Transcript Overview on Performance Management

Key Themes from Day 1 Breakouts
presented to
National Forum on
Performance-Based Planning
and Programming
presented by
Cambridge Systematics, Inc.
Lance A. Neumann
September 14, 2010
Transportation leadership you can trust.
Conference Objectives
Develop a common understanding of performance-based
planning and programming processes and define the next
steps for implementation
Identify the challenges in developing performance-based
planning and programming processes and recommend
strategies to deal with them
Develop practical, agency specific, guidance for
performance-based planning and programming
Provide recommendations for a capacity building action plan
that reflects the range of needs of a diverse set of agencies
2
Key Topics
Disclaimer
Data
Positive Vibe
Targets
Education/Communication
Tradeoff Analysis
Collaboration
Challenges
Planning and Programming
Next Steps
Measures
3
Disclaimer
No facilitator, recorder, or breakout
participant is responsible for any of
the observations that follow
Positive “Vibe” about Performance-based
Planning and Programming
Across breakouts and types of agencies
Lots of views about what / how
Caution about very real institutional/political barriers
Need to move beyond “would of, could of, should of” and
barriers to constructive next steps
5
Education and Communication
Real opportunity to use performance-based process to
improve communication with stakeholders
» More informed discussions
» Setting expectations
» Cost / potential results
» More realistic priorities
…but public more informed.
Elected officials a “special case”
» Needs vs. politics
» Equity
6
Connection to Funding
Performance management as tool to help “make the case”
» What you get and don’t get
» Set expectations
» System performance and agency performance
» Not “one shot” exercise, must build confidence/trust over time
» Tied to projects
Changing rules/eligibility can create incentives for
collaboration / new partnerships
7
Collaboration
Recognize need for stronger collaboration and opportunity to
encourage it
» Strategic planning and defining common goals and selected
measures
» Break down institutional barriers
» Needs to be continuous
» Don’t forget rural agencies
8
Planning and Programming
Lack of connection between LRPs and programs
Big variation in state / MPO / transit / rural agency
relationships
LRP easier to get agreement on broad goals
Programs: local priorities take over
» Fair share / equity vs. needs / performance
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Measures
May be in good shape for preservations / state of good repair
and aspects of mobility
Range of opinion on multinational / mode neutral
» Multimodal goals vs. Multimodal measures
» People vs. vehicles
» Some doing it
Need more focus on
» Environment
» Freight
» Economic development
10
What about the rurals?
Data
Better use of data to drive / influence decisions
Recognize cost issue
Better data sharing / use of national databases
Visualization
Data gaps
11
Targets
Opinions vary about usefulness and practicality
Soft vs. hard targets
Implications for consequences / funding
Need to be achievable / consistent with resources
12
Tradeoff Analysis
Many different types of tradeoffs
» Within mode or functional areas
» Cross functional within an agency
» Cross functions / modes / agencies
Opinions varied about which are possible
Some doing it now even across modes
New tools / data, but…
» Costs, complexity, technical capacity
» No “black box”
» Potential rule for U.S. DOT
13
Challenges
Institutional
» Financial capacity / restrictions
» Multiple goals and agencies
» Resistance to change
» Need for strong relationships and staff buy-in
» Sustained collaboration
Technical capacity differences
» Size of staff
» Capabilities
» Ability to deal effectively with Big Brother / Sister
14
Shifting from political / equity to performance / needs
Next Steps
Sense that there is support to move toward more
performance-based planning and programming
Likely to happen in any case
Time to focus on practical next steps
» Acknowledge variations in practice and challenges
» Build on considerable past work
» Define specific actions to move forward
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