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111 I. Problem Title Guidebook on Staffing Skill Sets and Knowledge for Alternative Contracting Methods II. Research Problem Statement State departments of transportation (DOTs) across the country increasingly use alternative contracting methods (ACMs) in addition to the traditional design-bid-build (D-B-B) approach to deliver transportation projects and programs. The primary ACMs include designâbuild (D-B), construction manager/general contractor (CM/GC), publicâprivate partnerships (P3), and other innovative techniques [e.g., alternative technical concepts (ATC), A+B or Cost + Time contracting, a best-value approach to D-B-B projects, and others]. In fact, ACMs are a significant part of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Every Day Counts Initiative because they are seen as tools that can be used to improve transportation projects and programs. Staffing needs and skill sets for traditional Design-Bid-Build (D-B-B) projects are well estab- lished. State DOTs have historically employed and maintained substantial levels of technical and administrative staff to perform design and construction activities for their projects. How- ever, the staffing needs, skill sets, and organizational structure for ACM projects have not been adequately understood although they are critical to the success of implementing ACM projects and programs. NCHRP Synthesis 518: Staffing for Alternative Contracting Methods highlighted that state DOTs are faced with more complex decision making regarding appropriate levels and mix of staffing for their ACM projects. The staffing needs for ACMs vary widely among DOTs and are affected by project and program size and type, staffing availability, organizational structure preferences, and ACM selection processes among other factors. There is a need for develop- ing a formal process and procedure to help state DOTs effectively and efficiently select ârightâ people for the ACM project team. The proposed research should address at least the following questions: ⢠How can state DOTs provide an effective and efficient staff level for successfully delivering their ACM projects? ⢠How do staffing needs vary on the project level associated with different types of organiza- tional structures (centralized, decentralized, and combined)? ⢠What are the critical skill sets and knowledge that agency staff should have to administer and manage ACM projects? Do these skill sets and knowledge domains vary for primary ACMs (e.g., D-B, CM/GC, and P3)? What are strategies and approaches that state DOTs should use to determine ârightâ people for their ACM project teams? A P P E N D I X D Research Needs Statement Draft
112 Staffing for Alternative Contracting Methods ⢠How do state DOTs introduce new/junior staff to ACMs? What type of trainings are needed to promote ACMs? ⢠How do state DOTs develop and maintain the core workforce for ACMs? III. Research Objectives and Tasks The main objective of the proposed research is to develop a process and guidelines to assist state DOTs to effectively and efficiently plan and develop a sustainable core workforce for successfully implementing ACMs. Proposed tasks to accomplish this objective are as follows: Task 1: Conduct a literature search to review past studies on staffing practices in transporta- tion agencies and other industries. Task 2: Select a representative set of highway agencies with the extensive experience in use of ACMs that can be studied in depth to identify both the effective staffing practices, challenges, and lessons learned. Task 3: Prepare a white paper to document the findings from Tasks 1 and 2. Task 4: Prepare a research work plan that describes the details of the research methodol- ogy and approach to identifying and verifying the effective practices and developing conclusions. Task 5: Execute the research work plan and prepare an interim research report that articu- lates the data collection and analysis as well as emerging conclusions, effective prac- tices, lessons learned, and a proposed outline for the guidebook; case study report; and draft languages. Task 6: Prepare the draft guidebook on staffing practices, skill sets, and knowledge for ACM projects. Incorporate review comments as required, and validate the guidebookâs efficacy with case study DOTs. Task 7: Publishing the final guidebook and a final research report that details the full results of the research. IV. Sponsoring Committee AFH15, Project Delivery Methods AFH10, Construction Management V. Estimate of Problem Funding and Research Period Recommended Funding: Recommended funding for the project from $300,000 to $500,000. Research Period: It is estimated that 24â36 months will be required to perform the research. VI. Urgency, Potential Payoff, and Implementation Proper staffing levels on ACM projects are essential. State DOTs and other agencies have expended a large portion of their project budget on staffing. Efficient use of staffing protects this important portion of the project budget. Further, importantly, the agency staff protects the pub- lic welfare. It is difficult to quantify the overall scope of completed or in-process ACMs, but that figure easily exceeds $100 billion. Inadequate or ineffective agency staffing on project portfolios of this magnitude could result in inefficient use of public funds for the project development and cost the public a significant amount of resources during the projectâs life due to, for example, higher maintenance costs related to lower quality.
Research Needs Statement Draft 113 The findings from NCHRP Synthesis 518 showed that the staff competency required for the traditional D-B-B approach does not directly apply to the implementation of ACMs. The suc- cessful implementation of ACM projects often requires staff with different skill sets, knowledge domain, and competencies. The intent of this project is to furnish a uniform set of guidelines for planning efficient and effective staffing on ACMs. The final deliverable potentially will be a guidebook to help state DOTs establish an effective and efficient staffing level for their ACM projects. The guidelines will become available through the TRB/NCHRP libraries and websites. VII. Persons Developing the Problem Dan Tran, University of Kansas Douglas Gransberg, Iowa State University Chris Harper, Louisiana State University Others to be added as appropriate VIII. Problem Monitor TBD
