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Electronic Compendium User Instructions C-1
Appendix C
Electronic Compendium User Instructions
SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE MEASURES COMPENDIUM USER
INSTRUCTIONS
Welcome to the Excel-based version of the performance measures compendium, developed for
NCHRP Project 8-74, "Sustainability Performance Measures for State DOTs and Other
Transportation Agencies." These instructions provide you with the ability to generate and export
a custom list of sustainability performance measures using a series of filters. This format will
also allow you to customize existing measures (by adding measurement units, for example). You
will find the Excel file on the CD-ROM that accompanies this guidebook.
THE BASICS
1. Opening the document There are two versions of the documents provided. The
"MAIN" version is for use with Microsoft Excel 2007 or later. The "97-2003" version
can be used with earlier versions, but some original formatting types may not be
supported. To ensure that the integrity of the original file remains intact, please
immediately "Save As" and re-title the workbook. The workbook will typically run faster
from your local drive than on a network, CD, or external drive.
2. Enable macros Enable macros by clicking on the Security Warning "Options" box
above the formula bar and selecting "Enable this content" (Figure C-1). If upon opening
the worksheet, the Options box is not displayed, you may need to modify your macros
security protocols, found in the Trust Center Settings (Office Button > Word Options >
Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Disable all macros with notification). Please
confer with your IT administrator before making changes.
Figure C-1. Macro security alert dialog box.
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C-2 A Guidebook for Sustainability Performance Measurement for Transportation Agencies
3. Worksheet protection To prevent users from accidentally deleting data or modifying
functionality, each worksheet (the tabs displayed at the bottom of the workbook) is
protected, with basic permissions granted based on anticipated user needs. Each
worksheet can be unprotected by right clicking on the applicable tab and selecting
"unprotect worksheet." Depending on user needs, unprotected worksheets may require
manual re-protection. (Right click on the tab and select "Protect Worksheet." No
password is required for unprotecting and re-protecting sheets. Respond to the dialog box
for re-protecting sheets by clicking "OK"). Note: Please do not apply workbook
protection via the "Review" tab. Doing so will disable the Export macro and yield a run-
time error message.
USING THE COMPENDIUM
1. Workbook components The compendium is composed of one worksheet (Figure C-2)
for each of the 11 goals and one "All Measures" worksheet, in which all goals,
objectives, and measures are assembled and cross-categorized to enable more precise
filtering operations. Further information on the compendium, including the development
of the goals, focus areas, objectives, and measures, may be found in Appendix B of the
guidebook.
Figure C-2. Screenshot of a compendium worksheet.
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Electronic Compendium User Instructions C-3
2. Filtering Filtering, which allows for the generation of a customized list of goals,
objectives, and measures, is enabled through the "All Measures" worksheet. A filtering
operation is initiated by clicking on the box (with embedded downward arrow--see
arrow in Figure C-3) provided in row three (3), directly beneath the title of the filter (e.g.,
"Safety."). A drop-down box menu will appear, with a scroll menu at the bottom (beneath
"Text Filters"). The filter is applied by selecting only checkboxes with relevant categories
and clicking "OK." For example, to filter out all goals except 1 and 2, check boxes 1 and
2, ensuring that all others remain blank. Apply as many filters as necessary in order to
ensure that the list is sufficiently precise and manageable. Note: Using the "Sort"
function is not recommended. Although sorting is disabled by the default worksheet
protections, selecting "Sort" will harm the "Reset" macro.
Figure C-3. Filter in the compendium using the checkboxes.
The filters include
1) Goals, Objectives, Measures (columns AC): As text-based lists offering a multitude of
choices (from 11 under Goal to over 400 under Measures), these filters are not
recommended for initial filter operations but may be useful for final refinements. The use
of italics in the "Measures" column indicates that a given measure is a designated
"example of use" measure, described in Appendix D. These columns are linked directly
from the Goal tabs and should never be modified on the "All Measures" tab. See
Figure C-4.
2) ID: Goal, Objective, Measure (columns DF): The columns combine to provide a discrete
ID number for each measure and may be used to easily trace each measure back to its
source goal worksheet. The "Goal" filter (column D) is useful for eliminating unwanted
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C-4 A Guidebook for Sustainability Performance Measurement for Transportation Agencies
goals and is well suited for initial filtering operations. "Object" and "Measure" are
provided primarily to provide complete IDs but may also be used for final filtering.
