The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and Enhancements (2018)

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70 Purpose of the Action Plan The research team was asked to devise an immediate action plan that those responsible for the TRT’s management might use to initiate implementation of a strategic plan. The purpose of this action plan is to provide a practical path forward to enhance the TRT based on the outcome of the TRT assessment strategic plan developed in the research described in this report. The plan’s scope is based in Use Case 1. Project Plan and Timeline The project plan and timeline (Table B-1) shows tasks and subtasks comprising the immedi- ate action plan; a calendar (by week) and duration for each task; dependencies between/among tasks (represented as a predecessor task number); responsible roles; and other resources, such as IT support and training, needed to accomplish the task. Estimates of approximate cost were pro- vided as well, but depend on assumptions about when and how work would be accomplished; these estimates are not presented here. Roles and Responsibilities A key component to moving from the strategic plan to the action plan is the organization of the project. The research team has identified the following roles and responsibilities for project personnel: • TRB Project Director—has primary responsibility for the direction of the project, serves as the project’s champion, interacts with other TRB staff regarding funding and resources, and receives reports from other project members. • Project Manager—has primary responsibility for the day-to-day management and coordina- tion of the project, monitoring of schedule and resources, and submitting deliverables. The research team suggests the use of outside resources for this position to provide support to the Director without jeopardizing the ongoing work of the TRT group. • Senior Thesaurus Analyst—responsible for identifying issues and suggesting best practices and the most efficient and effective approaches to dealing with technical- and content-related tasks. Provides thesaurus management expertise to support the Project Director and the Proj- ect Manager in instituting these best practices within the environment and constraints of the project. The research team suggests the use of outside resources for this position to provide support to the Director without jeopardizing the ongoing work. • Thesaurus Analyst—provides support to the Senior Thesaurus Analyst and other team members. May perform studies under the guidance of others and make changes to the content A p p e n d i x B Immediate Action Plan

immediate Action plan 71 under supervision. Performs quality control on the content under the direction of the Senior Thesaurus Analyst and the Project Manager. • Software Developer—makes changes to the current TRT architecture and code to accom- modate Strategy 1. Develops web services/APIs as needed to integrate the Master TRT with TRID and to make the TRT available to others. Provides expertise in the relevant program- ming languages, the current TRT architecture, and the TRB/NAS IT environment. A leadership team would have responsibility for advising the technical team on the various aspects of the work. This team should include representatives from TRB, the TRT Subcommit- tee, and other interested stakeholders. Table B-1 presents the components of this proposed immediate action plan and suggests which members of the development team would be assigned responsibility. These tasks and responsibilities might be revised to suit the specific situation—e.g., balance between TRB staff and contractor work—when implementation is initiated. Table B-1. Project plan and timeline. Dependencies Task Number Task Name Calendar Duration Project Personnel Other Resources 0 Identify the Strategy 1 team members and the TRB Project Director Week 1 1 week Project Manager, TRB Project Director 1.0 Acquire an ISO 25964 compliant convenience tool to support Strategy 1 Weeks 2 - 3 2 weeks 1.1 Determine number of copies needed for TRB team (fee expected) 1 day Project Manager, TRB Project Director Software 1.2 Determine number of copies for other interested stakeholders (no fee expected) 1 day Project Manager, TRB Project Director IR2 1.3 Identify low cost ISO-compliant desktop tool 5 days Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 1.3 1.4 Download and install convenience copies 5 days TRB Project Director, Software Developer 2.0 Prepare a new Guiding Principles and Best Practices document Weeks 4 - 5 2 weeks IR1 2.1 Review and restate/reaffirm TRT warrant 5 days Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 2.2 Develop table of contents and structure for guiding principles document 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 2.3 Create placeholder section for term selection and inclusion policies 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 2.4 Create placeholder section for term relationships 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 2.5 Create placeholder section for categorization schemes 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 2.6 Create placeholder section for use/consumption models 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 2.7 Create placeholder section for annual evaluations and key performance indicators 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 2.8 Create placeholder section for governance models 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst 2.1 - 2.8 2.9 TRB review of guiding principles strawman structure 2 weeks Contracting Officer 1.0 3.0 Configure ISO 25964 compliant convenience tool Weeks 4 - 9 5 weeks (continued on next page)

