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APPENDIX B
INTERVIEW GUIDES
Two interview guides follow:
x One in interviews with ten chief engineers; and
x The second, in interviews with five bridge unit engineers.
NCHRP SYNTHESIS PROJECT 37-07
ROLE OF BRIDGE MANAGEMENT IN
TRANSPORTATION AGENCY DECISION MAKING
Guide for Interviewing Chief Engineers
PRINCIPLES
x Conduct in-person or telephone interviews
x Interview a representative set of Chief Engineers from 10 to 15 states
x Explain that we wish to know what key bridge-related decisions the CEO and Chief Engineer
makes, what information is used to make those decisions, and what additional information would
be helpful.
x Focus on resource allocation within the bridge program and between the bridge and other
program areas.
x Promote an open discussion to elicit what is important to the top management team; use the key
decisions below as a catalyst for discussion
x Learn what bridge decisions top management delegates to lower levels
x Find out how the bridge management process (including the BMS) informs bridge related
decision making.
KEY DECISIONS
x Ensuring accountability
x Setting goals and objectives for bridges
x Establishing performance measures and targets for bridges
x Making commitments to meet future needs in different time frames based on projected
deterioration of different types of bridges or important bridge components (e.g., decks)
x Establishing resource levels for bridges in the budget process
x Allocating the bridge budget among capital expenditures, rehabilitation, maintenance, and
operations (e.g., automated anti-icing, electronic toll collection, movable bridges)
x Allocating the department budget between the bridge program and other program areas such as
pavements, maintenance appurtenances, operations, and transit.
x Allocating the bridge budget among districts and other subunits of the DOTs
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x Other allocations of bridge funds to support specific bridge programs such as homeland security,
scour prevention, and protection and mitigation of storm surge in hurricane prone states.
x Determining how different types of bridges will be funded (federal, state, local, tolls as a part of a
public/private partnership)
x Determining which bridges will receive various treatments each year.
NCHRP Synthesis Topic 37-07
Use of Bridge Management in Transportation Agency Decision making
INTERVIEW GUIDE--DISCUSSION ITEMS
August 2007
1. Current BMS(s) used by agency
x Central Office
x Districts/Regions
2. What rating systems are used in bridge management
x NBI: SD and FO (percent of inventory? trends?)
x Other?
3. Executive decision criteria for evaluating and deciding bridge investment and resource allocation
x What do they ask for?
x What does the bridge unit provide them?
4. Resource allocation/project programming and selection process--who makes decisions and on what
basis in each of these areas?
x Setting policy objectives and performance targets
x Resource allocation between Bridge and Other Programs
x Within the Bridge Program, allocations among districts/regions
x Bridge project prioritization (statewide? by district/region?)
5. Are methods of economic evaluation (e.g., benefit-cost, life-cycle cost) used at any organizational
level?
6. Does your agency have a defined program of performance measurement, established performance
targets, and management accountability for meeting targets?
7. Does your agency have a regular program of communication of Bridge Program information to
external stakeholders (e.g., legislature, executive branch, public at large)?
