FHWA Resource Center
TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT
Solutions
Technology & Innovation Deployment
Phases for Measuring/Tracking Performance
DRAFT as of April 4, 2005
Objective:
The goal of this document is to identify and define the phases of technology and innovation deployment for the purpose of measuring and tracking the Agency’s progress in deploying technologies and innovations that improve highway safety, reduce congestion and streamline the environmental process.
Purpose:
The Office of Corporate Research and Technology developed the phases of technology deployment to not only improve technology deployment measurement but also to better communicate the Agency’s progress in implementing one of our key business processes. The below table lists the various phases of technology deployment and includes a number of activities with their corresponding descriptions. The phases were developed after technology deployment methodology information was collected from both internal and external customers and synthesized for scope and clarity. This provided the basis from which the technology deployment framework was created. The intent of this document is to serve as a guide for planning and executing effective and efficient technology deployment to ensure the Agency’s success in exceeding its vital few goals and objectives.
General Guidelines:
There are five phases, which describe a sequential process; although depending on the market pull and technology/innovation readiness all phases may not be required. It is possible to be in more than one phase concurrently. Technologies and innovations include: products, procedures, practices, and processes. Products can include items such as equipment and/or software and may require extensive technical knowledge of the product to utilize. There is no one approach to deploying technologies and innovations. Each technology and innovation is different, requiring unique goals and objectives with corresponding measures.
Phase I
Phase I, is the planning phase and may contain elements of both product research and marketing research. In this phase, the deployment outcome and measure for success are developed. It is recommended that the outcome goal and measures are developed with customer and stakeholder involvement and represent the Agency’s understanding of deployment expectations. The outcome and measures developed in Phase 1 determine how and when successful deployment is achieved in Phase IV. To be in Phase I, the research process is mostly complete, a technology or innovation has been developed and meets the market-ready criteria. The activities identified in Phase I confirm the potential for deployment success. Planning steps in this phase may include a needs assessment, market research, stakeholder involvement, and the development of a marketing and communications plan. After the planning activities, complete the market-ready criteria and submit to the market-ready list.
Phase II
This phase is the promotion phase and involves the sharing of information on new and existing technologies and innovations and research results ready for implementation via virtual communication, i.e., non face-to-face. Activities employed in this phase may have been identified in Phase I within the marketing plan. This phase may include the development and the distribution of educational materials, such as brochures, publications, websites, compact disks, and newsletters. Tracking deployment progress and communicating with customers and stakeholders is essential to effective evaluation. Is your deployment goal still valid?
Phase III
Phase III is the delivery phase and involves face-to-face communication of the technology and/or innovation and involves the direct interaction of the recipient. Delivery requires a detailed understanding of the user needs and constraints; a thorough technical knowledge of the application is recommended to establish credibility. As in Phase II, activities employed here may have been included in the marketing plan. The delivery phase may include presentations, demonstrations/showcases, pilots, training and education. Again, tracking progress toward deployment and communicating with customers and stakeholders is essential to effective evaluation. Is your deployment goal still valid?
Phase IV
You are in Phase IV when you have achieved the deployment goal established during the planning processes in Phase I. Communicate your accomplishments! After the deployment goal has been achieved remove the item from the market-ready list and assign resources to conduct the phase V evaluation.
Phase V
Phase V, is the effectiveness phase. The benefits and results are determined in this phase. An overall evaluation of the impact of the technology and innovation deployment must be assessed. For example, a technology may result in a specification change, but what improved as a result? What was the return on investment? What was the market transformation? Will lives be saved as a result of successful deployment?
Phase I |
Phase II |
Phase III |
Phase IV |
Phase V |
Planning Goals and Strategies |
Promotion Activities |
Delivery Activities |
Deployment |
Benefits & Results |
Define deployment goal |
Develop and/or distribute brochures |
Conduct presentations |
Achieved deployment goal established in phase I |
Evaluate what difference the deployment made |
Completed needs assessment |
Develop and/or distribute publications |
Conduct demonstrations & showcases |
Measure achievement of deployment goal |
Conduct impact analysis |
Conducted market research |
Develop and/or update website |
Conduct pilot |
Communicate Accomplishment |
Communicate results |
Developed marketing plan--Communication/deployment strategies |
Develop and/or distribute compactdisks |
Conduct training & education |
Assign resources to conduct Phase V evaluation |
|
Included stakeholder and customer involvement in defining success |
Develop and/or distribute newsletters |
Public/private partnerships |
Remove from the Market-Ready list |
|
Communicate deployment goal |
Evaluate and communicate level of deployment
|
|
|
Complete Market-Ready Criteria |
Move toward phase IV or remove from list |
|
|
Submit to Market-Ready List |
|
|
|
Please note: Activities within each phase are not necessarily sequential.
