TRANSPORTATION ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR LOCAL AGENCIES

Transcription

1 TRANSPORTATION ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR LOCAL AGENCIES I. Course Description The large inventory of aging roadways and bridges, the dramatic fluctuations in construction costs, the retirement of experienced transportation workers, and the increased competition for available funding have amplified the challenges transportation agencies face as they manage their highway systems. Over the last decade, a number of state highway agencies have established Transportation Asset Management (TAM) programs to help document asset conditions, to allocate funding, and to determine the most effective use of available funds. TAM programs provide the processes and tools necessary to help transportation leaders make informed project decisions that can improve the overall operational efficiency of the organization. Local transportation agencies are facing many of the same challenges and could benefit from the adoption of asset management principles. However, many local agencies lack the resources and/or experience to initiate and grow a TAM program. Therefore, the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) community has partnered with the National Highway Institute of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to develop these training materials to introduce asset management concepts and provide the guidance needed to get started. The course will be taught by LTAP representatives. To facilitate the needs of various learners within the local agency community, the course has been designed as three independent modules; each of which has its own learning outcomes and target audience. The three modules include the following: Module 1: Effective Transportation Asset Management. Module 2: The Foundations of Asset Management. Module 3: Developing an Asset Management Program. The course material is appropriate for local agencies of any size, including small agencies with a focus primarily on managing their gravel roads to larger agencies with a more complex asset network. II. Goals, Learning Outcomes, and Target Audience Course Goal The overall goal for this course is to increase the use of asset management principles within local agencies. Individual goals and learning outcomes have been developed for each module to address the needs of a specific target audience. A summary of the goals, learning outcomes, and target audience for each module is presented in this section of the document. Course Learning Outcomes At the end of the course, participants are expected to be prepared to guide their agency s use of asset management principles. This will be accomplished by meeting the two learning outcomes listed below.

2 Decision makers will use asset management principles to influence the allocation of funding for managing transportation assets. Agency personnel will champion the collection of data needed to manage transportation assets in accordance with asset management principles. Module 1: Effective Transportation Asset Management Target Audience The target audience for this module includes elected officials and agency administrators who are either responsible for making decisions that influence funding allocations for transportation investments or presenting information to those who make the funding allocation decisions. Since this audience has limited amounts of time to attend training, this module is designed as a presentation that can be tailored to the audiences need. Although the module is designed to be approximately 45 minutes in length, it can be shortened to as little as 15 minutes if the amount of time provided by the target audience is limited. Goal There are two goals for this module. The first goal is to introduce the target audience to asset management concepts. The second goal is to provide convincing evidence that implementing asset management practices will lead to a better way of doing business. This information will be communicated in a presentation format rather than as a course. Learning Outcomes To achieve these goals, learning outcomes that define the specific achievements that will be met at the end of this module have been developed, as presented below. Identify the key principles of transportation asset management. Describe the possible consequences that can occur when asset management principles are not used. Support and encourage improvements in their agency s asset management information and tools. Module 2: The Foundations of Asset Management Target Audience The target audience for this module includes Maintenance Superintendents, County Engineers, Road Program Managers, and other individuals responsible for putting together recommendations for elected officials and agency administrators. Goal The goal of this module is to build the participants confidence enough that they become champions for asset management within their agency. To do this, the participants must have a

3 sufficient understanding of asset management principles and an idea about how these principles can be applied cost-effectively in a local agency environment. Learning Outcomes To achieve this goal, specific learning outcomes have been developed for this module, as presented below. Evaluate an agency s asset management practices using the five questions every agency should be able to answer about its transportation assets. Build a simple asset inventory. Use asset performance information to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different investment strategies. Identify the basic requirements for implementing asset management in a local agency. Module 3: Developing an Asset Management Program Target Audience The same audience that was identified for module 2 is targeted for this module. Therefore, the target audience includes Maintenance Superintendents, County Engineers, Road Program Managers, and other individuals responsible for putting together recommendations for elected officials and agency administrators. While the earlier module established asset management champions, this module enables those champions to use available tools and resources to implement asset management within their agency. Goal The goal of this module is to help local agency practitioners move forward with the implementation of asset management principles by learning the procedures needed to collect and analyze data. The process will be demonstrated through the development of an Asset Management Plan for a single asset. Through this activity, agencies will learn to tailor their asset management activities to match the agency s needs and resource constraints. Learning Outcomes To achieve this goal, specific learning outcomes have been developed for this module, as presented below. Identify the tools and resources that will be used by their agency to support the collection and analysis of asset data. Develop an Asset Management Plan for a single asset. Use asset management principles to make investment decisions for multiple assets.

4 III. Course Prerequisites There are no pre-course training competencies required by the participants for any of the three modules, but they should be familiar with the process currently used by their employer for reporting asset conditions and/or maintaining transportation assets. It is also suggested that before attending module 3, individuals complete module 2 since it provides a general understanding of asset management principles and concepts. IV. Class Size For training to be effective the suggested class size for a traditional classroom setting is 15 to 30 participants, with a minimum class size of 10. Although the course is not designed to be taught through video or web conferencing due to the high degree of interactivity incorporated into the lessons, some LTAP centers may elect to modify the materials to support this manner of instruction to increase the class size. The presentation to elected officials and executives (i.e., Module 1) can be made to any size group. It has been designed to be suitable for a small group of individuals, but it can also be presented in a conference setting to a very large audience. V. Agendas Each of the three modules can be taught independently of one another; however, it is suggested that participants in module 3 first attend module 2 to provide a fundamental understanding of the importance of asset management. Since instructors have a lot of flexibility in how these modules will be taught, agendas are presented in terms of the time needed for each segment. Three different agendas are presented for module 1, depending on the amount of time available to the instructor. The preferred amount of time for module 1 is 45 minutes, but 15 minute and 30 minute agendas are also provided. Module 1: Effective Transportation Asset Management 15 minute presentation Setting the Stage 3 Managing With Asset Management Principles 5 Introduction to Transportation Asset Management 5 Implementing Asset Management in Local Agencies 2 Total 15 Note: If only 15 minutes is provided, the instructor may elect to use the entire time to conduct the activity described in module 1 rather than use the PowerPoint slides. This could be a very effective method of conveying the key messages as long as the instructor is comfortable with this delivery method.

5 Module 1: Effective Transportation Asset Management 30 minute presentation Setting the Stage 5 Managing With Asset Management Principles 7 Introduction to Transportation Asset Management 8 Instructor Demonstration (showing what would have happened in the demonstration) 7 Implementing Asset Management in Local Agencies 3 Total 30 Module 1: Effective Transportation Asset Management 45 minute presentation Setting the Stage 5 Managing With Asset Management Principles 7 Introduction to Transportation Asset Management 8 Activity 20 Implementing Asset Management in Local Agencies 5 Total 45 Module 2: The Foundations of Asset Management Course Introduction 20 Introduction to the Interactive Scenario 10 Inventory and Condition Assessment 80 Break 15 Setting Performance Targets 45 What Else Do I Need to Know? 45 Applying Asset Management Concepts in the Agency 15 Wrap-Up 10 Total 240

6 Module 3: Developing an Asset Management Program Course Introduction 20 Introduction to Asset Management Plans 15 Implementing Asset Management Within Your Agency Determining Current Implementation Status Asset Inventories and Condition Assessment Break Risk Assessment Whole Life Costing Philosophy and Analysis Tools Break 15 Wrap-Up Total 240