The Operations Academy Senior Management Program

Operations Academy Senior Management Program Emphasis on Surface Transportation Management and Operations 2 week “Total Immersion” course with one week of pre-study Intended for practitioners desiring advancement & recognition in Operations Focuses on the unique aspects of surface transportation M&O

Program Objectives Individuals completing the program will be able to: Describe the impact of M&O on mobility and safety Manage an organization whose primary mission is M&O Advocate the creation of an operational focus within their agencies Demonstrate knowledge of the technical tools of M&O and the conditions under which they can be effectively applied

Additional Benefits For the individual –Networking with peers from other jurisdictions –National recognition –CEUs and certificate of completion –Recognition from employer To the agency –Individuals trained in operations –Ability to develop an operations focus –A constructive analysis of the agency’s current focus on management and operations

Student Profile Student Profile – Mid to high level managers whose existing or future responsibilities include management and operations of the transportation system. Examples –Manager of traffic operations –District/division engineer –Regional Director –Director of Maintenance –Transportation Operations Center Manager –Manager of traffic engineering in a state or local jurisdictions –Senior transportation planner in a state or local jurisdiction or MPO –Personnel (typically at State or Federal levels) responsible for review, approval and/or support of management and operations activities

Underlying Concepts The relevance of operations and what we are trying to achieve. Operations of systems -Understanding operations, and how to influence mobility, safety, security Customer service orientation Performance measures Communications and coordination within organizations and with others Managing people, resources, and organizations

Pre-study Needed to ensure “no student left behind” Required time depends on the student’s background Educational home-study material will be provided Pre-study occurs over a two month period Final exam Summary of Subjects: –Traffic management –Incident management –Emergency management –Freight –Traffic engineering including a survey of traffic flow theory –Tools of operations (devices and systems)

Curriculum (Draft) Classroom time – 40% –Defining the operations template –Instructors with real-world experience Workshops – 30% –Real-world problems –Group problem solving including role playing –Reinforcing the operations template Field studies – 30% –Visits to a variety of state and local sites –Includes analysis of site activities using the operations template –Supplemented by analysis of the student’s sponsoring agency Graduation – 5% –Recognition of student’s efforts –Attended (if possible) by student’s supervisor –Includes presentation of workshop and field study results

Curriculum Structure 1.Overview – What is operations and why is it unique? 2.Operations as a system – emphasis on supply-demand concepts, regional & corridor management and conops 3.Performance measures – how are they used and why are they important 4.Customer service – Customer needs and communications 5.Organization – Centralization, stovepiping and organizational relationships 6.Policy and planning – How does operations fit into the big picture for the nation’s transportation system? 7.Management – Staff management, planning, project management, contracting, outsourcing, selling internally

Application and Costs Formal application process Competitive selection based on level of interest, relevance, geographic and functional diversity Costs including weekend –Course fee - $3,500 –Lodging costs - $1,375 Limited number of scholarships available from the I-95 Corridor Coalition

The Spring Semester was a Big Success 22 students – all of whom successfully completed the self-study and Academy requirements Students received hands-on experience with principles being presented Student evaluations very high including –Classroom presentations –Field studies –Workshops –Lunch and dinner speakers –Facilities

Representative Comments “The Operations Academy brought the philosophy of conceptual operations into clear focus. It will build future leaders that will move into decision making positions.” Tom Blaine, New Mexico DOT “This was an incredibly comprehensive program. I will be able to apply concepts learned right away, not only from the country’s expert in operations, but from our peer states’ experiences as well. I will recommend the program strongly to others in my state!” – Rob Limoges, New York State DOT

Status and Schedule Spring session successfully completed Deadline for fall session applications 6/29/07 Fall session Program for fall session finalized