72 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements Dependencies Task Number Task Name Calendar Duration Project Personnel Other Resources 3.1 3.8 Define administrative fields (e.g., Date Created, Unique ID Format, Language Base Value, etc.) 5 days Project Manager, TRB Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 3.1 3.9 Define note fields (e.g., Scope Notes with strategy, Definition field with strategy for content and specifications, Source & Origin field with strategy for values, Validation field with strategy for values, and personal notes) 5 days Project Manager, TRB Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 3.1 3.10 Review standard term workflow values (e.g., approved, candidate, provisional, not approved) and accept or adapt 5 days Project Manager, TRB Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 3.1, 3.2 311 Review existing simple and advanced search capabilities 5 days TRB Project Director, TRB Others 3.1 3.12 Review options for maintaining TRT enumeration codes (e.g., controlled categorization field or uncontrolled note field) 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst 3.1 3.13 Define new strategy for defining new TRT enumeration codes for new terms added to TRT 5 days Project Manager, TRB Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 2 3.14 Revise Guiding Principles and Best Practices to reflect new term and thesaurus structures 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 3.14 3.15 TRB review of ISO 25964 compliant installation 2 weeks Contracting Officer 4.0 Transform the current version of TRT to an ISO-compliant version Weeks 9 - 17 8 weeks 1.3 4.1 Establish simple term records using simple MS Excel table report from TRT, including approved terms and lead-in terms 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst Updated reports from TRT database, including new records added since 12/2016 4.1 4.2 Load in TRT enumeration codes for each record 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst 4.1 4.3 Copy records for every term to an import file—including all displayed relationships, definitions, scope notes —for every facet 20 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst 1.4 3.1 Install convenience copy of tool on TRB server 5 days Software Developer, Senior Thesaurus Analyst Software, server 1.4 3.2 Install convenience copies on desktops 5 days Software Developer, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 1.4 3.3 Install web version (if part of the convenience tool) 5 days Software Developer, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 3.1 3.4 Define standard relationships (BT/NT; USE/UF; RT/RT) 1 day Software Developer, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 3.1 3.5 Define variations of equivalent relationships (e.g., abbreviations, acronyms, initialisms, regional variants, etc.) 10 days Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 3.1 3.6 Decide whether to continue to create Related Term (hierarchical) relationships 1 day Project Manager, TRB Project Manager 3.1 3.7 Propose and define variations of associative relationships (i.e., review of standards discussions) 10 days Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst Table B-1. (Continued)

immediate Action plan 73 (continued on next page) 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 5.5 Make a backup copy of the working copy for archive purposes 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst 5.5 5.6 TRB review of new ISO-compliant master version of TRT 3 weeks Contracting Officer 6.0 Define and prioritize changes to working copy of TRT Weeks 21 - 25 4 weeks IR1 6.1 Determine strategy for parenthetical qualifier 5 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) IR1 6.2 Determine strategy for use of container terms 5 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) IR1 6.3 Determine strategy for stand-alone adverbs and adjectives 5 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) IR1 6.4 Determine strategy for synonyms 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 6.5 Define strategy for use of associative terms 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst 3.14, 6.5 6.6 Revise Guiding Principles and Best Practices to reflect new policies and practices 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst 6.6 6.7 TRB review of updated guiding principles document 2 weeks Contracting Officer 7.0 Proof of concept for implementing changes in working copy Weeks 26 - 36 10 weeks IR1 7.1 Select two current facets for a full assessment and rebalancing, working with the detail provided in Technical Report 1 10 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager IR1 7.2 Define impacts and expected improvements for each facet 10 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 7.3 Assess the balance and second-level category values for each facet 10 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst IR1 7.4 Revise category structure for top level facets and identify gaps in coverage 10 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 3 7.5 Reconcile use of parenthetical qualifiers 10 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) 3 7.6 Reconcile use of container terms 10 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) 3 7.7 Reconcile use of stand-alone adverbs and adjectives 10 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) 3 7.8 Implement and test new strategy for synonyms, including all types of variants 20 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7 4.4 Transform all relationship and field labels to import formats and add repeatable labels for import 20 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst 3.4 4.5 Establish new formal BT/NT relationships 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst 4.4 4.6 Import all existing records 3 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst 4.6 4.7 Generate administrative reports to track records 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst 5.0 Conduct a quality control review of the working copy at the facet level Weeks 18 - 21 3 weeks 4.7 5.1 Generate reports of full records for each facet as working copies for quality control exercise 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst 5.1 5.2 Review full facet for inadvertent duplicates/variants and consolidate 5 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) 5.1 5.3 Review full facet for intentional duplications (terms with multiple TRT enumeration codes) and resolve 5 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) 5.1 5.4 Review individual records in the working copy and compare to the web published version in historical TRT 10 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) Dependencies Task Number Task Name Calendar Duration Project Personnel Other Resources Table B-1. (Continued)

