WSDOT's Experience with Measuring Sustainable Transportation Practices

1. Part 1 - WSDOT’s Experience Measuring Sustainable Transportation Practices Paula Hammond Secretary of Transportation Daniela Bremmer Director of Strategic Assessment SSTI Community of Practice Meeting Seattle, WA February 24, 2011

2. What is Performance Management at WSDOT? WSDOT’s working definition: • An opportunity to better manage the agency and our state-owned transportation systems • An opportunity to tell our story • Part of our culture –what we do –who we are WSDOT’s driving forces – Why we do what we do… • Making a case for funding (funding and revenue challenges) – Our initial driver • Good management practice / Internal agency initiatives • Strategic and business planning • Competition for limited resources / Investment decision-making needs and trade-offs • Public and political expectations for accountability / Gubernatorial, legislative mandates • Media pressure: National benchmarking and comparisons • ARRA: Federal economic stimulus spending and reporting • Performance-based federal aid program / Reauthorization discussion and expectations • Sustainable transportation practices

3. Why did WSDOT turn to performance reporting? The Gray Notebook was a voluntary effort, created in 2001 in response to multiple drivers including: • Addressing a voter-initiated repeal of the MVET tax, a 30% revenue erosion • Blue Ribbon Commission and gubernatorial concerns over departmental inefficiency and lack of accountability • Media/talk show preoccupation with state’s “transportation crisis” • To pave the way for a revenue ask • Remove perception that WSDOT didn’t communicate project delivery and results Tool: WSDOT’s quarterly performance report The Gray Notebook (then called “Measures, Markers and Mileposts”) became the agency’s face and primary communication brand.

4. The Gray Notebook addressed a wide range of audiences and their need for information • Members of the Legislature and other state and local elected officials • The Governor and the seven members of the state Transportation Commission • Reporters and columnists: The media • Opinion makers in the business community • WSDOT employees More than a quarterly report, the Gray Notebook anchors WSDOT’s management philosophy: “What gets measured, gets managed” and “No Surprises reporting.”

5. Reporting results on all key programs spurs collaborative, One-DOT mentality – up for a challenge Highway Safety Highway Maintenance Highway Congestion and Congestion Management Highway Traffic Operations Intelligent Transportation Systems Project Delivery Asset management, including bridges, pavement, capital facilities, safety rest areas Workforce level and training; Worker safety Aviation Ferries All state-owned transportation modes, such as passenger rail, rail freight, commute trip reduction Environmental programs, such as NEPA compliance, ESA documentation, climate change, and more

6. What followed: Tangible results and benefits of performance management and public reporting • Enhanced accountability enhanced agency credibility with the public, media, and Legislature • Subsequently supported the 2003 Nickel -5 cents gas tax revenue increase • GNB expanded, but focused on demonstrating how WSDOT invested 2003 gas tax revenue, highlighting on time and on budget project delivery results • This provided the story background and built support for the 2005 Transportation Partnership Account -9.5 cents gas tax revenue increase • For more information: Bremmer, Daniela & Bryan, James. “Making the Case for Funding” Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Ed. No 2079. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2008. pp. 151-2

7. 2007 & forward: Building a performance-oriented business culture Transition to Secretary, Paula Hammond (2007), who further emphasized and strengthened accountability efforts • Embraces a business culture and model to manage the agency • Directs that WSDOT continue to expand its performance management culture and processes • Seizes immediate opportunities to demonstrate the value of robust performance management and reporting: August 2007: Bridge collapse in Minneapolis – Gray Notebook reporting on Washington bridges provided new Secretary with instant, quality-controlled and vetted data on local conditions November 2007: Secretary Hammond pulled the 80 year plus old Steel Electric class ferries from service – Gray Notebook reporting supports explanation on causes and future plans for the Ferries System

8. Initiatives in 2007 and beyond: Keeping Current • Redesign and restructuring of the Gray Notebook • Alignment with state policy goals and Strategic Plan, and introduction of quarterly performance reviews (GNB QPRs) • Expanded reporting in various program areas, and focus on Before and After analysis of projects and programs to communicate investment impacts • Refreshed emphasis on No Surprises reporting • Meeting the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) reporting challenge • Defining economic impacts of transportation investments • Measuring sustainable transportation practices

9. Recent initiatives: 2008 redesign and restructuring of the Gray Notebook Beginning with 30th edition, a refreshed focus: • 5 years into enhanced project delivery reporting; 8 years of consistent key program reporting and still expanding topic areas • Reorganization into chapters that align with state’s transportation policy goals: Safety, Preservation, Mobility/Congestion Relief, Environment, Stewardship – and added in 2010: Economic Vitality • More explicit alignment with WSDOT’s Strategic Plan ‘Business Directions’ and with agency’s Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) A ‘green’ redesign for the Gray Notebook

10. Recent initiatives (continued): Internal focus to sustain a performance-based culture • Alignment of reporting with Strategic Plan ‘Business Directions’ allowed greater internal focus on plan • Deployment of internal Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) to better track incremental program performance results against strategic goals • Executive management promotes an active engagement with programs and offices through quarterly ‘live’ reviews of selected topics from current Gray Notebook:Quarterly Performance Review (QPR) meetings that focus on results and ask tough questions.

