BACKGROUND 

State departments of transportation (DOTs) are striving to maintain staffing levels and worker skillsets, as high turnover rates deplete the transportation industry of the skills and knowledge required to meet the public’s needs. To address these challenges, state DOTs need to expand their workforce to anticipate the workforce needs of the future. State DOTs are exploring the science of workforce management to determine how to best support the changing workforce. The levels of workforce planning knowledge and access to effective workforce strategies vary across the state DOTs.  

A state DOT community of practice has emerged to develop tangible resources that state DOTs can put into practice. This community has also highlighted the challenges state DOTs face in allocating the needed resources to effectively address workforce issues while concurrently addressing the needs of the traveling public with a changing workforce. Research is needed to identify and address the needs of state DOT leadership for current workforce challenges and prepare them for future workforce needs. 

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to develop a guide for state DOTs and other transportation agencies to identify priority workforce needs, address current workforce challenges, and anticipate the needs of an evolving and diminishing workforce. 

PHASE I 

Task 1. Conduct a literature review. In addition to national- and state-level transportation research, consider private sector and other public agency workforce planning studies relevant to state DOT functions. As applicable, consider literature resources from nontransportation sectors. 

Task 2. Develop a stakeholder outreach plan. A geographically and functionally diverse set of public and private stakeholders should be engaged. For the stakeholders engaged, the outreach should be broad and include, for example, contacts in human resources and leadership. The plan should describe how to identify and engage the most relevant staff within the stakeholders contacted. For each stakeholder, engagement should include discussion of quantitative and qualitative information used in workforce planning. Submit a technical memorandum containing the literature review and draft outreach plan. NCHRP approval is required before work on subsequent tasks begins. 

Task 3. Conduct stakeholder outreach. Identify stakeholders interested in participating in further outreach in Phase II.    

Task 4. 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 it. At minimum, the guide should help transportation agencies to:

• Identify systemic gaps in workforce capabilities and processes, e.g., compensation constraints, job classifications, automation, and safety
• Assess their needs and organizational readiness for human capital plans
• Prioritize their workforce planning and development (WPD) needs
• Identify available workforce resources and successful/innovative practices in transportation and other sectors, e.g., technical solutions, and how these resources can address current and potential workforce challenges
• Understand the resources and time needed to (a) conduct WPD; and (b) prepare leadership for future workforce needs
• Identify workforce analytics from any sector applicable to state DOTs and other transportation agencies
• Determine funding sources for WPD
• Outline training and talent management pipelines for the workforce cross-section
• Propose a management plan for ensuring relevancy of findings post-research 

Task 5. Prepare Interim Report No. 1 that documents Tasks 1 through 3, includes potential participation from stakeholders in Phase II, and, as possible, proposes associated tools. The report shall provide an updated and refined work plan for the remainder of the research in Phase II. 

PHASE II

Task 6. Develop a draft guide and associated tools according to the approved Interim Report No. 1. The draft guide, and the associated tools as applicable, should be submitted at least 6 months before the contract end date. NCHRP approval of the draft guide and any associated tools is required before work on subsequent tasks may begin.

Task 7. Conduct additional stakeholder outreach. After NCHRP approval of the draft guide and any associated tools, conduct a workshop or other outreach to obtain feedback from stakeholders and revise the draft guide, associated tools, and outreach materials.

Task 8. Prepare the final deliverables. Deliverables shall include (1) a report summarizing the research effort, (2) the guide and any associated tools, (3) an implementation plan for state DOTs and other transportation agencies, and (4) the outreach materials 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.