BACKGROUND

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Safety Information System (HSIS) is a roadway-based data system that provides quality data on several crash, roadway, and traffic variables. It is composed of data already being collected by states and one urban center (California, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington, and Charlotte, North Carolina) for managing the highway system and studying highway safety.  HSIS can be used to analyze many safety problems, including basic "problem identification" issues, identifying the size and extent of a safety problem, modeling efforts that attempt to predict future crashes from roadway characteristics and traffic factors, and evaluating the safety effectiveness of interventions. HSIS is used in support of the FHWA safety research program and provides input to program policy decisions. HSIS is available to professionals conducting research under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, universities, and others studying highway safety.

The FHWA Research & Technology (R&T) evaluation program was initiated in 2013 to assess and communicate the value and effectiveness of FHWA R&T investment. The objective of the R&T evaluation program is to document the impact of the projects, demonstrate accountability to funders and policymakers, and identify lessons learned and best practices that can be applied to future projects/programs, thus completing the innovation lifecycle.  The Transportation Research Board (TRB), in collaboration with the FHWA, is overseeing the TRB/FHWA Program Evaluation (TFPE) to evaluate such programs.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to develop and execute an evaluation plan for the FHWA HSIS to answer these fundamental questions:

• Efficiency: Are the HSIS activities conducted with an appropriate use of resources, such as budget and staff time (e.g., research and implementation approach, funding level)?
• Implementation: Is the HSIS being applied and/or adopted by the users? If yes, how is it being applied or adopted? How is HSIS different from other safety databases, such as Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), General Estimates System (GES), and National Park Service Service-wide Traffic Accident Reporting System (STARS)?  
• Effectiveness: Is HSIS achieving the intended goals and objectives (e.g., impact)? What datasets will be used to measure effectiveness?
• Cost-effectiveness: Does the value or benefit of achieving the HSIS goals and objectives exceed the cost of producing them (e.g., return on investment and cost-benefit ratio)?
• Attribution: Is the HSIS addressing the following FHWA Strategic Goals?
  • Safety: Make the transportation system safer for all people. Advance a future without transportation-related serious injuries and fatalities.
  • Economic strength and global competitiveness: Grow a sustainable economy. Invest in the transportation system to provide reliable and efficient access to resources, markets, and good-paying jobs to American workers and businesses.
  • Transformation: Design for the future. Invest in purpose-driven research and innovation to meet the challenges of the present and modernize a transportation system of the future that serves everyone today and in the future.
  • Organizational excellence: Strengthen this world-class organization. Advance FHWA's mission by establishing policies, processes, and an innovative culture to serve communities effectively and steward the public’s resources responsibly.

Accomplishment of the project objective will require at least the following tasks.

TASKS

Task 1. Prepare an Evaluation Scoping Report, presenting the HSIS evaluation team’s understanding of the objective, likely measures of effectiveness, analysis activities, variety of products produced with HSIS data and intended audience for those products, and budget for evaluation. 

Task 2. Prepare an Evaluation Plan, describing the evaluation strategy and specific tasks to be performed, planned calendar schedule, intermediate evaluation products, and the role and activities that each member of the evaluation team will have in the evaluation plan. Include a logic model of the HSIS. Discuss the sample size of HSIS projects and case studies to be included. Discuss the variety of HSIS end users to be included in the evaluation.

Task 3. Execute the Evaluation Plan and prepare an Interim Report on the HSIS evaluation. Prepared approximately midway through the Evaluation Plan, the Interim Report should document the evaluation team’s progress on the Evaluation Plan, the difficulties encountered in conducting the work, and any preliminary assessment supported by work accomplished so far. 

Task 4. Prepare a HSIS Evaluation Report documenting the evaluation and presenting the results. Solicit comments from TRB and FHWA on the draft, prepare a memorandum responding to comments, and revise the draft as appropriate to prepare the final Project Evaluation Report. Recommendations shall be prepared and compiled separately for presentation to the Research and Technology Coordinating Committee (RTCC) and shall not be part of the final Project Evaluation Report. 

Task 5. Prepare briefing materials as appropriate and participate in an in-person meeting of the RTCC to present the final HSIS Evaluation Report and recommendations. Discuss the evaluation and its findings. Prior to the RTCC meeting, present the materials to and participate in a virtual meeting with FHWA. The RTCC will review the final report and issue any recommendations to FHWA that RTCC deems appropriate in the form of a letter report.

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