3) Focus Areas (column G): This filter allows the user to select from among the six focus
areas to provide appropriate emphasis. The abbreviations are defined in the "Key" tab.
4) Type (columns H and I):
a. Organizational Applicability (column H): Allows the user to view measures only
applicable to internal aspects of the agency (pertaining to the agency's own
vehicle fleet, for example), or conversely, only focused on external activities.
b. Outcome (OC)/Output (OP)/Process (P) (column I): Allows the user to filter
measures that reflect outcomes (results of activities), outputs (activities
themselves), or agency processes (reflects the existence of a process or
procedures). Full definitions are included in the "Key" tab.
5) Program Relevance (columns JN): Allows the user to filter measures by broad program
areas or interests, including
a. Freight,
b. Transit,
c. Bike/pedestrian,
d. Safety, and
e. Land use.
6) Principles (columns OR): Allows the user to filter by principle, including the three Es
(environment, equity, economy) and fostering community health and vitality.
Figure C-4. Screenshot of columns that can be filtered.
3. Duplicate measures Some measures may appear under multiple goals and/or
objectives. Measures within different goal categories that are effectively duplicates are
cross-listed in the "Duplicate" columns by ID number (Goal-Objective-Measure).
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Electronic Compendium User Instructions C-5
4. Exporting Once you have applied all relevant filters to produce a customized list of
goals, objectives, and measures, it may be exported. The exporting operation is
accomplished by clicking the "EXPORT" radio button at top left (in cell A-2). If you
export the entire, unfiltered worksheet, a pop-up message will occur asking "No filters
selected, do you want to export the entire sheet?" Clicking "Yes" will initiate the export
operation (Figure C-5). Clicking "No" will ask you to "Please select filters and then
export."
Figure C-5. Export dialog box.
If you export a filtered worksheet, the "Export" macro may take several seconds,
depending on the processing speed of your computer. The macro begins by copying all
visible (filtered) cells into a new worksheet, entitled "Sheet 1" (or 2, 3, etc., if multiple
exports are performed). The macro then returns the user to the "All Measures" workbook,
where subsequent filtering can occur. (The "All Measures" sheet is automatically reset).
This operation can be performed manually but is moderately complicated and time
consuming.
Returning to the exported sheet, you will find the date of export stamped in cell A-1. (The
"All Measures" sheet has a dynamic date.) By default, the cursor will be located in cell
C-1 ("Title"), reminding you of the option to title your customized list. (You may also re-
title the tab itself by double clicking on it.) Note: To limit the file size of the
compendium and prevent noticeable slowdowns, it is recommended that users either
delete exported sheets after use or move them to a new workbook (right click on tab >
move or copy > to book: (new book) > save).
Figure C-6. Pop-up box alert.
5. Reset The user can simultaneously remove all filters on the "All Measures" sheet by
clicking the "RESET" radio button, located in cell A-2. If you have not applied any
filters, a pop-up box will alert you by stating "No filters selected" (Figure C-6). The reset
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C-6 A Guidebook for Sustainability Performance Measurement for Transportation Agencies
operation is also easily performed manually by clicking "Clear" filter, under the Data
menu. Individual filters may be removed by clicking the arrow-embedded filter box and
selecting "Clear filter from column ___" or modified by changing the selected check
boxes.
6. Goals The 11 goal worksheets feed content directly to the "All Measures" tab but are
not intended for direct filtering (a default protection). They are organized by focus areas
(which contain relevant objectives and measures), with each row displaying "Goal-
Objective" IDs in column A, an objective in column B, and measures applicable to that
objective lettered from A to E (providing the measure ID). The sheets may be modified
by the user, either to customize existing measures or to add new measures. To create new
measures, it is recommended that the user supplant an existing measure, which will be
automatically reflected in the "All Measures" tab (although changes in filter criteria need
to be updated manually). The creation of new measures in blank cells is not
recommended since the "All Measures" sheet would require manual modification.
Each "Goal" tab is set up for easy landscape-format printing, with page breaks coincident with
focus areas.
