
3. An engaging document for the peer exchange participants, that includes a list of resources for their consideration. 
4. A report on the results of the peer exchanges.
5. A report on effective implementations of data management and governance practices identified during the peer exchanges, including effective practices and obstacles to implementation of those best practices.
6. A report on recommendations for further research, including a gap analysis.
7. A conduct of research report that documents the results of the project, along with a dissemination plan for the materials developed during the project. 

In the preparation of their research plans, proposers should consider the following requirements:

• Each of the two peer exchanges to be 1.5 days long and be held in two different geographic locations. Virtual participation options to be offered at each peer exchange.
• A maximum of 4 topics to be covered, and the same topics covered at both peer exchanges
• A maximum of 20 participants per peer exchange, which should include participants who have implemented data governance and governance practices, and those who have attempted to implement those practices.
• A majority of the peer exchange participants shall be from state DOTs, along with appropriate representatives from other federal, state, and local agencies.
• The selected contractor will be responsible for all logistics and conduct of the peer exchanges, including, but not limited to, travel for all participants, conduct, documentation, facilitation, etc.
• The conduct of the peer exchanges must be considered to coincide with appropriate American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) committee meetings (such as the AASHTO Committee on Data Management annual meeting, etc.).

STATUS: Proposals have been received in response to the RFP.  The project panel will meet to select a contractor to perform the work.