BACKGROUND
Traffic crash fatalities disproportionately affect underserved communities, in particular people of color. This long-standing and systemic problem reinforces the need to implement highway safety programs more equitably, with an increased focus on underserved communities.
State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) and other safety organizations have undertaken a variety of efforts to more effectively engage underserved communities, but these state and local efforts are fragmented and not documented. SHSOs, their subrecipients, and other safety organizations would benefit from information regarding past and ongoing efforts that effectively engage underserved communities to address critical safety issues. Identifying lessons learned, recommendations to effectively engage with underserved communities, communication methods, and metrics to evaluate outcomes would help bolster engagement and outreach efforts with underserved communities.
For the purpose of this project, underserved communities are defined as areas of persistent poverty and historically disadvantaged communities.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this research is to document efforts undertaken by SHSOs and other highway safety organizations to achieve effective engagement with underserved communities, including people of color, and to develop a noteworthy practices guide.
TASKS
PHASE I - Document Review and Planning
Task 1. Develop a data collection and analysis plan for conducting new research in Phase II to accomplish the project's objective. This will include at a minimum:
- A literature review to identify existing studies and syntheses related to best practices for achieving effective engagement with underserved communities. This task should focus on domestic research, with relevant international information to be considered.
- Efforts undertaken by (a) SHSOs and (b) other highway safety organizations to achieve effective engagement with underserved communities, including existing tools, types of messaging, datasets, data elements, and performance metrics.
Task 2. Develop an outline for the noteworthy practices guide to be developed under Task 6.
Task 3. Prepare Interim Report #1 that documents the work completed in Tasks 1 through 2. Update the work proposed for Phase II.
PHASE II - Data Collection and Analysis
Task 4. Execute the plan in Interim Report #1 to achieve the research objective.
Task 5. Prepare Interim Report #2 that documents the work completed in Task 4. Update the work proposed for Phase III.
PHASE III - Deliverables
Task 6. Develop a noteworthy practices guide for SHSOs and other traffic safety organizations. This guide will include lessons learned, recommendations to successfully engage with underserved communities, communication methods, and metrics to evaluate outcomes. The guide will include infographics to help convey key information.
Task 7. Conduct a workshop with at least 15 representatives of SHSOs and other highway safety organizations to present key research findings and proposed content for the noteworthy practices guide. Revise the noteworthy practices guide and workshop materials according to feedback gathered during the workshop.
Task 8. Develop final deliverables, which will include at a minimum (1) a final research report documenting the entire research effort and findings, (2) a noteworthy practices guide, (3) prioritized recommendations for future research; (4) a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the research findings, and (5) a technical memorandum on implementation.
STATUS: Proposals have been received in response to the RFP. The project panel will meet to select a contractor to perform the work.
