Utility Coordination: Staffing, Organizational Structures, Training Programs, and Certifications

Utility coordination is a process carried out by state departments of transportation (DOTs) during various project phases to identify existing utilities within project boundaries and manage utility-related risks. With the degree of variability in state DOT organizational structures, utility coordination staffing varies across different agencies. Also, some DOTs outsource utility coordination services to alleviate the workload on internal coordinators or for procuring specialized expertise to tasks such as utility investigations. State DOT staff conducting utility coordination require information regarding state DOT–specific policies, procedures, and tools employed in utility coordination. These coordinators need an understanding of roles and responsibilities, right-of-way procedures, and utility reimbursement practices, among other procedures. With ongoing changes in state DOT workforces due to turnover, and to ensure the readiness of staff and external service providers, many agencies have used training materials and certification requirements to support knowledge acquisition and retention. Some state DOTs have developed training materials for utility coordination practices that are intended for both internal staff and external professionals working with their agencies. Also, external training courses or certification programs offer further opportunities for qualification and knowledge acquisition. The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practices for utility coordination regarding staffing allocation, organizational structure, training programs, and certification requirements. Information to be gathered includes (but is not limited to): Divisions/offices that utility coordinators are assigned to within state DOTs; Reporting lines for utility coordinators within state DOT structures; Utility coordinators titles, roles, and responsibilities; Outsourcing practices for utility coordination, if any; Required qualifications, educational background, professional experience, and skillsets for utility coordination roles; Required training and certifications for the utility coordination role, including state DOT–mandated certifications, examination requirements, and renewal procedures; Training programs provided by state DOTs for utility coordination roles; Training program formats, including curriculum content, delivery methods, training tools or resources used, training duration, registration fees, assessment methods, and frequency of training or refresher requirements; Means of developing training materials and updating them; Intended audiences for training programs and the process and criteria for selecting trainees; and Common challenges faced in implementing training programs. Information will be gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs for the development of case examples. Information gaps and suggestions for research to address those gaps will be identified.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5984

Language

• English

Project

• Funding: $65,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  20-05/Topic 57-07

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Jared, David

• Start Date: 20241001
• Expected Completion Date: 20260119
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Coordination; Planning; Public utilities; State departments of transportation; Utilities engineering
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01972948
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: 20-05/Topic 57-07
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 26 2025 6:25PM