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From page 33... ... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 33 4. CASE STUDY AND GUIDANCE DEVELOPMENT This chapter describes the methodology for guidance development and provides an overview of the final products. Section 4.1 describes the approach to developing case studies for inclusion in the guidance. Section 4.2 provides information on the final set of case studies. Section 4.3 discusses how the case study results shaped the final guidance document. It also presents an overview of the guidance content and organization. The guidance document, including the full text of the case studies is available in a stand‐alone volume. 4.1 Case Study Methodology A series of case studies were developed to provide a set of illustrative examples of how different organizations approach capture and learning of consultant‐developed knowledge. The case studies were selected to collectively provide coverage of:  the three identified motivations: remembering what was done and why, improving future practice based on experience, and developing seasoned program managers and project engineers , and  the three identified types of knowledge capture and learning strategies: Mentoring and Interaction, Identifying and Learning Lessons, and Documentation and Handoff Processes. Read the entire page →
From page 34... ... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 34 indicated that they were already checking on whether their agencies were doing some of these activities covered in the case studies or were planning to make contact with people who might be in a position to implement them. 4.2 Case Study Organizations and Topics Case studies were developed for seven organizations (five state DOTs and two other organizations.) A total of 11 case studies were produced. These provide broad coverage of the motivations and strategies that were identified in the framework. Most of the case studies provide illustrations for multiple motivations and multiple strategies. Table 2. Case Studies Organization Topic Motivations Strategies Colorado DOT Colorado Flood Response  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons Oregon DOT Delivering a Major Bridge Program  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons  Documentation and Handoff Processes Virginia DOT Outsourcing Bridge Engineering  Improving future practice based on experience  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons Virginia DOT Design Quality Assurance  Improving future practice based on experience  Identifying and Learning Lessons Virginia DOT Construction Inspection Mentoring Program  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction Michigan DOT Paperless Construction  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Documentation and Handoff Processes  Identifying and Learning Lessons Michigan DOT Construction Project Scheduling  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction Tennessee DOT Local Programs Office  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons  Documentation and Handoff Processes Read the entire page →
From page 35... ... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 35 Organization Topic Motivations Strategies Tennessee DOT Environmental Division  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Mentoring and Interaction  Documentation and Handoff Processes Alberta Transportation Highway Design Specifications  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons  Documentation and Handoff Processes Philips Innovation Services Knowledge Sharing to Drive Innovation  Improving future practice based on experience  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons  Documentation and Handoff Processes Each case study was reviewed to identify the essential elements to be highlighted in the Guide. These are summarized below.  Colorado DOT – Flood Response: o Use of blended consultant‐DOT staff teams for quickly marshalling available expertise and providing a hands‐on learning environment for internal staff o Creation of a lessons learned document with input from public and private sector team members to identify course corrections and guide future activities o Standardizing practices to record decisions and document processes o Using experience to update agency manuals, job descriptions and standard contract language  Oregon DOT ‐ Delivering a Major Bridge Program: o Establishing strong partnerships that provide opportunities for agency staff to work collaboratively with consultants and participate in problem solving, brainstorming and decision making o Building a culture of innovation that embraces new, more efficient and effective ways of doing things – with shared responsibility and shared feeling of accomplishment across agency and private sector participants o Involving agency staff and consultants/contractors in the same training activities o Using consultants to advance use of information technology tools in a manner that can be sustained within the organization – by (1) leveraging existing agency technology foundations, (2) Read the entire page →
From page 36... ... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 36 o Maintaining a critical mass of internal expertise through a multi‐faceted internal professional development program involving mentoring and internal collaboration opportunities o Formalizing public/private collaboration to advance collective expertise and provide a forum for discussing issues and developing solutions o Open door policy for vendors that enables staff to increase their familiarity with available capabilities and products o Interactive sessions involving agency staff and outside experts  Virginia DOT ‐ Design Quality Assurance o Recognizing the value of the "revolving door" – in which DOT staff leave to join consultants and consultants take jobs at the DOT o Use of a standard process as part of quality assurance at the end of a project to identify and document opportunities for future improvement – with input from all project participants, both agency staff and consultants/contractors  Virginia DOT ‐ Construction Inspector Mentoring Program o Active mentoring program to develop in‐house expertise, drawing upon both agency and private sector mentors  Michigan DOT ‐ Paperless Construction o Providing the technology infrastructure to facilitate efficient workflow across design and construction workgroups with DOT and private sector participants o Facilitating ongoing access to design and construction documents produced by consultants and contractors after project completion o Formal post project debrief process for identifying lessons learned (under discussion) o Partnership with an engineering consulting industry association (ACEC) Read the entire page →
From page 37... ... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 37 o Involvement of agency staff at all project phases, working collaboratively with the consultants o Example of collaborative approach to updating of standards and specifications o Identification of lessons learned through tri‐party project closeout meeting  Philips Innovation Services – Knowledge Sharing to Drive Innovation o Private sector case illustrating how knowledge capture and transfer is viewed as a valuable service in an environment focused on innovation o Illustration of how the same techniques for knowledge capture from "departing experts" are applicable regardless of whether the expert is an employee or a consultant moving on to another engagement o Specific examples that prove useful guidance on how to approach knowledge capture and how to develop an appropriate knowledge transfer strategy 4.3 Final Guidance Development Several observations from the case studies shaped the final guidance development:  Agencies viewed consultants as a valuable resource for supplementing agency capabilities and introducing new ways of doing things. They did not perceive substantial risks associated with loss of knowledge gained by the consultants they engaged.  Agencies appeared to be more concerned about knowledge transfer from agency staff to consultants and contractors rather than the other way around ‐ given the importance of understanding the agency's policies, procedures and people in order to perform effectively. Read the entire page →
From page 38... ... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 38 efficiency, learning from experience, etc.) The guidance also acknowledges that deliberate strategies for knowledge capture and learning from consultants are only needed for certain situations – and helps agencies to target their activities appropriately. It highlights the fact that knowledge management techniques can be applied both to address concerns about knowledge loss from internal staff as well as to capture knowledge from consultants. Finally, it notes that effective use of consultants requires two‐ way knowledge transfer (to educate/orient the consultants to agency practices and to pass back what the consultants have learned to agency staff) Read the entire page →
From page 39... ... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 39 Chapter 3. Techniques for Knowledge Capture and Learning This chapter discusses each of the three types of techniques for knowledge capture and learning that were introduced at the end of Chapter 2. It talks about how knowledge capture and learning may occur simultaneously (e.g. in a project debrief session) or through a multi‐step process (e.g. through developing a lesson‐learned, posting this lesson to a knowledge portal, then using the lesson later to prepare for a new project.) Read the entire page →

