Transcript Slide 1

Part 1 - WSDOT’s Experience Measuring
Sustainable Transportation Practices
Paula Hammond
Daniela Bremmer
Secretary of Transportation
Director of Strategic Assessment
SSTI Community of Practice Meeting
Seattle, WA
February 24, 2011
What is Performance Management at WSDOT?
WSDOT’s working definition:
• An opportunity to better manage the agency and our state-owned
transportation systems
• An opportunity to tell our story
• Part of our culture –what we do –who we are
WSDOT’s driving forces – Why we do what we do…
 Making a case for funding (funding and revenue challenges) – Our initial driver
 Good management practice / Internal agency initiatives
 Strategic and business planning
 Competition for limited resources / Investment decision-making needs and trade-offs
 Public and political expectations for accountability / Gubernatorial, legislative mandates
 Media pressure: National benchmarking and comparisons
 ARRA: Federal economic stimulus spending and reporting
 Performance-based federal aid program / Reauthorization discussion and expectations
 Sustainable transportation practices
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Why did WSDOT turn to performance reporting?
The Gray Notebook was a voluntary
effort, created in 2001 in response to
multiple drivers including:
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Addressing a voter-initiated repeal of the
MVET tax, a 30% revenue erosion
Blue Ribbon Commission and
gubernatorial concerns over
departmental inefficiency and lack of
accountability
Media/talk show preoccupation with
state’s “transportation crisis”
To pave the way for a revenue ask
Remove perception that WSDOT didn’t
communicate project delivery and results
Tool: WSDOT’s quarterly
performance report
The Gray Notebook (then
called “Measures, Markers
and Mileposts”) became the
agency’s face and primary
communication brand.
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The Gray Notebook addressed a wide range
of audiences and their need for information
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Members of the Legislature and other state and local
elected officials
The Governor and the seven members of the state
Transportation Commission
Reporters and columnists: The media
Opinion makers in the business community
WSDOT employees
More than a quarterly report, the Gray Notebook anchors WSDOT’s
management philosophy:
“What gets measured, gets managed” and “No Surprises reporting.”
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Reporting results on all key programs spurs
collaborative, One-DOT mentality – up for a challenge
Highway Safety
Highway Maintenance
Workforce level and training;
Worker safety
Highway Congestion and
Congestion Management
Aviation
Highway Traffic Operations
All state-owned transportation
modes, such as passenger rail, rail
freight, commute trip reduction
Intelligent Transportation
Systems
Project Delivery
Asset management, including
bridges, pavement, capital
facilities, safety rest areas
Ferries
Environmental programs, such as
NEPA compliance, ESA
documentation, climate change,
and more
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What followed: Tangible results and benefits of
performance management and public reporting
 Enhanced accountability enhanced agency credibility with
the public, media, and Legislature
 Subsequently supported the 2003 Nickel -5 cents gas tax
revenue increase
 GNB expanded, but focused on demonstrating how WSDOT
invested 2003 gas tax revenue, highlighting on time and
on budget project delivery results
 This provided the story background and built support for the
2005 Transportation Partnership Account -9.5 cents gas tax
revenue increase
For more information: Bremmer, Daniela & Bryan, James. “Making the
Case for Funding” Transportation Research Record: Journal of the
Transportation Research Board. Ed. No 2079. Transportation Research
Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2008. pp. 151-2
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2007 & forward: Building a performance-oriented
business culture
Transition to Secretary, Paula Hammond (2007), who further
emphasized and strengthened accountability efforts
 Embraces a business culture and model to manage the agency
 Directs that WSDOT continue to expand its performance
management culture and processes
 Seizes immediate opportunities to demonstrate the value of robust
performance management and reporting:
August 2007: Bridge collapse in Minneapolis – Gray Notebook
reporting on Washington bridges provided new Secretary with
instant, quality-controlled and vetted data on local conditions
November 2007: Secretary Hammond pulled the 80 year plus old
Steel Electric class ferries from service – Gray Notebook reporting
supports explanation on causes and future plans for the Ferries System
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Initiatives in 2007 and beyond: Keeping Current
 Redesign and restructuring of the Gray Notebook
 Alignment with state policy goals and Strategic Plan,
and introduction of quarterly performance reviews (GNB QPRs)
 Expanded reporting in various program areas,
and focus on Before and After analysis of projects and
programs to communicate investment impacts
 Refreshed emphasis on No Surprises reporting
 Meeting the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
reporting challenge
 Defining economic impacts of transportation investments
 Measuring sustainable transportation practices
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Recent initiatives: 2008 redesign and
restructuring of the Gray Notebook
Beginning with 30th edition, a refreshed focus:
• 5 years into enhanced project delivery
reporting; 8 years of consistent key program
reporting and still expanding topic areas
• Reorganization into chapters that align with
state’s transportation policy goals:
Safety, Preservation, Mobility/Congestion
Relief, Environment, Stewardship – and added
in 2010: Economic Vitality
• More explicit alignment with WSDOT’s
Strategic Plan ‘Business Directions’ and with
agency’s Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP)
A ‘green’ redesign for
the Gray Notebook
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Recent initiatives (continued): Internal focus
to sustain a performance-based culture
• Alignment of reporting with Strategic Plan
‘Business Directions’ allowed greater
internal focus on plan
• Deployment of internal Strategic
Implementation Plan (SIP) to better track
incremental program performance results
against strategic goals
• Executive management promotes an active
engagement with programs and offices
through quarterly ‘live’ reviews of selected
topics from current Gray Notebook: Quarterly
Performance Review (QPR) meetings that
focus on results and ask tough questions.
