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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Future Proofing KYTC’s Organizational Structure</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2244508</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's (KYTC’s) loss of institutional knowledge over the past 10 years due to retirements and attrition has made it difficult for the agency to fulfill its mission and has prompted questions about how it should look and operate in the future. Knowledge of core competencies — skills, technical knowledge, and technologies which, taken in combination, are indispensable for helping an organization to achieve its mission — provides a foundation from which KYTC can shape its future organizational structure. A recent SPR project identified and catalogued core competencies. Building around core competencies will allow the Cabinet to maximize limited resources so it can fulfill its mission, deliver the Enacted Highway Plan, and determine how to reconfigure its organizational structure in the coming 10 to 15 years]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Sep 2023 08:49:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2244508</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Integrated Management Support System Framework.</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2100895</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This study presents the development of a Management Support Systems Framework that combines Business Intelligence (BI) and Decision Support Systems (DSS) - this Framework will address both operational/tactical decisions as well as executive/organizational decisions - it will have both operational as well as organizational structure.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2023 11:17:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2100895</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improving Airport Organizational Practices to Enhance ACDBE/DBE Participation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1872907</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Airports offer many business opportunities (e.g., concessions, construction, goods and services) and have a desire to increase and maintain meaningful participation from airport concessions disadvantaged business enterprises (ACDBEs) and other disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs). U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT's) regulations as described in 49 CFR Parts 23 and 26 require most airports to set ACDBE and/or DBE participation goals.  Despite this, the increase in disadvantaged business participation at airports has been limited, and there continues to be many challenges to achieving desired goals.  While prior research has focused on identifying those challenges, solutions have been targeted and limited in scope and often did not consider a holistic organizational approach. Research is needed to assess organizational barriers and develop guidelines and tools to improve airport organizational practices to enhance ACDBE/DBE participation in airport contracts.
 
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to provide guidelines and tools of effective practices to help airports increase and maintain meaningful ACDBE/DBE participation in their business opportunities (e.g., concessions, construction, goods and services). The guidelines and tools should help airports assess and improve their organizations and practices to address the challenges faced by ACDBEs/DBEs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2021 10:05:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1872907</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>NCHRP Implementation Support Program. Implementing the Agency Capability Building Framework to Activate Organizational Change</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1868808</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State departments of transportation (DOTs) and other agencies regularly face practical and functional challenges that require specific organizational needs and capabilities. Such factors may include changes in legislative or regulatory mandates, a budget cut or revenue shortage, or new technology to deploy.

In 2019 NCHRP Project 20-24(95)A, "Ensuring Essential Capability for the Future Transportation Agency", produced the Agency Capability Building (ACB) portal and digital guidebook and associated website that can be found at https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP_20-24(95)_Final_Documents.pdf. The purpose of these products is to make information, tools, and resources available to agencies to efficiently and effectively address a specific agency need or challenge.

The ACB framework leads agency officials through a process to identify specific organizational needs through change forces, e.g., external factors and trends affecting a DOT. The ACB provides organizational and role-specific recommendations, tools, and other resources for executives, agency directors of human resources, communications, information technology, and other core agency functions, including but not limited to planning, design, and asset management.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to facilitate the use of the ACB by transportation agencies. The  research team awarded this project developed communications materials and modules; and delivered presentations, webinars, training, and/or other structured opportunities to market and build awareness of the ACB products and facilitate their use by state DOTs.  While focused on state DOTs, the ACB and this implementation project may appeal to DOT partner agencies such as metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and local transportation agencies seeking to improve executive functions.  
 
 The media and forums developed to encourage implementation were designed for a broad array of potential agency beneficiaries of the ACB, including but not necessarily limited to executives, managers, and senior practitioners. The proposers considered the unique time constraints, levels of authority and responsibility, availability of resources, and the various ways people learn and absorb information in the design and execution of the research plan. No changes were made to the ACB portal.
 
 ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 28 Jul 2021 11:59:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1868808</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Risk Management at State DOTs: Building Momentum and Sustaining the Practice


</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1854170</link>
      <description><![CDATA[NCHRP Research Report 1146: Risk Management at State DOTs: Building Momentum and Sustaining the Practice provides guidelines for state departments of transportation (DOTs) to establish and maintain a risk management culture and practice. Included in the report are a detailed summary of relevant literature, the contents and results of a practitioner survey and industry workshop, a risk management maturity assessment checklist, and four agency case studies illustrating successful practices for establishing and maintaining risk management in practice. The report will be useful to state DOT executives and agency practitioners seeking to develop and sustain risk management cultures and practices at their organizations.

