Attracting, Recruiting, and Retaining Skilled Staff for Transportation System Operations and Management

Cronin, Brian; Anderson, Lance; Fien-Helfman, Daniel; Cronin, Candace Blair; Cook, Allison; Lodato, Mike; Venner, Marie

doi:10.17226/14603

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 4 publications

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“…State departments of transportation (DOTs) have faced a challenging task of meeting rising demand for highway construction projects while working with dwindling resources such as staff and funding ( 1 , 2 ). Through investigating workforce recruitment and retention problems with 50 state DOTs, Anderson et al ( 3 ) found that many DOTs have enhanced the process of retaining and maintaining their workforce system, but they face a professional workforce shortage. The retirement of transportation professionals reduces the number of highly skilled personnel in the sector.…”

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Approach to Determination of Risk-Based Inspection Workload for Highway Construction Projects

Mohamed

Tran

2022

Transportation Research Record

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State departments of transportation (DOTs) are increasingly charged with developing and managing more highway construction projects while facing a substantial challenge in performing construction inspection activities with reduced resources of funding and inspection staff. Several state DOTs have applied workload reduction approaches including risk-based inspection methods to offset the shortage of inspection resources. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework to determine an appropriate inspection workload associated with construction inspection risk levels. The framework included three stages: (1) determination of project needs of inspection workforce, (2) utilizing risk-based prioritization of inspection activities, and (3) allocation of the workforce based on risk levels of inspection activities. The proposed framework was developed based on data collected from a comprehensive literature review and survey questionnaires of 50 state DOTs. The findings from this study indicated that almost all 38 responding state DOTs have a shortage of inspection staff. Four main strategies that state DOTs used to overcome the shortage of inspection workforce include outsourcing quality assurance (QA) inspections to consultants, using contractors’ test results for acceptance, reducing the number of inspections and testing frequency, and prioritizing QA inspections. The framework was tested and calibrated with a case study project in Kansas. The result shows that the proposed framework can be implemented by state DOTs to increase the value of inspection with a limited workforce. The framework also allows project managers to better understand and allocate the available inspection resources to alleviate the risk of quality shortfall.

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Approach to Determination of Risk-Based Inspection Workload for Highway Construction Projects

Mohamed

Tran

2022

Transportation Research Record

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Utilizing E-Ticketing to Increase Productivity and Minimize Shortage of Inspectors

et al. 2022

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Approach for Estimating Inspection Staffing Needs for Highway Construction Projects

Mohamed

Tran

2023

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

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Construction inspectors are the primary workforce in the highway construction industry who ensure that the work on infrastructure projects meets or exceeds the quality standards set. However, there is a growing concern in state departments of transportation (DOTs) about the inspection process because of the declining availability of experienced inspectors. This study proposes an approach for estimating inspection staffing needs for highway construction projects. Data from 157 construction projects completed between 2017 and 2021 were used to evaluate project inspection staff size based on the project type, cost, and duration. A total of 35 core inspection items were identified by carrying out a content analysis of construction inspection documents. Then, a focus group of 18 experts from the Kansas DOT was conducted to verify the list of 35 cost inspection items and evaluate the number and experience of inspectors required for each item. The four project types included in the analysis are as follows: grading/surfacing; sealing; surface recycling and overlay; and bridge repair. The analysis showed that the inspection staffing needs depend on project type, duration, and size. The grading/surfacing and bridge repair projects require more inspection staff than the sealing, and surface recycling and overlay projects. The result of a Spearman’s correlation analysis indicated that there is a significant association between the risk level of an inspection item and the number and experience of inspectors required for that item. The findings from this study may help state DOTs identify their needs for inspection staff and improve the quality of highway construction projects.

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Attracting, Recruiting, and Retaining Skilled Staff for Transportation System Operations and Management

Cited by 4 publications

References 4 publications

Approach to Determination of Risk-Based Inspection Workload for Highway Construction Projects

Approach to Determination of Risk-Based Inspection Workload for Highway Construction Projects

Utilizing E-Ticketing to Increase Productivity and Minimize Shortage of Inspectors

Approach for Estimating Inspection Staffing Needs for Highway Construction Projects

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