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Recent initiatives (continued):
Enhanced Before and After Project Analysis
 Strong focus on defining Before
and After results for all capital and
operational projects
 Agency directive to capture
baseline (Before) data for all
projects before deployment to
conduct analysis
 Before and After reporting to
clearly communicate investment
impacts and demonstrate system
impacts
Expanded Before & After
analysis of mobility
improvement projects,
2010 Congestion Report
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Recent initiatives (continued): WSDOT recommits
to No Surprises reporting and accountability”
 Reinforce expectations for project
reporting and problem identification
 Notify Chief Engineer of significant
problems within 24 hours and
provide weekly updates
 Online project reporting system will
publish monthly updates
 New bi-weekly Transportation Alert
will notify the Legislature and public
of potential problems
...“We have tried very hard as an agency to
make sure accountability works both ways
… You tell the good and you tell the bad.
This obviously is something we have not
done right. And it is something we are going
to fix.”…
Paula Hammond, June 29, 2010
Tacoma News Tribune
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Recent initiatives (continued): Performance Management
culture is flexible, responds to new challenges of ARRA
2009: Gray Notebook gave the agency a strong foundation for newly required
Recovery Act/ARRA and future federal reporting:
• Emphasis on intense scrutiny and quality control
of data, analysis
• Established relationships and processes
• Credibility, candor and transparency already established.
This important internal management and integration tool that elevated agency
performance measurement to a high priority at WSDOT meant agency was
prepared for ARRA reporting.
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WSDOT’s Performance Management
philosophy for all programs
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Communicate clear, relevant and easy-to-understand measures
and results using Performance Journalism
Demonstrate how programs contribute to agency priorities and
state policy goals
Monitor and analyze detailed program and project data
Evaluate effectiveness of WSDOT strategies (Before and After)
Hold regular problem-solving sessions
Allocate resources based on strategies that work - performance
based investment decisions
Regularly report to governor, legislature, media and public on
performance – seek and create opportunities to report
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…and we keep working at getting better in
communicating results
WSDOT’s created a method called “Performance Journalism”
 The combination of quantitative reporting and
narrative storytelling to share results clearly and effectively
 Share the performance of an agency’s complex and diverse
programs and projects clearly and concisely in a format that
everyone can easily understand and explain to their neighbors.
 A collaborative effort between executives, performance
analysts, and program experts across the agency is essential:
no silos allowed!
 7 principles of Performance Journalism: (stories; writing; data analysis;
graphics and visualization; content driven design; quality control; good timing)
For more information: Bremmer, Daniela & Bryan, James. “Bridging the Gap Between
Agencies and Citizens: Performance Journalism as a Practical Solution to
Communicate Performance Measures and Results” Transportation Research Record:
Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Ed. No 2046. Transportation Research
Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2008. pp. 21-2.
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Lessons learned that will apply to measuring
sustainability: It is an iterative process!
There is no perfect measurement – the process is incremental,
iterative, and evolutionary; start where you are
Start with
observation, look at
trends, qualitative
measures
Report it out, learn
more, repeat…
Develop quantitative
measures; only set
targets if you have and
understand trend data
Decide next actions,
make good, informed
business decisions
Capture data – Before
& After actions
Analyze what
you’ve learned
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More lessons learned – useful in taking on the new
task of measuring sustainable transportation
 Effective, ethical communication is essential when trying to gain public
support. Agencies must tell their own stories in a comprehensible,
truthful, sincere, and legitimate manner.
 Strong and sustained executive leadership is required to implement and
sustain the process.
 Resist the temptation to expand beyond what is useful. Not all
functions and measures need targets. Manage expectations!
 Successful performance management requires attention and
coordination – programs have to work together and be flexible.
 Everyone needs to be on the same page, and be consistent in
understanding of requirements, challenges, and progress.
 Maintain passion for quality control at all levels.
 New and frequently changing reporting requirements require nimble
and dedicated staff, executive involvement, and due diligence.
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But there are still many more opportunities
and our efforts continue...
Any questions before moving to Part 2 - Secretary
Hammond’s presentation on our efforts in
measuring sustainability?
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Resources
 Moving Washington Website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/movingwashington/
 WSDOT’s Congestion Website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Congestion/
 WSDOT’s Accountability Website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/
 Real Time Travel Times Website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/traveltimes/
 Plan Your Commute– 95% Reliable Travel Times Website:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/Seattle/TravelTimes/reliability/
 WSDOT’s quarterly performance report: the Gray Notebook:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Accountability/GrayNotebook/navigateGNB.htm
 Performance Measurement at WSDOT, four page folio
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/91089378-E709-49EF-AE42-AE80BC44A91C/0/TRB_Performance_Folio.pdf
WSDOT’s Strategic Plan: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/publications/StrategicPlanWEB.pdf
Performance Journalism: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/685F6B37-9082-47DE-81FC676EE95C5EE9/0/Bridging_Gap_PJ_TRBprintedvsn.pdf
Making the Case for Funding: The WSDOT Experience (2008, Transportation Research Record)
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E5D34B36-6662-4464-B4BA1E858BBD710D/0/2007_TRB_Making_Case_Funding.pdf
Maximizing Highway System Capacity: Measuring and Communicating System Performance in an Evolving
Field–(2008, Transportation Research Forum) http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/464B9718-C441-470E-9E83
C9F0D3F1D238/0/2007_TRB_Measuring_System_Performance.pdf
Daniela Bremmer
Contact Info: Washington State Department of Transportation
Director, Strategic Assessment Office
360-705-7953 [email protected]
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