NDOT TSMO Workforce Development Program

Overview

Background

The NDOT Statewide TSMO Program Plan was developed and formally adopted in early 2020. Per the 2014 Capability Maturity Model (CMM) assessment results, ‘Organizational Structure’ and ‘Staffing and Workforce Development’ were two of the key topics assessed as part of the program planning efforts. Adjustments were identified based on specific requirements, including 1) anticipated changes in the workforce, 2) emerging needs in skills for TSMO, 3) statewide integration of TSMO, 4) stakeholder coordination, and 5) TSMO program sustainability. As part of the program plan, NDOT developed a phased approach, establishing a step-by-step process to enable a smooth transition to a TSMO-centric organizational structure that includes immediate, short, and long-term action items. In mid-2020 and following the completion of a second CMM assessment, NDOT refined these action items and initiated the development of the NDOT TSMO Staffing and Workforce Development Plan (SWDP). The SWDP was completed and formally adopted in 2023, and NDOT began its implementation in 2024. The four key components of the SWDP implementation include 1) Recruiting a TSMO Workforce, 2) Training a TSMO Workforce, 3) Retaining a TSMO Workforce, and 4) Integration of TSMO in Educational Institutions.

TSMO Planning, Strategies and Deployment

Recognizing the need to integrate TSMO skills, NDOT began restructuring its organizational framework during the TSMO Program planning process. In 2018, the TSMO Champion Team (TCT) was established to formalize TSMO engagement within NDOT, involving internal stakeholders. From 2018 to 2020, NDOT and the TCT reviewed the existing organization structure and identified action items for alignment in preparation for developing the TSMO Staffing and Workforce Development Plan (SWDP). The 2020 CMM assessment refined the action items using the Organization and Staffing dimension, which was crucial in developing the TSMO SWDP. By 2021, the TCT transitioned into the TSMO Steering Committee (TSC) and expanded participation to include both internal and external stakeholders. NDOT held quarterly TSC meetings during the planning process to gather stakeholder feedback. Between 2021 and 2023, NDOT completed and adopted the TSMO SWDP. This plan provided a detailed overview of national practices and assessed NDOT’s existing conditions—covering organizational charts, roles and responsibilities, training programs, and recruitment processes. The outcomes of the SWDP were agreed-upon strategies for recruitment, training, retention, and integration of TSMO into educational institutions. The SWDP’s recommendations were summarized into a roadmap outlining short, mid, and long-term action items. As of 2024, NDOT has been actively implementing the SWDP with the TSC. Significant progress includes the rollout of the TSMO training plan and the recruitment of five TSMO-specific positions: TSMO Program Manager, TSMO Performance Manager, TSMO Engineer, TSMO Modeling Specialist, and TSMO Data Analyst.

Communications Planning and Execution

Communications planning and execution of the SWDP involved several key steps to ensure effective messaging and desired outcomes. In collaboration with the stakeholders, NDOT defined specific objectives for TSMO workforce development and identified the target areas for the required TSMO skillset. NDOT selected structured communication methods to engage decision-makers and developed a strong business case highlighting the benefits and requirements for recruiting, training, and retaining a TSMO workforce. NDOT then created a roadmap of action items and began implementing the plan while ensuring the TSC’s participation in the implementation process through quarterly meetings. Key items that were communicated and discussed with the stakeholders include:

Recruitment Plan:

• Where and when to recruit – identifying triggers for TSMO-specific positions, using the CMM framework to highlight needs based on dimensions with lower maturity from the 2020 assessment.
• Coordination with the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) – developing KSAs for each TSMO position and assisting DHRM with the classification process. The collaboration with DHRM addressed challenges related to the lack of TSMO roles and responsibilities that do not have equivalent representation in traditional KSAs.
• Incentives – developing incentives such as accelerated salaries and trainings to assist with the recruitment of TSMO resources.
• Analysis of TSMO positions – demonstrating 1) the extent of contribution in which each position will have to achieve the next level of TSMO maturity, and 2) relationships between the new positions and internal and external stakeholders/disciplines.

Outcome, Learnings and Public Benefit

Within the initial six months of the SWDP implementation, NDOT recruited all five TSMO positions and rolled out the training plans. This led to the following outcomes, benefits, and learnings:

• All existing job descriptions within NDOT’s Traffic Operations Division were updated to integrate TSMO-specific roles and enhance TSMO advancement.
• Close collaboration between NDOT and statewide stakeholders was critical in identifying new TSMO roles, necessary KSAs, and relationships with other disciplines, which benefited statewide stakeholders.
• Utilizing the CMM dimension as a framework for defining the five TSMO position roles and responsibilities was a huge success because it supported the business case for requesting funding, demonstrating each position’s contribution to advancing transportation systems across the state.
• Leadership support resulted in the statewide advancement of TSMO culture, highlighting the TSMO program’s importance and recognizing it as a core value of NDOT in addressing the public’s needs and expectations.
• The development of the SWDP assisted NDOT in crafting a strong business case and securing funding for all TSMO positions recommended in this plan.
• NDOT has successfully rolled out both basic and advanced TSMO training packages within the Traffic Operations Division. The online modules created as part of the SWDP are published on the NDOT TSMO website and are accessible by all partnering agencies. Some partnering agencies have adopted these trainings for their internal team members.
• The success achieved from this plan is assisting NDOT with identifying additional TSMO positions to further expand the org chart and develop a new phase, advancing the TSMO organizational structure within the agency.
• TSMO positions have:
  • Assisted NDOT with streamlining operations and enhancing the efficiency of the transportation systems, reducing congestion and travel times.
  • Led to better monitoring of, quicker response to, and improvements in traffic incidents, enhancing overall safety for the traveling public.
  • Provided NDOT with additional resources for timely maintenance and improvements to TSMO infrastructure that lead to smoother and safer roads.
  • Assisted NDOT with a greater focus on sustainable practices and reducing environmental impacts of the transportation systems.
  • Enabled efficient development and implementation of TSMO strategies.
  • Improved implementation of data-driven and performance-based decision-making processes that lead to continuous improvements.
• Adjustments and changes implemented during screening, interview, and recruitment of the TSMO positions assisted NDOT with identifying and addressing gaps to modernize HR business processes.
• Successes in recruiting TSMO positions motivated partnering agencies to identify and plan for their own TSMO hires.