11. Recent initiatives (continued): Enhanced Before and After Project Analysis • Strong focus on defining Before and After results for all capital and operational projects • Agency directive to capture baseline (Before) data for all projects before deployment to conduct analysis • Before and After reporting to clearly communicate investment impacts and demonstrate system impacts Expanded Before & After analysis of mobility improvement projects, 2010 Congestion Report

12. Recent initiatives (continued): WSDOT recommits to No Surprises reporting and accountability” • Reinforce expectations for project reporting and problem identification • Notify Chief Engineer of significant problems within 24 hours and provide weekly updates • Online project reporting system will publish monthly updates • New bi-weekly Transportation Alert will notify the Legislature and public of potential problems ...“We have tried very hard as an agency to make sure accountability works both ways … You tell the good and you tell the bad. This obviously is something we have not done right. And it is something we are going to fix.”… Paula Hammond, June 29, 2010 Tacoma News Tribune

13. Recent initiatives (continued): Performance Management culture is flexible, responds to new challenges of ARRA 2009: Gray Notebook gave the agency a strong foundation for newly required Recovery Act/ARRA and future federal reporting: • Emphasis on intense scrutiny and quality control of data, analysis • Established relationships and processes • Credibility, candor and transparency already established. This important internal management and integration tool that elevated agency performance measurement to a high priority at WSDOT meant agency was prepared for ARRA reporting.

14. WSDOT’s Performance Management philosophy for all programs • Communicate clear, relevant and easy-to-understand measures and results using Performance Journalism • Demonstrate how programs contribute to agency priorities and state policy goals • Monitor and analyze detailed program and project data • Evaluate effectiveness of WSDOT strategies (Before and After) • Hold regular problem-solving sessions • Allocate resources based on strategies that work - performance based investment decisions • Regularly report to governor, legislature, media and public on performance – seek and create opportunities to report

15. …and we keep working at getting better in communicating results WSDOT’s created a method called “Performance Journalism” • The combination of quantitative reporting and narrative storytellingto share results clearly and effectively • Share the performance of an agency’s complex and diverse programs and projects clearly and concisely in a format that everyone can easily understand and explain to their neighbors. • A collaborative effort between executives, performance analysts, and program experts across the agency is essential: no silos allowed! • 7 principles of Performance Journalism: (stories; writing; data analysis; graphics and visualization; content driven design; quality control; good timing) • For more information: Bremmer, Daniela & Bryan, James. “Bridging the Gap Between Agencies and Citizens: Performance Journalism as a Practical Solution to Communicate Performance Measures and Results” Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Ed. No 2046. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2008. pp. 21-2.

16. Lessons learned that will apply to measuring sustainability: It is an iterative process! There is no perfect measurement – the process is incremental, iterative, and evolutionary; start where you are • Start with observation, look at trends, qualitative measures • Report it out, learn more, repeat… • Develop quantitative measures; only set targets if you have and understand trend data • Decide next actions, make good, informed business decisions • Capture data – Before & After actions • Analyze what you’ve learned

17. More lessons learned – useful in taking on the new task of measuring sustainable transportation • Effective, ethical communication is essential when trying to gain public support. Agencies must tell their own stories in a comprehensible, truthful, sincere, and legitimate manner. • Strong and sustained executive leadership is required to implement and sustain the process. • Resist the temptation to expand beyond what is useful. Not all functions and measures need targets. Manage expectations! • Successful performance management requires attention and coordination – programs have to work together and be flexible. • Everyone needs to be on the same page, and be consistent in understanding of requirements, challenges, and progress. • Maintain passion for quality control at all levels. • New and frequently changing reporting requirements require nimble and dedicated staff, executive involvement, and due diligence.

18. But there are still many more opportunities and our efforts continue... Any questions before moving to Part 2 - Secretary Hammond’s presentation on our efforts in measuring sustainability?

19. Resources • Moving Washington Website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/movingwashington/ • WSDOT’s Congestion Website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Congestion/ • WSDOT’s Accountability Website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/ • Real Time Travel Times Website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seattle/traveltimes/ • Plan Your Commute– 95% Reliable Travel Times Website: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/Seattle/TravelTimes/reliability/ • WSDOT’s quarterly performance report: the Gray Notebook: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Accountability/GrayNotebook/navigateGNB.htm • Performance Measurement at WSDOT, four page foliohttp://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/91089378-E709-49EF-AE42-AE80BC44A91C/0/TRB_Performance_Folio.pdf • WSDOT’s Strategic Plan: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/publications/StrategicPlanWEB.pdf • Performance Journalism: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/685F6B37-9082-47DE-81FC-676EE95C5EE9/0/Bridging_Gap_PJ_TRBprintedvsn.pdf • Making the Case for Funding: The WSDOT Experience (2008, Transportation Research Record)http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E5D34B36-6662-4464-B4BA-1E858BBD710D/0/2007_TRB_Making_Case_Funding.pdf • Maximizing Highway System Capacity: Measuring and Communicating System Performance in an Evolving Field–(2008, Transportation Research Forum) http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/464B9718-C441-470E-9E83 C9F0D3F1D238/0/2007_TRB_Measuring_System_Performance.pdf Daniela Bremmer Washington State Department of Transportation Director, Strategic Assessment Office 360-705-7953 Daniela.Bremmer@wsdot.wa.gov Contact Info: