The transportation industry confronts a complex environment, exacerbated by challenges like the recent Covid-19 pandemic, demanding a delicate balance between long-term planning and immediate operational needs. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has actively supported agencies since 2004, producing tools and reports, including VisionEval and scenario planning guidebooks. Numerous NCHRP projects have also contributed to preparedness, focusing on scenario planning. TRB organized scenario planning conferences in 2016 and 2022, emphasizing the necessity for agility and preparation in the face of disruptions.

Despite available resources, there is a slow adoption of scenario planning, attributed to a lack of expertise, capacity, and executive focus, hindering effective navigation of the evolving transportation landscape. An opportunity arises to enhance state departments of transportation by aligning greater adoption of scenario planning and agile decision-making, and a previous NCHRP effort, NCHRP 20-24(138), envisions connecting communities and meeting evolving transportation needs. To realize this vision, comprehensive and effective agile decision-making is crucial. Agency leaders and staff require more accessible resources and technical support to build capacity effectively.

This project seeks to adopt a comprehensive strategy to enhance scenario planning and agile decision-making in transportation organizations, targeting senior leadership, management, and operators. The goal is to directly engage agencies, focusing on disruptions such as workforce issues, funding source resiliency, and technological change. 

The proposed tasks include:

1.     Scenario Planning Workshops: Conduct hands-on workshops for senior leadership, management, and operators within state DOTs, incorporating training, exercises, and discussions on applying scenario planning to specific disruptions.

2.     Guidebook Development: Create an easy-to-use guidebook outlining the benefits of scenario planning and offering step-by-step instructions, real-world examples, and practical exercises. This resource aims to facilitate widespread adoption.

3.     Webinar Series: Develop a series of accessible webinars covering various aspects of scenario planning and agile decision-making. Invite experts to share insights, fostering knowledge dissemination and discussion among DOTs. 

4.     "Workshop in a Box": Provide a comprehensive activity package for scenario planning workshops, enabling state DOTs to conduct in-house training sessions independently, promoting self-sufficiency.

5.     Pilot Projects: Collaborate with six state DOTs in pilot projects, offering consultant support to apply scenario planning to real-life disruptions. Monitor and evaluate tool effectiveness, gathering feedback for continuous improvement.