RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

Selecting the Right Projects

RESEARCH DIVISION

WASHTO-X VIDEOCONFERENCE

October 11, 2005

Blaine D. Leonard, P.E. Sr. Research Project Manager

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

IDENTIFYING SUCCESS INDICATORS Review past performance

– Research Staff Retreat– Reviewed dozens of past projects

• Successful• Unsuccessful

– What made these projects successful or unsuccessful?

Prioritize the key indicators of success

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

SUCCESS INDICATORS

Meeting a Need– Aligning with Strategic Direction– Timely Results– Frequent Communication

Strong Players– Champion– Principal Investigator– Technical Advisory Committee– Project Manager

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

“NON-SUCCESS” INDICATORS

The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians:– “When you discover that you are riding a

dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount”

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

“NON-SUCCESS” INDICATORS

Instead, we sometimes:– Change riders– Appoint a committee to study the horse– Arrange to visit other countries to see how

other cultures ride dead horses– Reclassify the dead horse as living-impaired– Hire outside contractors to ride the dead

horse– Harness several dead horses together to

increase their speed– Rewrite the performance requirements for

all horses– Provide additional training in how to ride

the dead horse

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

APPLYING THE RESULTS

Implement what we know about success indicators by modifying our process

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

RESEARCH IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

Solicit input on needs Develop scopes to address those

needs Evaluate needs and refine scopes Prioritize needs Apply available funding to those

needs

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

RESEARCH IDENTIFICATION PROCESS

Key Element in the Process: UTRAC– Utah Transportation Research Advisory

Council

Used for 12 years Made major modifications in 2005

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

UTRAC PROCESS

Identify Participants– Key UDOT Leaders and Users– FHWA Partners– Outside Partners (Academic, Consulting,

Construction)– Research Staff

Cross-section of expertise and practice

Key People who are innovative and influential

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

UTRAC PROCESS

Divide Participants into Eight Practice Area Groups– Construction– Maintenance– Materials & Pavements– Hydraulics, Environmental & Roadway

Design– Planning & Asset Management– ITS, Traffic & Safety– Geotechnical– Structural

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

UTRAC PROCESS

Assigned to each Practice Group:– Key UDOT Leader to Guide

• Buy In• Filter out unsupported projects

– Research Staff Contact

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

UTRAC PROCESS

Invite submittal of Problem Statements– Encouraged each group to meet and

brainstorm ideas– Problem Submittal Form provided– Statements accepted from anyone – More emphasis placed on:

• Thorough scope• Anticipated time frame• Internal champion• Implementation plan

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

UTRAC PROCESS

Research Staff reviewed each Statement– Literature search – Statement well crafted?– Edit Statements in cooperation with

author

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

Don’t worry if you have a tough problem to deal with,

But you should worry if it’s the same problem you had last year.

- John Foster Dulles

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

UTRAC PROCESS

Convene UTRAC Workshop – One day event, off site– 153 attendees (20% increase)– Eight Practice Area groups– Discuss, evaluate, edit, prioritize

statements– Two-step voting process– Each group determines top five projects

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

UTRAC PROCESS

Research staff compiles and reviews priority statement list– Follow up with Champion to verify support– Assess Senior Leader support

Research staff creates funding list– Top priority in each group gets first

priority– Second priority in each group gets next

priority– Apply available funding to list– 25 projects listed for funding in 2005

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

PRIORITIZED PROJECTS

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

UTRAC PROCESS

Senior Leaders approve funding priority

Research staff begins to move projects forward

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

KEY 2005 UTRAC CHANGES:

Advance submission of project statements

Research review of statements Eight breakout groups (instead of 5) More time spent on project refinement Implementation will have greater focus Prioritization by secret ballot Focus on smaller projects Funding to adhere to group priorities

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

The great end of knowledge is not knowledge, but action.

- Thomas H Huxley

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

IMPROVED IMPLEMENTATION?

The jury is still out . . . General satisfaction with revised

process Smaller, more practical projects More projects underway earlier Action is still needed:

– Better communication– Focused effort to bring results to

practice– More aggressive tracking

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

2005 AASHTO PRESIDENT’S AWARD

FOR RESEARCH

RESEARCH DIVISION

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

QUESTIONS ?QUESTIONS ?