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Letter to the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission
National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission
July 2, 2007
Dear Commissioner:
On behalf of the Performance Based Highway Program Task Force, I’m pleased to provide you this report entitled “State DOT Performance Management Programs: Select Examples” to demonstrate a sampling of the current practice of performance management systems in State DOTs. It is my hope that this informational piece will provide you the confidence and reassurance that performance measurement has a significant role in decision making at State DOTs.
As you already know, I am an absolute believer in the valuable role performance measures play in fine-tuning organizations and providing true accountability to office holders and to the general public. Performance measures are critical to the future improvement of transportation in America. From my own experience, I’ve found that imposing specific performance measure standards or targets on an organization is counter-productive. Performance measures must be meaningful and applicable to the circumstance of an organization in order for them to have a true impact on organizational behavior, and ultimately on performance. Consequently, imposing “one size fits all” national performance standards on State DOTs is not advisable as it would not be an effective approach. Every state is different and every state needs the flexibility to customize performance management standards. However, outcomes are shared—safer roads, more efficient movement of people and freight, and improved system conditions. The results demonstrated in this primer show that performance measurements clearly help guide strategic business decisions for these DOTs to drive superior performance.
The Task Force that I have been asked to chair for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is proud to provide this primer on state DOT performance-based management practices. We will follow this with a more comprehensive look at today’s Federal-aid highway programs and a more in-depth analysis of State DOT performance measurement with a look to the future. We will have this report available to the Commission in the Fall.
Sincerely,
Pete K. Rahn
Task Force Chair; AASHTO Vice President;
Missouri Department of Transportation Director