(Original Draft Created by Susanna Hughes-Reck in February 2005)
Mendocino County Showcase
The Utah and Florida Division, partnering with the LTAP community and CALTRANS, sponsored, utilizing RC technology deployment funds, the Mendocino County Road System Traffic Safety Review Showcase in Ukiah, CA in October 2004. The project showcased Mendocino County's Road System Traffic Safety Review Program which has delivered a remarkable 42% reduction in vehicle crashes on Mendocino County's low volume roads. The 2 day showcase covered all aspects of a road system Traffic Safety Review program and provided short and long-term support for small counties to return home and immediately implement a similar program. Showcase presentations included a complete overview of the Mendocino County project, grant funding resources, a grant specialist for one-on-one assistance, presentations and distribution of free supporting Sign Management and Asset Management software programs (developed by the NH & Utah LTAP), and a post-showcase support group was created to assist small counties during their implementation period -- all the tools needed to encourage small and rural counties to immediately implement a similar program locally. 188 participants representing 108 local agencies in 42 states plus Puerto Rico attended. 58 percent of the participants indicated they would implement within 1 year. This results of this showcase will have a high level, direct and immediate impact on vehicle crash reduction rates on low volume roads across the country and is in support of the Agency's safety vital few goals and objectives.
Peer Review for Developing Integrated NEPA Procedures
The Tennessee Division, through funding provided by the RC technology deployment funds, provided a venue where professionals from six (6) DOT's presented their best practices from their successful programs in an effort to integrate NEPA into TDOT's project development process. Members of the North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Texas, Washington State and Kentucky DOT participated in this exercise in June 2004. The 3-day workshop provided an Environmental Peer Exchange that began with TDOT's challenges in the way they were doing business. The discussions that followed were, "The evolution of the NEPA Integration Process", "Institutionalization", "Agency Coordination", "Streamlining", "Performance Measures" and "Context Sensitive Solutions". This was a major step in TDOT's Environmental Streamlining process. In September 2004, TDOT held another peer exchange that focused on planning and project development. TDOT views these lessons learned as milestones in the evolution of developing their Project Development Process. A few of the potential areas of improvement that TDOT plans to address as a result of these peer exchanges include: 1) Dispute resolution procedures for environmental streamlining; 2) Improved decision-making using GIS; 3) Interagency funding guidance for Environmental Streamlining. These initiatives are all in support of the FHWA's vital few goal to improve the environmental quality of transportation decision making by September 30, 2007 all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Federal Lands Highway (FLH).
Rapid Soil Processor
WYDOT/FHWA Technology & Innovation Project
While the Rapid Soil Processor is not a new technology, it had never been tested in Wyoming. With the help of the Resource Center/Wyoming Division's technology and deployment funds, WYDOT purchased a Rapid Soil Processor and quickly employed it on the US 16 project, which needed extensive density testing on approximately 1.3 million yards of unclassified excavation. The Rapid Soil Processor allows up to 30lbs. of hard soils and tough clays to be processed in fewer than 15 minutes. The use of this technology substantially reduces the time required to develop the family of curves for proctors; the test frequently employed to evaluate soil densities. WYDOT reports that the machine met expectations and is pleased with the performance. While the technology is not as effective in gravely soils such as those found in the Cody area and can be cumbersome to operate, WYDOT believes the value added in time savings thru the use of this technology warrants the acquisition of additional machines and has already purchased a machine for the Gillette area of District 4. WYDOT is also now considering acquiring machines for the other Districts and/or adding the machine to the contractor specifications for appropriate jobs. The testing of rapid soil processor resulted in reduced time and increased efficiency of testing in the field and supports the Agency's congestion mitigation goal by decreasing construction time and costs.
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