Overview
Transportation is continuously evolving and becoming more dependent on evidence-based decision-making. The way engineers and planners demonstrate accountability is through implementation of effective, practical, and specific performance measures. We step back from our data swamps and dashboards to reconsider best practices in performance management and how agencies can make the most of their situation, regardless of data, resources, or limitations. This webinar will discuss how to improve performance management efforts, with examples from other sectors and experiences among peer agencies (Iowa DOT and Texas DOT).
Target Audience
Transportation agencies, directors, operations managers, strategic planners, and those responsible for performance measures and performance improvement
Learning Objectives
The webinar learning objectives include:
- Learn how best business practice in performance management may be applied more effectively to transportation agencies.
- Understand the importance of tightly linking the cascade through your mission, goals, outcomes, and measures.
- Recognize context for improvement across organizations in the face of disruption.
- Bring guiding principles of excellent measures – objective evidence, specific to work area, impactful, staying power – back to your agencies.
Instructors:
Peter Rafferty, Gannett Fleming Inc
Peter Rafferty is a TSMO manager with Gannett Fleming, focusing on performance management, connected and automated mobility, systems engineering, and transportation operations. Peter has been at this for about 22 years - including 12 years in academic R&D - planning, implementing, and leveraging emerging transportation data and technology to improve safety and mobility outcomes.
David Putz, Iowa DOT
Dr. Putz is a management analyst in the Strategic Performance Division at the Iowa Department of Transportation. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Iowa and a Ph.D. in Education (emphasis in research and evaluation) from Iowa State University.
He currently is serving on TRB’s ABC20 Management & Productivity and ABC30 Performance Measurement committees as well as AASHTO’s Organizational Management Subcommittee of the Committee on Performance-Based Management. He also worked on the recently released NCHRP Project 20-118 – Benchmarking and Comparative Measurement for Effective Performance Management by Transportation Agencies.
Having spent his DOT career working directly with executive leadership of the department, he often describes the evolving nature of his work responsibilities as “duties as assigned.” Current projects include: managing the implementation of an employee engagement program, facilitation of work to identify and cascade mission-related outcomes through the department, and development of an RFP to help build knowledge, tools, and practices supportive of organizational performance management.
Peter Smith, Texas DOT
Peter Smith, PE is the Director of the Transportation Planning & Programming Division of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). In this role, he is responsible for the department’s short-range, mid-range, and long-range planning and programming of transportation projects, freight and international trade activities, mapping and data management, traffic analysis, public involvement, and inter-agency coordination.
Peter started his career with TxDOT in 1981 as an engineering technician in the Houston District and rose to the leadership position of Director of Hydraulic Design at the Design Division. In this role, he led the development of the Hydraulic Design Manual, bridge scour evaluation procedures, and stormwater management procedures for the State of Texas.
Peter joined the private sector in 1997, working as a transportation consultant in Texas, around the US, and globally. He has held business leadership positions in some of the nation’s largest consulting firms, responsible for strategic growth and business profitability, client relationships and staff development. As a consultant, he provided technical and management leadership on some of our state’s largest infrastructure programs, and some of the world’s most interesting infrastructure programs and projects. Peter holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Bradford in England.