The transportation industry continues to face a range of unforeseen and evolving challenges to transportation assets and operations that affect the performance and resilience of transportation systems and networks. For example, significant disruptions to supply chains and traffic patterns were outcomes of the unanticipated collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. These disruptions substantially affected the performance of the region’s transportation network as well as the regional economy, local communities, and international goods movement. The frequency and significance of such unexpected events have led transportation agencies to seek strategies for creating and sustaining a risk-resilient state DOT culture and set of practices.  

Under NCHRP Project 08-151, “Building Risk-Management Momentum in Agencies,” Jacobs Engineering was asked to develop content on how to implement and sustain the use of formal risk management at state DOTs. Research included extensive stakeholder engagement to develop content responsive to industry challenges and opportunities for building a risk management culture and practice at state DOTs. A concept was also developed for organizing and posting the report recommendations on the AASHTO Transportation Management Hub. 

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 24 May 2021 22:17:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1854170</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Administration of Highway and Transportation Agencies. Understanding Knowledge Management in Context with Other Organizational Practices</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1732674</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No abstract provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2020 11:53:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1732674</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Quick Response for Special Needs. Task 40. Primer for Airport Organizational Redesign</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1729497</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Periodically airports redesign their workforce and organizational structure, transform their business model, or move in a different direction. Yet even after implementation, airports may not realize the anticipated benefits or find the redesign is unsustainable over time.
 
ACRP Synthesis 40: Issues with Airport Organization and Reorganization (2013) explored past and then-current practices in operational design. Since then, much research on organizational redesign has been done outside the airport industry, as organizational needs and models continue to evolve. NCHRP Project 20-24(95), "Ensuring Essential Capability for the Future Transportation Agency" conducted research that resulted in a chapter on Organizational Management. 
 
There is no organizational structure that will work for all airports. The type and size of the airport, the governance structure, the presence of, or lack of a union, and other factors must be considered during an assessment. The concept of sustainable organizational redesign is not new, but the trends and latest practices are not as well known to airport staff. Therefore, this information needs to be adapted to airports.
 
The objective of this research was to develop a primer to guide airports in determining an organizational redesign that addresses their current and emerging business needs and requirements that are applicable to all size airports. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2020 10:51:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1729497</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Support for AASHTO Committees and Councils. Staying Nimble: Organizational Development for the Cutting Edge</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1696714</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No abstract provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2020 19:45:24 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1696714</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>MPO Staffing and Organizational Structure</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1366921</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The purpose of this contract is to explore innovative changes in multi-modal transportation planning. This project will assist metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) board members and senior staff to allocate their limited resources in the most efficient fashion by documenting how peer agencies have structured their organizations and allocated staff resources and expertise. The results of this project may also help the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and state departments of transportation (DOTs) recognize instances where their relationship with MPOs can change. There may be opportunities to eliminate duplicative work, collaborate on data collection, or assign new tasks. These relationship changes could influence future transportation legislation or regulation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2015 01:00:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1366921</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Research for the AASHTO Standing Committee on Planning. Task 44. Multi-State MPOs: Approaches, Cases, and Institutional Arrangements</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1346915</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Based on the results of the 2000 Census, the number and size of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) that cross-state boundaries is projected to increase. Because state laws, and the jurisdictional and financial structure of MPOs, differ between states, the institutional and organizational structures for these multi-state MPO's have become complex.  This research provides insight on how various organizational structures perform, and the best approaches to developing new or expanded MPOs to best meet the challenges of their growing urban areas in a multi-jurisdictional environment.  It provides a review of the various methods that have been used to develop these structures and the resulting organizational relationships. This research was conducted by surveying existing multi-state MPOs and data on organizational development and structure was summarized and quantified as to effectiveness and utility.  Case studies were developed from a limited number of areas exhibiting best practice characteristics, and an executive summary on best practice approaches is provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2015 01:01:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1346915</guid>
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