From page 33...

... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 33 4. CASE STUDY AND GUIDANCE DEVELOPMENT This chapter describes the methodology for guidance development and provides an overview of the final products. Section 4.1 describes the approach to developing case studies for inclusion in the guidance. Section 4.2 provides information on the final set of case studies. Section 4.3 discusses how the case study results shaped the final guidance document. It also presents an overview of the guidance content and organization. The guidance document, including the full text of the case studies is available in a stand‐alone volume. 4.1 Case Study Methodology A series of case studies were developed to provide a set of illustrative examples of how different organizations approach capture and learning of consultant‐developed knowledge. The case studies were selected to collectively provide coverage of:  the three identified motivations: remembering what was done and why, improving future practice based on experience, and developing seasoned program managers and project engineers , and  the three identified types of knowledge capture and learning strategies: Mentoring and Interaction, Identifying and Learning Lessons, and Documentation and Handoff Processes.

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From page 34...

... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 34 indicated that they were already checking on whether their agencies were doing some of these activities covered in the case studies or were planning to make contact with people who might be in a position to implement them. 4.2 Case Study Organizations and Topics Case studies were developed for seven organizations (five state DOTs and two other organizations.) A total of 11 case studies were produced. These provide broad coverage of the motivations and strategies that were identified in the framework. Most of the case studies provide illustrations for multiple motivations and multiple strategies. Table 2. Case Studies Organization Topic Motivations Strategies Colorado DOT Colorado Flood Response  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons Oregon DOT Delivering a Major Bridge Program  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons  Documentation and Handoff Processes Virginia DOT Outsourcing Bridge Engineering  Improving future practice based on experience  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons Virginia DOT Design Quality Assurance  Improving future practice based on experience  Identifying and Learning Lessons Virginia DOT Construction Inspection Mentoring Program  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction Michigan DOT Paperless Construction  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Documentation and Handoff Processes  Identifying and Learning Lessons Michigan DOT Construction Project Scheduling  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction Tennessee DOT Local Programs Office  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons  Documentation and Handoff Processes

Read the entire page →

From page 35...

... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 35 Organization Topic Motivations Strategies Tennessee DOT Environmental Division  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Mentoring and Interaction  Documentation and Handoff Processes Alberta Transportation Highway Design Specifications  Improving future practice based on experience  Remembering what was done and why  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons  Documentation and Handoff Processes Philips Innovation Services Knowledge Sharing to Drive Innovation  Improving future practice based on experience  Developing seasoned program managers and project engineers  Mentoring and Interaction  Identifying and Learning Lessons  Documentation and Handoff Processes Each case study was reviewed to identify the essential elements to be highlighted in the Guide. These are summarized below.  Colorado DOT – Flood Response: o Use of blended consultant‐DOT staff teams for quickly marshalling available expertise and providing a hands‐on learning environment for internal staff o Creation of a lessons learned document with input from public and private sector team members to identify course corrections and guide future activities o Standardizing practices to record decisions and document processes o Using experience to update agency manuals, job descriptions and standard contract language  Oregon DOT ‐ Delivering a Major Bridge Program: o Establishing strong partnerships that provide opportunities for agency staff to work collaboratively with consultants and participate in problem solving, brainstorming and decision making o Building a culture of innovation that embraces new, more efficient and effective ways of doing things – with shared responsibility and shared feeling of accomplishment across agency and private sector participants o Involving agency staff and consultants/contractors in the same training activities o Using consultants to advance use of information technology tools in a manner that can be sustained within the organization – by (1) leveraging existing agency technology foundations, (2)

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From page 36...

... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 36 o Maintaining a critical mass of internal expertise through a multi‐faceted internal professional development program involving mentoring and internal collaboration opportunities o Formalizing public/private collaboration to advance collective expertise and provide a forum for discussing issues and developing solutions o Open door policy for vendors that enables staff to increase their familiarity with available capabilities and products o Interactive sessions involving agency staff and outside experts  Virginia DOT ‐ Design Quality Assurance o Recognizing the value of the "revolving door" – in which DOT staff leave to join consultants and consultants take jobs at the DOT o Use of a standard process as part of quality assurance at the end of a project to identify and document opportunities for future improvement – with input from all project participants, both agency staff and consultants/contractors  Virginia DOT ‐ Construction Inspector Mentoring Program o Active mentoring program to develop in‐house expertise, drawing upon both agency and private sector mentors  Michigan DOT ‐ Paperless Construction o Providing the technology infrastructure to facilitate efficient workflow across design and construction workgroups with DOT and private sector participants o Facilitating ongoing access to design and construction documents produced by consultants and contractors after project completion o Formal post project debrief process for identifying lessons learned (under discussion) o Partnership with an engineering consulting industry association (ACEC)

Read the entire page →

From page 37...

... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 37 o Involvement of agency staff at all project phases, working collaboratively with the consultants o Example of collaborative approach to updating of standards and specifications o Identification of lessons learned through tri‐party project closeout meeting  Philips Innovation Services – Knowledge Sharing to Drive Innovation o Private sector case illustrating how knowledge capture and transfer is viewed as a valuable service in an environment focused on innovation o Illustration of how the same techniques for knowledge capture from "departing experts" are applicable regardless of whether the expert is an employee or a consultant moving on to another engagement o Specific examples that prove useful guidance on how to approach knowledge capture and how to develop an appropriate knowledge transfer strategy 4.3 Final Guidance Development Several observations from the case studies shaped the final guidance development:  Agencies viewed consultants as a valuable resource for supplementing agency capabilities and introducing new ways of doing things. They did not perceive substantial risks associated with loss of knowledge gained by the consultants they engaged.  Agencies appeared to be more concerned about knowledge transfer from agency staff to consultants and contractors rather than the other way around ‐ given the importance of understanding the agency's policies, procedures and people in order to perform effectively.

Read the entire page →

From page 38...

... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 38 efficiency, learning from experience, etc.) The guidance also acknowledges that deliberate strategies for knowledge capture and learning from consultants are only needed for certain situations – and helps agencies to target their activities appropriately. It highlights the fact that knowledge management techniques can be applied both to address concerns about knowledge loss from internal staff as well as to capture knowledge from consultants. Finally, it notes that effective use of consultants requires two‐ way knowledge transfer (to educate/orient the consultants to agency practices and to pass back what the consultants have learned to agency staff)

Read the entire page →

From page 39...

... Developing the Guide to Retaining Essential Consultant‐Developed Knowledge Within DOTs 39 Chapter 3. Techniques for Knowledge Capture and Learning This chapter discusses each of the three types of techniques for knowledge capture and learning that were introduced at the end of Chapter 2. It talks about how knowledge capture and learning may occur simultaneously (e.g. in a project debrief session) or through a multi‐step process (e.g. through developing a lesson‐learned, posting this lesson to a knowledge portal, then using the lesson later to prepare for a new project.)

Read the entire page →

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