The lack of training programs in systems that allow insufficient references in departments of transportation (DOTs) can create a procurement and administration process that is inefficient, inconsistent, and ineffective. Public agency activities related to contracts must be efficient, fair, and consistent to maintain compliance with state and federal policies. The South Carolina DOT identified a need to develop a comprehensive training program for professional service contract managers to support consistent and efficient execution of department contracts. The objectives of this study were to develop a training program for South Carolina DOT professional services contract managers and to evaluate the training program for statewide adoption. The study resulted in the development of a comprehensive training program to ensure that current and future South Carolina DOT contract managers across the department procure and administer professional services contracts with consistency and effectiveness. Lessons learned and issues identified during development of the training program by an external research team, with oversight by a South Carolina DOT steering committee, are discussed. The training was implemented with South Carolina DOT contract managers in a pilot training session that included contract managers and their supervisors. This paper's presentation of the training program's development process and unique experiences can be applied to other state DOTs to support the improvement of their procurement and administrative processes.
Although society is facing a variety of environmental issues, including the depletion of energy resources, and has a much greater awareness of climate change and its serious related social impacts, transportation systems have been pushed to increasingly greater limits because of the dramatic growth in traffic demand. A case study was performed to compare the contributions of green construction credits and those of environmentally sustainable traffic operations to reducing energy use and emissions. The study measured the impacts of green credits by using the Carnegie Mellon University economic input–output life-cycle assessment model. These impacts were compared with those achieved through sustainable traffic operation strategies, consisting of a high-occupancy vehicle lane and access to public transit. The study shows that the energy and emissions reductions obtained by use of the traffic operation strategies eclipsed those obtained by use of the green credit measures in just 1 month of traffic operations. The carbon dioxide emissions created and the total energy consumed by only 1 month of traffic were three times greater and 30% more, respectively, than those obtained by repaving the same roadway. In addition to reducing emissions, environmentally sustainable traffic operations offer social sustainability benefits, such as reducing traffic delays and improving flow, which reduce the demand for transportation infrastructure and which can ultimately reduce the need for new roadway construction. Although both green credit measures and environmentally sustainable traffic operations are essential to true sustainability, the relative impacts of both traffic operations and construction credits should be considered when research and infrastructure investments are prioritized.
Aim Increasing student interest in pursuing a surgical career at an undergraduate level. Background Data suggests that interest in surgical specialties may be declining, even from as early on as medical school. However, studies suggest that engagement with extra-curricular activities influences their likelihood to pursue surgical careers. Our study aimed to assess changes in student perception towards surgical careers following participation in a three-week surgical course. Method Students on placement at St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey were invited to a course of 3 one-hour sessions covering practical surgical skills and lectures. Participants were tutored by Foundation-Year-Two doctors, with oversight of a surgical clinical teaching fellow and senior consultant. Students completed pre- and post-course surveys focusing on surgical interest, surgical skill confidence, placement-participation, and career preparation. The course was delivered through two cycles. Results Cycle one showed statistically significant improvements in suturing-confidence (mean increase 4.05 out of 10, p = 0.001), confidence in hand-ties (3.63 out of 10, p = 0.015) and understanding of developing a surgical portfolio (mean increase 1.95 out of 10, p = 0.005). After a second cycle, including the introduction of a surgical portfolio development lecture, students demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in mean scores across all areas. Notably, interest in pursuing a surgical career increased from mean 5.85/10 to 8.8/10 (p = 0.028). Conclusions We demonstrate that a short and easily accessible course can significantly improve student interest and understanding of a surgical career; equipping them with fundamental skills to pursue engagement at the undergraduate level.
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