Call for Proposals
Proposals Due by August 1, 2004
Important information for all researchers
(All proposers must
read this before submitting proposals)
The Midwest Regional University Transportation Center (MRUTC) is soliciting the research community for proposals that reflect the focus and vision of the Transportation Asset Management Pooled Fund Research Program.
Proposals must combine the concepts of asset management and optimization analyses that may be directly applied toward transportation decision-making processes. Proposals must demonstrate knowledge of current efforts in Transportation Asset Management and reflect past work completed through the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Transportation Research Board, and the Federal Highway Administration Office of Asset Management.
Transportation Asset Management Pooled Fund Research Program
TPF-5(036)
Subject: Use of functional silos to optimize agency decision making
Background: Flexibility and agility are the watchwords of the transportation business. Transportation organizations must move with the times, and the times are moving quickly. Transportation organizations will focus on proactive processes to improve effectiveness and achieve outcomes that offer more flexibility in how the job is done. (Wilcox, 2000). This flexibility is often described in terms of dismantling functional silos within agencies. (Functions as the term is used in this proposal refers to traditional transportation areas of expertise: Planning, design, construction, maintenance, operations, finance, etc..) Many currently advocate using cross-functional teams, made up of employees from many departments, to deal with particular projects. It is projected that these team structures will replace traditional, single-function work structures – requiring communications skills to cope effectively with increasing workforce diversity and changing work relationships.
Ideally, this helps employees understand the “big picture” of agency operations. However, fully implementing a cross-functional team format requires skills that many current employees do not possess. Work remains project-oriented and functionally driven with little opportunity to assign team members based on their individual skills. Due to budget restrictions and other factors, it is likely that functional silos will remain.
The question therefore becomes, how can an agency use the functional silos (and for that matter geographical) silos to optimize agency resource allocations. If functional and geographical silos will remain, how can a decision-maker compare the needs and priorities of one silo versus another? How can they foster communication between silos to ensure that employees understand the larger picture and that the function is not optimized at the expense of the larger system or service?
The complexity and sophistication of many current software packages fail to account for the small jurisdiction.
All of the information gathered in the listed tasks should be presented in a format that would be useful for practitioners as they confront this issue. In addition, the researcher or team must prepare an electronic presentation suitable for delivery to a state DOT management team.
Partnering Arrangements: Given the breadth of the subject, proposals that include partnering arrangements between disciplines, for example, engineering and public policy, will be considered favorably. Joint proposals between institutions are also encouraged.
Budget: Approximately $100,000 is available for this project.
Time: Final reports should be delivered no later than September 30, 2005. Projects can start October 1, 2004.
Format: Researchers should use the following format for submitting proposals:
5. Equipment and/or Facilities
6. Time Requirements to Complete the Research
Budget Description
Provide a summary tabulation indicating staffing plans, and estimated person-hours specific to each operational phase. Budget estimates should include salaries, overhead and indirect costs, travel, equipment (purchase and/or rental), expendable materials and supplies, report printing, and special services (as applicable).
Matching Funding
Budget estimates must also include identification of all matching fund sources. Proposals submitted that include hard match dollars will be given higher priority than proposals with soft match dollars. As a result, researchers should partner with their State transportation agencies, other public sector agencies, and/or private sector interests.
8. Descriptions of Cooperative Features and/or Partnerships (if applicable)
Letters of support must be included from each team member, if multiple institutions and researchers are involved.
10. Appendices
Other Information
Researchers should review ongoing projects and the current body of knowledge in the field of Transportation Asset Management and reflect this understanding in their proposals. Duplicative research projects will not be awarded. Current projects of the MRUTC are available on the website: www.mrutc.org.
A preliminary report on the status of the project will be due three months after the start of the project. All researchers will be required to submit quarterly progress reports as well as prepare a poster for display at the Midwest Regional University Transportation Center sponsored reception during the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting. It is not required that researchers attend the Annual Meeting.
Researchers will also be required to participate in at least three teleconferences with a selected Project Advisory Committee. This committee will include members recommended by the researcher.
Researchers should be prepared for and open to editorial suggestions from the Advisory Committee selected to oversee the project and Center staff on final and interim reports. It is expected that researchers will thoroughly edit and revise reports as needed prior to submission.
Researchers should aim to provide a final report useful to an audience of state, local, or federal transportation officials. Researchers are also encouraged to prepare presentations and reports for conferences and other venues. Researchers will prepare a poster for display at the TRB Annual Meeting in January 2005 and an updated version for January 2006.
100 bound copies of the final report and one unbound copy for duplication must be delivered within 15 days of final document approval. Researchers must also provide Final (and all interim and quarterly) reports in Microsoft Word or WordPerfect format. An Adobe PDF and HTML version must also be prepared.
All final reports will use a standard cover page (template provided), include disclaimer language, and have a completed federal Technical Report Documentation page included.
Proposal submissions should include the names of four potential peer reviewers. Peer reviewers may be from private or public sector transportation agencies or have a familiarity with the research topic. State or federal Department of Transportation Officials, academics, or private sector consultants and managers are possible review.