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Strategic Program Delivery Methods (2017)

Chapter: CHAPTER SEVEN Conclusions and Suggestions for Future Research

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Suggested Citation:"CHAPTER SEVEN Conclusions and Suggestions for Future Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Strategic Program Delivery Methods. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24719.
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Page 66
Page 67
Suggested Citation:"CHAPTER SEVEN Conclusions and Suggestions for Future Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Strategic Program Delivery Methods. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24719.
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Page 67

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64 CHAPTER SEVEN CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH INTRODUCTION The goal of this synthesis study is to document the current state of practice in strategic program delivery. The research team conducted a comprehensive literature review and a content analysis of state department of transportation (DOT) documents, guidelines, and manuals on program delivery. A national survey of state DOTs and case examples of select state DOTs were also executed. Each of these research steps provided insight and a better understanding of program delivery and identified gaps in knowledge about program delivery of highway projects. Findings that were discovered using one of the three methods but not validated by a second method were reported but are not included as conclusions. The gaps in knowledge and practice identified in this study provide ideas for future research. This chapter presents current information and understanding of stra- tegic program delivery by state DOTs, as well as guidance for addressing gaps in knowledge in future research. This synthesis and future studies will help guide transportation agencies through the decision-making process and ensure that they consider critical factors when they select delivery methods for their programs. CONCLUSIONS Strategic program delivery requires state DOTs to implement a program to deliver a series of projects while using both tradi- tional and alternative contracting methods. On the basis of the data collected from the literature review, the content analysis, the national survey, and the case examples, the major conclusions are as follows, in no particular order: • The establishment of a transportation program typically depends on groupings based on project functionalities, con- struction types, funding issues, demand and urgency, stakeholders’ priorities and expectations, scheduling issues, and geographic location. • The major benefits of strategic program delivery include accelerated project delivery; flexibility in reassessing/reas- signing risk; enhanced innovation; time savings; reduced public impact; cost savings and greater or earlier cost cer- tainty; leveraged resources; efficient and equitable funding distribution; increased control of scope, schedule, and cost; improved relationships with contractors; and effective change management. • Driving forces of the strategic program delivery selection process include project size, budget issues, technical complex- ity, third-party issues, construction types, scheduling issues, risk management, environmental issues, innovation and streamlined processes, and community outreach. • Shorter schedules, streamlined processes, innovation, improved risk management, and enhanced trust on the part of policymakers and the public are driving forces in successfully implementing strategic program delivery. • The major challenges for strategic program delivery are making required culture and organizational changes; ensuring necessary training and education; establishing trust between regions and headquarters; strategizing program funding; emphasizing coordination and collaboration among various parts of the organization; conducting effective community outreach; and securing legislative approval. • State DOTs have used a variety of organizational structures (e.g., centralization versus decentralization, in-house versus outsourcing, and silo-based versus team-based) to address specific program needs. The team-based approach is the best structure for implementing program delivery. Some state DOTs have outsourced extensive responsibility for program delivery activities. Centralization of responsibility for establishing and enforcing standards, procedures, and policies helps make program delivery more consistent. • Many state DOTs do not use a holistic approach to program delivery. State DOTs typically select a delivery method for programs on a case-by-case basis. • State DOTs are increasingly using alternative contracting methods (ACMs) to accelerate transportation project and program delivery. The benefits of using ACMs for program delivery include flexibility in innovation, accelerated project

65 schedule, greater partnership between the public and private sectors, cost savings, earlier cost certainty, and flexibility in reassessing and reassigning risk. • Performance measures play an important role in strategic program delivery, and state DOTs commonly set program- matic goals as well as individual project goals. Performance measures vary from state to state, depending on the purpose of the measurement and the performance metrics chosen. Some state DOTs have performance measurement tools in place to help them improve their program delivery. Other state DOTs lack adequate tools or mechanisms to assess proj- ect and program performance or are just beginning to develop a process to measure performance. • Most state DOTs use cost and schedule performance to measure the effectiveness of their project and program delivery. Some state DOTs incorporate performance measures into their operational procedures and strategic goals. • Community outreach is a critical activity for successful program delivery. Effective community outreach reduces nega- tive public impact, enhances public trust, and improves the agency’s image. • State DOTs have experienced some culture shifts to redefine their roles and responsibilities to adapt to a new way of implementing program delivery strategically. Agencies need assistance to fully understand and address these changes so they can effectively deliver their programs. FUTURE RESEARCH The research team found gaps in the current knowledge of strategic program delivery. Most state DOTs select a delivery method for a program on a case-by-case basis. To help state DOTs become more consistent, efficient, and effective in deliver- ing their programs, the following are potentially worthwhile topics for future research studies. In the national survey and the case examples, it was clear that project and program management processes and procedures vary among state DOTs. The lack of consistency in program management suggests inefficiencies in program delivery. A future study could investigate the best practices of strategic program delivery to develop an efficient and effective program management system that any state DOT could adopt. Strategic program delivery changes the culture and organizational structure of the DOT and associated management. Addressing major needs in a state’s transportation system can result in many different types of projects within a program. For the more complex and high-risk projects, state DOTs typically look to alternative contracting methods such as design-build and construction manager/general contractor to infuse more innovation into a project. However, like most organizations, state DOTs tend to resist change, and using alternative contracting methods typically requires changes in the established delivery culture and the organization. Future research could look at how state DOTs can develop a strategic approach to their program delivery culture and understand the modifications that need to occur to the overall organizational structure of the department. Another potential area of investigation is determining and developing performance measurements for program delivery. State DOTs use performance metrics to track the progress and performance of a project, typically focusing on cost, schedule, quality, and safety. To determine program performance, DOTs typically compile the measures from individual projects within the program. However, state DOTs lack tools and mechanisms to assess the performance of program delivery. Increasing the ability of state DOTs to develop and use program delivery metrics to track program budget, schedule, quality, safety, and other measures that relate to the overall goals of a program would provide program teams with the proper tools for program-level performance evaluation. Future research could determine which types of performance metrics work effectively for program delivery and could develop a process for creating and using performance metrics at the program level. Finally, the literature review, national survey, and case examples provide evidence that program and enterprise risk man- agement are important factors in successfully implementing program delivery. However, program and enterprise risk man- agement are new concepts for state DOTs. Future research on this topic could help promote the effective use of project and program delivery in the transportation construction industry. The results could provide guidance, policies, and risk-based approaches to program delivery.

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TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 504: Strategic Program Delivery Methods explores holistic approaches to maximizing the benefits of time and cost savings when delivering transportation programs, rather than delivering individual projects. While a considerable amount of published research has focused on the process of selecting an optimal project delivery method, this report documents how implementing a variety of delivery methods strategically for a program of projects can improve the delivery of the entire program.

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