Highway Quality Takes Center Stage at Summit
The goals of starting and advancing
State quality initiatives and
improving training for highway
workers brought more than 80
participants to the National Partnership
for Highway Quality (NPHQ) Summit,
held November 16-17, 2004, in Dallas,
Texas. Representatives from State highway
agencies, the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA), industry associations,
and others convened to focus on such topics
as starting a State Quality Partnership
(SQP); strengthening and advancing an
SQP; and training and certifying transportation
workers to improve skills, knowledge,
and overall project quality.
"We all hold a common belief that
quality takes a commitment on our part,"
said David Geiger, Director of FHWA's
Office of Asset Management and co-chair
of the NPHQ. "Quality doesn't happen by
itself: there has to be a champion in your
organization. Quality needs to be incorporated
in all elements of planning, design,
construction, and operations."
The importance of worker training and
certification to sustaining that quality
commitment was underscored by summit
participants. The Mississippi Department
of Transportation (MDOT), for example,
faces the training challenges of many highway
agencies, with 64 percent of its managers
currently eligible for retirement.
"How do we ensure that we have the
knowledge and skills we need to do business
in the future?," said Danada
McMurtry, Director of Professional
Development Services for MDOT. The
agency has started the LEAD program to
help answer this question. The program
offers training, mentoring, and individualized
development plans for younger staff,
with the goal of providing a continuous
pool of future leaders. MDOT also works
with the National Institute for Certification
in Engineering Technologies to build
its staff's knowledge and skills through
professional certification.
John Taylor of FHWA's National
Highway Institute (NHI) also spoke about
the importance of workforce development.
"Will we have the quality workforce
we need to meet the Nation's transportation
challenges?," he asked. To help
meet training needs, NHI offers 139
courses on topics ranging from construction
and maintenance to highway safety,
with 46 new ones in development (see
www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov). NHI is also partnering
with others in FHWA and representatives
from industry associations,
regional State training and certification
groups, and the American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials
on a coordinated national effort to
improve training opportunities for transportation
infrastructure workers. The
Transportation Curriculum Coordination
Council (TCCC) has developed a proposed
core curriculum for training transportation
personnel that all highway
agencies can use. For more information,
visit the TCCC Web site at www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/tccc.
North Carolina was among the States
that shared their best practices for quality
improvement. The North Carolina Department
of Transportation (NCDOT)
has developed a Best Management Practices
(BMP) for Construction and Maintenance
Activities manual. The BMPs focus on
environmental stewardship, offering guidance
on such practices as ground stabilization
measures, watercourse management
techniques, and general avoidance and
minimization measures for land disturbance
activities near jurisdictional areas.
The manual covers everything from project
planning and preconstruction activities
to general construction practices and
operations. More than 5,500 copies have
been distributed to NCDOT staff, contractors,
other North Carolina State agencies,
and Federal agencies. "We are conducting
training of our field staff from
management down to equipment operators," said Ken Pace of NCDOT. This
training paid off when Hurricanes Ivan
and Frances hit the State in September
2004. More than 200 roads were closed
after Ivan came through. "The State's
resource agencies allowed emergency
repairs to begin immediately, provided that
the appropriate BMPs were followed,"
said Pace. "The BMP manual has streamlined
the environmental permit process
and helped contractors and employees
understand what the expectations are."
The summit also offered guidance for
highway agencies aiming to start an SQP.
Bob Templeton, Executive Director of
NPHQ, noted that, "First you need to
assess where you are. How can you
improve and innovate? You also need to
develop a vision of what you want to
accomplish." NPHQ has introduced a
new tiered accreditation program for
SQPs, with the goal of having an SQP in
every State by 2008. To achieve Tier 1
accreditation, requirements include:
- Partnership must have a formal charter
establishing mission, goals, and policies
for improvement of highway quality in
its jurisdiction.
- Membership of the Partnership must
include, at a minimum, the State
department of transportation, FHWA
division office, and local industry associations.
- Partnership must be active, and conduct
at least one industry-wide meeting
annually. The Partnership must also
have a recognition/awards program for
quality projects and initiatives in its
State.
To qualify for Tier 2 accreditation, an
SQP must meet all of the Tier 1 requirements,
plus additional criteria that
includes:
- Having a formal workforce training and
certification program that involves
both public and private sector partners.
- Developing a communications plan and
distributing information regularly
through such means as a Web site or a
newsletter.
A "how to" guidance document for submitting
an application for NPHQ accreditation,
as well as application materials, are
available on the NPHQ Web site at
www.nphq.org.
Maryland is among the States that
already have an active SQP. The Maryland
Quality Initiative (MQI) began in 1980.
Some early initiatives included conducting
performance evaluations of contractors
and consultants and revising Maryland's
specifications manual. Key initiatives
in recent years include holding a
Construction Career Day for high school
students for the past 2 years and introducing
the practice of construction mediation,
where contractors can take issues to
mediation instead of filing claims. Benefits
resulting from the MQI include:
- Improved communication among partners.
- Elimination or minimization of project
delays.
- Streamlined project closeout.
- Reduction in project change orders
from 13 to 15 percent in the late 1980s
to 4 to 4.5 percent now.
Looking ahead, noted Doug Rose,
Deputy Administrator for the Maryland
State Highway Administration (SHA) and
co-chair of NQHQ, Maryland hopes to
increase membership in the MQI, including
bringing in such partners as the State
Police, Maryland Department of the
Environment, and the Maryland Occupational
Safety and Health program. The
SHA would also like to partner more with
utility companies in the future. In addition,
new training and certification initiatives
are underway.
In closing the summit, Templeton
noted that "public agencies and private
industry are a team to deliver quality highways
for the public good." State quality
partnerships, he added, "encourage teamwork
by the public and private stakeholders
and synergize the collective expertise
and resources of the participants. They
serve as an incubator and an advocate for
innovation."
To learn more about starting an SQP
or for more information on NPHQ
and the 2004 Summit, contact Bob
Templeton at NPHQ, 512-301-9899
(email: btemplenphq@aol.com), or visit
www.nphq.org.
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Articles in this issue:
Prefabricated bridges deliver quality, safety, and savings
DC Streets: Innovation yields results
Highway quality takes center stage at summit
Concrete Pavement Technology Program introduces new and improved tools for pavements
Highway technology calendar
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