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Fostering Innovation within State Departments of Transportation Highlights of a Caltrans Preliminary Investigation Pat Casey, CTC & Associates LLC Research by Brian Hirt, CTC & Associates LLC AASHTO RAC Region 4 Breakout Meeting July 27, 2015 Portland, Oregon
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dot.ca.gov/newtechctcandassociates.com Project Goal Caltrans is seeking to advance and improve its own innovation culture. One facet of that is understanding leading practices beyond Caltrans. Organizational structures Methods and approaches Research Caltrans used a quick-turnaround synthesis study — a Preliminary Investigation.Preliminary Investigation
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dot.ca.gov/newtechctcandassociates.com FINDINGS State Interviews — Central Source of Project Results Reviewed with Caltrans the interim findings on state and national best practices to target state DOTs to interview Caltrans selected states called out in citations plus others of interest to the agency We spoke with eight DOTs ArizonaMissouri FloridaPennsylvania LouisianaTexas MinnesotaWashington State 16 interview subjects Mostly research directors and innovation officers Interviewed singly and in groups
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dot.ca.gov/newtechctcandassociates.com FINDINGS State Interviews Findings support commonly accepted concepts Leadership from the top Need for champions Innovation supports strategic planning Some eye-openers to share as well... Many states are crowdsourcing innovation Idea Lab (Arizona), Innovators! Task Team (Florida), Operation 57 (Louisiana), Innovation Jam (Minnesota), Innovations Challenge (Missouri), IdeaLink (Pennsylvania), IdeaWorks (Washington State) Some are far along with real results
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dot.ca.gov/newtechctcandassociates.com FINDINGS State Interviews Eye-openers... Executives change over time, but a well-ingrained culture of innovation can transcend changes in leadership. Missouri said innovation is so ingrained in the agency culture that there isn't a policy or a drive to ensure that it happens. State Transportation Innovation Councils can be part of the innovation culture. Pennsylvania sees its STIC as an external source of innovation complementary to internal implementation efforts.
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dot.ca.gov/newtechctcandassociates.com FINDINGS State Interviews Eye-openers... The idea to “embrace failure” has reached state DOTs If the implementation research rate becomes very high, does that imply that the agency isn’t taking enough risks in its research? Part of Minnesota’s value to “Be Bold” includes the statement: “I Take Risks and Accept Failure. I will use my failures to identify ways to get better.” However... ...Risk must be managed. Washington State said, “We couldn’t do what we do without Risk Management backing us up and being engaged.”
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dot.ca.gov/newtechctcandassociates.com FINDINGS State Resources The Innovative DOT: A Handbook of Policy and Practice Smart Growth America/SSTI report, 2015, provides examples nationwide of innovative practices across all DOT business areas. Section titled “Improve Agency Organization and Initiate Cultural Change” calls out several states. Developing a Culture of Innovation Minnesota DOT synthesis report, 2010, highlights several state DOTs that facilitate, track or reward innovation. “MnDOT’s Commitment to Innovation is the New Normal” TRB paper, 2013, features Minnesota’s Destination Innovation program. “State Transportation Innovation Councils” FHWA article, 2013, highlights PennDOT’s STIC as part of its Next Generation initiative to create “a culture of continuous improvement.”
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dot.ca.gov/newtechctcandassociates.com FINDINGS National Resources Innovator, FHWA’s web periodical Standout examples among federal programs like Every Day Counts (EDC) and Highways for LIFE EDC: Building a Culture of Innovation for the 21st Century FHWA report on the EDC2 Summits, Spring 2013 Encourages innovation in managing highway project delivery A Guide for Making Innovation Offices Work IBM Center for the Business of Government report, 2014 Outlines success factors for implementing an innovation office Most Innovative Agencies: Best Places to Work in the Federal Government Analysis Partnership for Public Service report, 2013 Gives guidance for leaders to promote innovation at federal agencies
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dot.ca.gov/newtechctcandassociates.com FINDINGS International Resources Australian Public Service Public Service Innovation Toolkit “Practical advice on fostering innovation within your agency.” Empowering Change: Fostering Innovation in the Australian Public Service Ten guiding principles for building innovation in public sector agencies Creating a Foresight Culture in the European Commission Outlines the needed change in organizational culture of the European Commission’s research and innovation
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dot.ca.gov/newtechctcandassociates.com Learn More Complete findings are in the Preliminary Investigation “Fostering Innovation within State Departments of Transportation,” available from Caltrans. Coco Briseno coco.briseno@dot.ca.gov 916-654-8877 coco.briseno@dot.ca.gov Pat Casey pat.casey@ctcandassociates.com 608-345-8601 pat.casey@ctcandassociates.com
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dot.ca.gov/newtechctcandassociates.com Thank You! Questions?
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