fhwa r&t evaluation - transportation research...

GRS/IBS Office of Infrastructure R&D Retrospective

FHWA R&T Evaluation Status Report for the RTCC June 14, 2017

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Jack D. Jernigan & John V. Moulden FHWA Office of RD&T


FHWA R&T Evaluation Program Background

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• R&T Program covers the entire innovation lifecycle • From agenda-setting to research,

development and deployment and evaluation of impacts

• Influenced by recommendations from FHWA’s external advisory panel • Research & Technology Coordinating

Committee (The RTCC) • Follows R&T Corporate Master Plan’s

2003 Guiding Principles and Agency Commitments

The Innovation Lifecycle

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R&T Program Evaluation Purpose

• Assess & communicate the value and effectiveness of FHWA Research and Technology (R&T) – Performance Evaluation

informs the R&T Agenda

– Supports the allocation of FHWA R&D resources

– Measures output, outcome, and/or impact

– Performance evaluation builds stakeholder support

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Evaluation FHWA

Research Cycle


Timeline of Activities

Wave 1 (10 projects – 6 Retrospective, 4 Prospective) • 6 retrospective projects

complete/pending publication • 4 prospective projects ongoing

(Data Collection and Analysis)

Wave 2 (6 projects – 1 Retrospective, 5 Prospective)

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Each program office identifies 2 projects for evaluation (retrospective & prospective) representing office R&T Agenda strategic objectives

• 1 retrospective and 1 prospective project complete

• 4 Prospective projects ongoing (Data Collection and Analysis)


• Adaptive Signal Controls (R) • Traffic Incident Management Training* (P) Operations

•National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) (R) • Vehicle Operating Costs Study (VOCS) (P) Policy

•Gusset Plate (R) • Precast Concrete Pavement* (P) Infrastructure

•Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) abutments (R) •High Recycle Warm and Hot Mix Asphalt (P) Infrastructure R&D

•Roundabouts (R) •High Friction Surface Treatments (P) Safety

Evaluation Projects by Program Office

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(P) = Prospective (R) = Retrospective * = SHRP2


Evaluation Projects by Program Office

• Eco-Logical* (R) • eNEPA Tool (P)

Planning, Environment, & Realty

•Roadside Revegetation (R) Federal Lands Highway

•Managing Risk in Rapid Renewal Projects Guidance* (P) • Public-Private-Partnerships Capacity Building (P)

Innovative Program Delivery

•Agent-Based Models •Driver Behavior in Traffic (R) •VASTO – Evolutionary Agency System for Transportation Outlook (P)

Exploratory Advanced Research


Completed Evaluation Projects

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• Adaptive signal control systems

• Eco-Logical • Geosynthetic

Reinforced Soil Abutments / Integrated Bridge System

• Gusset Plates • National Household

Travel Survey • P3 Capacity

Building • Roadside

Revegetation • Roundabouts


In-Progress Evaluation Projects

Evaluation Project Draft Report

Agent-Based Simulation Models 03/2017

eNEPA 03/2018

High-Friction Surface Treatments 10/2018

Managing Risk on Rapid Renewal Projects 12/2017

Precast Concrete Pavement (Phase II)* 12/2017

Traffic Incident Management Training 07/2017

Vehicle Operating Costs 06/2020

Warm and Hot Mix Asphalt/Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement 07/2019

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* Phase I report under review


FHWA R&T Evaluation Cross-Cutting Recommendations

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Cross-Cutting Recommendations

• Ongoing R&T Evaluation Program-level review of R&T Evaluation findings and recommendations

• Some themes clearly emerge, addressing both strengths and areas for improvement and spanning all research phases 1. Market acceptance/deployment planning 2. Collaborative research management 3. Research dissemination 4. Planning for evaluation 5. Replicating success

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Benefits • Understand technology requirements and barriers to adoption • Supports development of appropriate technology transfer strategies and

activities • Encourages efficient use of program resources

Actions • Perform upfront market research to understand vendor and end-user needs and constraints

• Incorporate market and user considerations into communication strategies

1. Incorporate market acceptance and deployment considerations



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2. Explore collaborative research management arrangements

Benefits • Builds knowledge and credibility, particularly for high visibility research • Identifies and mitigates implementation issues, saving time and money • Increases likelihood of stakeholder adoption

Actions • Convene expert advisory panels • Identify actual and potential stakeholders early • Incorporate stakeholder feedback throughout process



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3. Further incorporate evaluation into the research process

Benefits • Estimates demand for FHWA research • Identifies potential areas for better marketing • Demonstrates research value and impacts to stakeholders quantitatively

Actions • Establish baseline and evaluation strategy • Collect data on resource use at all stages • Identify and collect data to support mixed-method analysis • Analyze data on research use



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4. Improve protocols for research dissemination and communication

Benefits • Increased likelihood of awareness of new technology or practices among potential deployers

• Enables sharing accurate and uniform information with potential deployers • Ensure research results reach the appropriate audience

Actions • Ensure research reports are available on FHWA website on a timely basis and are easy to locate

• Implement procedures for constructive resolution of internal conflict/disagreement

• Create communications strategy to support dissemination phase



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5. Support and replicate successful programs and practices

Benefits • Enables end-users to plan their own programs and research accordingly • Channels institutional knowledge of effective practices into program

processes • Directly responds to customer/user requests and feedback

Actions • Maintain stable funding and resources, including staffing • Fund and implement programs on regular and frequent cycles • Provide flexible funds to adapt to needs • Extend outreach to reach a wider, sometimes non-traditional audience • Conduct research to address key information gaps for more mature

technologies


FHWA R&T Evaluation Communicating and Incorporating Evaluation Results

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Evaluation FHWA

Research Cycle


Communication/Application of Evaluation Results

• Office Directors and staff are briefed on evaluation results and recommendations

• Offices review evaluation report and apply results and recommendations to R&T program planning and management as appropriate

• R&T Evaluation Reports are published on the FHWA R&T website for public access

• Office communicate results to stakeholders

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Communicating Evaluation Results

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Discussion Items • Next Round of Project Evaluations

– Solicit project nominations from Offices

– Other ideas? • Implementation of Evaluation

Results – Revise R&T Agenda – Resources rebalancing – Other ideas?

• Institutionalize R&T Evaluation & Complete the Research Cycle?

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Evaluation FHWA

Research Cycle


Thank You

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