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Volpe Center Highlights - July/August 2002

Organizational Excellence

Director's Notes | Focus | Safety | Mobility and Economic Growth
Human and Natural Environment | Organizational Excellence | Homeland Security
Papers and Presentations

Implementing Project Management Teams (DDOT)

A Volpe team has been supporting the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) in its efforts to improve transportation infrastructure management. To optimize its operation, DDOT has separated from the Department of Public Works and is now adopting a project management team approach to improve the planning, design, and construction of infrastructure projects. Early in 2001, Dr. Jeffrey Bryan and Ms. Cassandra Callaway of Volpe's Planning and Policy Analysis Division began working with the DDOT to develop a plan for how the agencies would divide. The plan was accepted by the Mayor of Washington, D.C., in April 2001. (See Volpe Highlights, April-May 2001.)

At the same time, the Mayor began implementing a neighborhood-based approach to providing city services. DDOT saw this as an opportunity to change the organization of the infrastructure division from disparate functional stovepipes to cross-functional, project management teams. Each team would be responsible for a geographic area of the city and would see a project through from scope development through construction. To further enable efficient project implementation, the division's business processes would also be redesigned.

DDOT again called on the Volpe team to support and guide the redesign process, which required the collaboration and consensus of all division functions. In a series of meetings, the Volpe Center worked with a DDOT workgroup to:

• Analyze the root causes of the current situation;
• Interview stakeholders across the city and federal government to understand their requirements;
• Develop performance goals for the planning, design, procurement, and construction management of street and bridge construction projects;
• Redesign eight core business processes with the goal of streamlining the work and delegating as much as possible to the project teams; and
• Define clear roles and responsibilities for the project lifecycle from a project team perspective, with a focus on including external stakeholders at key decision points.

DDOT anticipates that the Infrastructure Project Management Team approach will better serve its mission of "providing safe and efficient movement of people and goods in and around D.C." The new approach benefits customers, employees, other stakeholders, and DDOT by improving communication, enhancing coordination, empowering staff, allocating necessary resources, and delivering improved goods and services. One anticipated result is a reduction of project lifecycles by at least 50 percent.

Volpe's Planning and Policy Division supports the DDOT in its efforts to improve transportation infrastructure management, as well as transportation planning. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

In May 2002, the Volpe team submitted a Draft Team Handbook to DDOT that will provide the Infrastructure Project Management Teams with the information, tools, and resources for successful project implementation. After the handbook is finalized, Volpe staff will train Project Management Team staff, and will consult with Project Management Team leaders.

Volpe's successful organizational development work has led the DDOT to request the Center's involvement in further organization support and in transportation planning. Volpe staff will assist DDOT in:

• Coordinating its business processes with the Federal Highway Administration D.C. Division Office;
• Developing a more effective process for Equal Employment Opportunity compliance;
• Evaluating the business process and organization redesign implementation after one year;
• Reorganizing other administrations in DDOT; and
• Working with the Downtown Congestion Management Task Force and other stakeholders to reach consensus on traffic mitigation/management strategies to address the Pennsylvania Avenue closure and downtown parking.

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