74 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements Dependencies Task Number Task Name Calendar Duration Project Personnel Other Resources master version of TRT Officer 8.0 Define and implement the new category structure Weeks 37 - 45 8 weeks IR1 8.1 Review existing facets and determine which to retain in current form, which to combine and which to eliminate 5 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 8.2 Identify facets in need of focus or expansion and write new scope notes 5 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst Continued access to SMEs for scope and coverage advice IR1 8.3 Identify new modal-facets and prepare scope notes 5 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst Continued access to SMEs for scope and coverage advice IR1 8.4 Identify topics that are not yet covered by TRT and write scope notes 5 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst Continued access to SMEs for scope and coverage advice 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 8.5 Write scope notes for all retained facets 15 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) Continued access to SMEs for scope and coverage advice 8.5 8.6 Create new category scheme and add all values 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst 8.6 8.7 Assign values to existing records 15 days Thesaurus using report function and import formats Analyst(s) 3.3, 8.7 8.8 Implement new browse structure on TRB TRT website for testing 20 days Software Developer, TRB Project Director, Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 4.5 7.9 Review use of BT/NT relationships and make changes to bring variations in compliance with ISO 25964 20 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) 6.4, 6.5 7.10 Review all proposed but not accepted terms for inclusion as equivalence or associative terms 20 days Thesaurus Analyst(s) 6.5 7.11 Implement and test new strategy for associative terms 20 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 78, 7.9, 7.10, 7.11 7.12 Generate working reports for each facet 1 day Senior Thesaurus Analyst 7.12, 6.6 7.13 Formalize the review process for future evaluation and review 10 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst 7.14 Assess the impacts and improvements of the changes 5 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager IR1 7.15 Identify and prioritize additional facets for improvements 5 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 7.15 7.16 TRB review of enhancements to new 3 weeks Contracting Table B-1. (Continued)

immediate Action plan 75 (continued on next page) Dependencies Task Number Task Name Calendar Duration Project Personnel Other Resources 7.14 9.6 Review the potential impact of changes on full-text and open web search 10 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 9.6 9.7 TRB adjustments and/or signoff of new web services Software Developer, TRB Project Director 10 Review the need for additional training and skills building Week 9 - 13 4 weeks Final Report 10.1 Competencies for managing development of facet vocabularies 5 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst Final Report 10.2 Competencies for working with thesaurus management systems and standards 5 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst IR1 10.3 Competencies for SME outreach and networking 10 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager, Senior Thesaurus Analyst Final Report 10.4 Project management competencies for TRT 10 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager 10.4 10.5 TRB review of TRT role and competency requirements 3 weeks Contracting Officer 11.0 Prepare for formal procurement Week 46 - 50 4 weeks IR3 11.1 Define requirements based on proof of concept and convenience copy 10 days TRB Project Director and TRB Others IR3 11.2 Review the market for TMS tools 10 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager 11.3 Define budget levels 5 days TRB Project Director IR3 11.4 Define licensing constraints 1 day TRB Project Director, Project Manager 8.8 8.9 TRB review of enhanced and expanded web browse structure 3 weeks Contracting Officer 9.0 Develop and test web services integration to TRIS Week 37 - 41 4 weeks 3 9.1 Define required fields for use by TRIS 5 days Software Developer, Senior Thesaurus Analyst 7.14 9.2 Review the expansions to synonyms and impact to TRID search 5 days Software Developer, Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 7.14 9.3 Review the expansions of associative terms and impact to TRID search 5 days Software Developer, Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 9.4 Define the API/web service that will query TRT for terms and their relationships 10 days Software Developer API connectors for convenience copy 7.14 9.5 Review the impact of changes on indexing practices 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 11.5 Define procurement strategy - open RFP, single source, bake-off, etc. 10 days TRB Project Director, Project Manager Table B-1. (Continued)

76 The Transportation Research Thesaurus: Capabilities and enhancements Dependencies Task Number Task Name Calendar Duration Project Personnel Other Resources 11.3, 11.5 11.6 Launch procurement with TRB procurement office TRB Project Director 12.0 Continue to revise and update remaining facets Week 37 - 45 8 weeks 2.7, 7.13 12.1 Prepare evaluation guides drawing from Interim Report 1 results 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 12.1 12.2 Undertake the reviews 20 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 12.2 12.3 Document the assessment results 5 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 12.3 12.4 Suggest changes and revisions 10 days Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst 12.4 12.5 Make changes as directed TBD TBD Senior Thesaurus Analyst, Thesaurus Analyst Table B-1. (Continued)