BACKGROUND
Anticipatory knowledge (AK) refers to knowledge that is proactively generated, identified, or made available in advance of a need or event. AK delivery focuses on the mechanisms and processes through which AK gets to the right people at the right time. The goal of AK and AK delivery is to prepare individuals or organizations to respond effectively to future scenarios by leveraging systems to provide relevant information to them. An AK delivery system can provide targeted guidance to employees based on their roles; prompted by career milestones such as onboarding or assignment of first project management; and necessitated by unforeseen events such as passage of new legislation, economic changes, or natural disasters. The AK delivery concept is of great interest to state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation agencies; however, AK delivery has not yet been widely explored or adopted by these agencies.
Transportation agencies are seeking a guide on how to anticipate what employees need to know at different points in time and deliver that information in an automated, convenient, coordinated, and efficient manner. Research is needed to (1) identify types and sources of information required for a set of agency roles, career milestones, unforeseen events, or business processes and (2) create frameworks that could be used by transportation agencies to implement an AK delivery system.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this project is to develop a guide for transportation agencies on creating, implementing, and integrating AK delivery into existing agency systems. AK delivery will provide employees with relevant, role-specific information that enhances decision-making and helps them perform their duties more efficiently and effectively.
RESEARCH TASKS
PHASE I
Task 1. Conduct preparations for stakeholder outreach.
Task 1a. Conduct a literature review. Due to the novelty of AK in the transportation sector, the review should evaluate public and private sector use of AK, including developmental history, tools or methods used, and lessons learned. It should also identify (1) presence of AK in any current knowledge management systems in transportation agencies; (2) how AK could align with agencies’ strategic directions and be applied to specific roles, milestones, unforeseen events, and business processes; and (3) data models that link AK with existing information systems.
Task 1b. Develop a stakeholder outreach plan. Focus outreach on entities identified in Task 1a with AK resources or inputs. Also engage transportation agencies that have not developed such resources to gain insight on barriers. The outreach should focus on the same themes as the literature review but also cover scalability of AK and its integration with existing information systems, knowledge systems, and technologies. Submit a technical memorandum containing the literature review and draft outreach plan. NCHRP approval of the memorandum is required before work on subsequent tasks begins.
Task 2. Conduct stakeholder outreach. Identify stakeholders interested in participating in additional stakeholder outreach in Phase II.
Task 3. Prepare an annotated outline for the guide and research plan for Phase II. Based on findings from Tasks 1 and 2, prepare an annotated outline of the guide and a research plan for developing the different sections of the guide according to the research plan. At minimum, the guide should:
- Provide a glossary of concepts and terms critical to AK delivery
- Define benefits of AK delivery within organizations
- Identify potential linkages between AK delivery and existing information sources, data streams, and platforms within agencies and from external sources
- Identify resources needed for creating, managing, and supporting an agency AK delivery system
- Identify effective practices for agency-wide AK delivery implementation, sustainability, and scalability
- Describe AK delivery system architecture, key components, and integration points with existing DOT information systems
- Provide sample AK delivery use cases with example role- or event-based information packets and associated data sources
- Identify ways of measuring the effectiveness of AK delivery
Task 4. Prepare Interim Report No. 1 that documents Tasks 1 through 3 and includes potential participation from stakeholders in Phase II. The report shall provide an updated and refined work plan for the remainder of the research in Phase II.
PHASE II
Task 5. Develop a draft guide and communications plan. Develop a draft guide according to the approved Interim Report No. 1 and a draft communications plan for fostering dissemination and implementation of the guide. The draft guide and communications plan should be submitted at least 6 months before the contract end date. NCHRP approval of the draft guide and communications plan is required before work on subsequent tasks may begin.
Task 6. Conduct additional stakeholder outreach. After NCHRP approval of the draft guide, conduct additional outreach to obtain feedback from stakeholders on the draft guide. Due to the novelty of the AK concept, this outreach can focus on brainstorming AK interests rather than sharing AK experiences. Revise the draft proposed guide and outreach materials, as necessary, according to the feedback gathered during the outreach.
Task 7. Prepare final deliverables. Deliverables shall include (1) a conduct of research report summarizing the research effort; (2) the guide; (3) the communications plan; (4) an implementation plan for transportation agencies (see Special Note J); and (5) the outreach materials from Task 6 with a slide summary introducing the guide.
STATUS: Proposals have been received in response to the RFP. The project panel will meet to select a contractor to perform the work.