FHWA Quality Coordinators and Program Analysts

1
FHWA Quality Coordinators and Program Analysts

• Body of Knowledge Discussion
• Daniel Fodera, Georgia Division

2
Process

• Reviewed ASQ BOK, FHWA Core Competencies for
  Professional Skills, Office Management,
  Leadership, and Information and Analysis
• Offline Discussions
• Identified New Areas that were not contained in
  the existing FHWA competencies
• Deployed survey to test assumptions
• DAs and ADAs

3
The List

• Risk Management.
• Financial Integrity Review and Evaluation (FIRE).
• Program Delivery Improvement Tool.
• Process Reviews.
• Organizational Excellence (Corporate Management
  Strategies).
• Strategic Planning.
• Organizational performance measurement.
• Shared Unit Performance Plan System.

• Knowledge Management/Communities of Practice.
• Teams.
• Facilitation.
• Training Materials/Curriculum Development and
  Delivery.
• Basic Quality Tools.
• Management Quality Tools.
• Innovation and creativity
• Quantitative Assessment.
• Qualitative assessment..
• Customer satisfaction.

4
Definitions

• Risk Management. Apply techniques for risk
  identification, control, and mitigation. Apply
  the agency Risk management framework.
• Financial Integrity Review and Evaluation (FIRE).
  Use FIRE guidance to conduct ongoing quarterly
  reviews (Inactive Project Reviews) and
  individual review activities (Financial
  Management, Administrative, Improper Payments,
  Single Audit, and Federal Audit Finding Reviews).
• Program Delivery Improvement Tool. Use the PDIT
  to assess improvement opportunities and
  successful practices in the areas program
  delivery and program management.
• Process Reviews. Apply FHWA process review
  techniques to assess and improve program
  delivery. Use process mapping, flowcharting, and
  other visual aids to analyze a process and
  compare it to written procedures, work
  instructions, and other documents. Select,
  interpret and apply process improvement tools.
  Develop and apply program and process review
  charters/work plans, data collection plans,
  analysis, reports and presentations, and
  follow-up action plans.
• Organizational Excellence (Corporate Management
  Strategies). Apply the Malcolm Baldrige National
  Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria as a management
  model in support of organizational excellence.

5
Definitions

• Strategic Planning. Apply the agency strategic
  planning model. (Understand and describe the
  relationship of the mission, vision, and values
  to the strategic goals). Translate agency
  strategic goals and objectives to unit and
  individual level objectives and activities.
• Organizational performance measurement. Design
  and use performance measures to drive and monitor
  organizational performance, and evaluate the
  results in relation to the plan. Maintain the DFS
  scorecard.
• Shared Unit Performance Plan System. Use SUPPS
  to develop, publish, and report progress on the
  unit strategic implementation plan.
• Knowledge Management/Communities of Practice. Use
  knowledge management techniques to identify and
  collect internal knowledge (core competencies)
  and best practices, to understand and share
  lessons learned, and to adapt and use such
  knowledge in new situations. Identify typical
  organizational hurdles that must be overcome in
  order to implement these techniques.

6
Definitions

• Teams. Apply team-building steps such as holding
  an introductory meeting, developing a common
  vision and agreement on team objectives,
  identifying and assigning specific roles on the
  team, etc. Define and describe typical roles and
  responsibilities related to team support and
  effectiveness. Evaluate teams to identify problem
  dynamics and achieve established goals and
  objectives.
• Facilitation. Apply facilitation techniques to
  achieve objectives of meetings, training events,
  and teams.
• Training Materials/Curriculum Development and
  Delivery. Use various tools, resources, and
  methodologies to develop training materials and
  curricula that address adult learning principles
  and the learning needs of an increasingly diverse
  workforce. Describe various methods to deliver
  training, including classroom style, workbooks,
  simulations, on-the-job, self-directed, etc.
• Customer satisfaction. Develop systems to capture
  customer perceptions and experiences using a
  variety of feedback mechanisms and use customer
  value analysis, corrective actions, etc., to
  measure and improve satisfaction. Survey analysis
  and use. Analyze survey results and ensure that
  they are interpreted and used correctly.

7
Definitions

• Basic Quality Tools, Select, interpret and apply
  the seven classic quality tools (Pareto charts,
  cause and effect diagrams, flowcharts, control
  charts, check sheets, scatter diagrams,
  histograms) in various situations.
• Management Quality Tools. Select, interpret and
  apply the basic management and planning tools
  (affinity diagrams, tree diagrams, process
  decision program charts (PDPCs), matrix diagrams,
  interrelationship digraphs, prioritization
  matrices, activity network diagrams) in various
  situations.
• Innovation and creativity tools. Use various
  techniques and exercises for creative
  decision-making and problem-solving, including
  brainstorming, mind mapping, lateral thinking,
  critical thinking, design for six sigma (DFSS),
  etc.
• Quantitative Assessment. Use basic statistical
  techniques to identify when, what, and how to
  measure projects and processes. Determine when
  sampling is appropriate and apply basic sampling
  techniques. Conduct basic statistical analysis to
  data sets, charts, and other data summaries to
  monitor processes and make data-based decisions.
  Read and interpret data sets, graphs, charts,
  etc. and identify various trends and patterns.
• Qualitative assessment. Identify subjective
  measures (e.g., verbatim comments from customers,
  observation records, focus group output) and how
  they differ from objective measures, and
  determine when measurements should be made in
  categories rather than in terms of numeric value.
  

8
So What Did DA and ADAs Think Was Important?
9
DA and ADA Comments

• The identified levels are what I think are the
  minimum for a 'well-qualified' quality
  coordinator (not entry level). In most cases the
  Division would benefit if the coordinator could
  advance to a higher level of proficiency.
• While most of these competencies are important, I
  marked a few a 'not required' only b/c the
  Quality Coordinators in the field, for the most
  part, are collateral duties--don't believe they
  have the time necessary to understand and apply
  some of these competencies to organizational
  quality/performance planning activities.
• Somehow we should also capture project level
  quality assurance plans and materials testing
  type plans. Need an awareness of the NQI process

• I would ideally look for the Quality Person to be
  the expert in facilitation and process things but
  not to be the expert in a particular subject area
  (FIRE). It also takes a special type of person
  to know how to do this well (to know when to jump
  in and when to stay back) - probably an emotional
  intelligence type of thing. We have a person
  that does a lot of quality stuff part time but is
  on our engineering staff. This has worked for us
  now, but when he retires, I will probably try to
  find a full time person.
• Most division quality persons are also doing some
  other job as well. Very few have the luxury to
  only concentrate on quality. With the retirement
  of the Corporate Management HQ quality individual
  the word quality in FHWA has begun to disappear.
  Until we integrate it into our management focus
  and style it will continue to be a passing fancy
  for some but not all. When the FTE gets tight I
  foresee the quality FTE moving to other program
  needs. For quality to continue we need to get
  some very vocal champions.
• I didn't realize how useful a program analyst
  could be for a Division, especially my own, until
  one was 'given' to me. Now, I am a huge
  proponent of the position and the functions it
  provides.

• Advanced skills are also needed in using Excel
  and data base application and the ability to
  develop data input applications for performance
  indicator systems. Advanced communication skills
  are also needed including the ability to write
  and develop high quality reports and
  presentations.

• Need to have good 'people' skills. Much of what
  they do falls under 'salesmanship' - that is, the
  ability to make persuasive arguments to stimulate
  consensus or change.

10
Next Steps

• Identify opportunities to develop a Core
  Competency for Quality Program Specialist and
  Program Analyst.
• Validate Draft Definitions
• Identify Additional Skills, including appropriate
  elements from Professional Skills, Office
  Management, Leadership, and Information and
  Analysis
• Identify Training Resources
• How does this relate to the Information
  Management function described in the Division
  Core Functions Report?