Business Plan

Performance Management

An important early step in the change process is understanding who we are and what we do by measuring performance. Improvement requires using performance measures to make needed changes. While measurement of performance gives us a base to work from, the Iowa DOT must work toward a standard practice of managing performance – using information every day to improve the goods and services we provide to our customers.

Performance management – the use of performance information to improve – has been identified as the critical first step to moving the department forward. This will involve working to understand what we are responsible for, why it is important, and how measures can be used to manage critical processes. Developing a measurement culture will help all levels of the department understand the progress and success of their work.

Data Integration

The Iowa DOT has been successful in using information and technology to support business needs and improve services. It is clear, however, that quickly changing customer expectations, and even faster changing technology options, are putting pressures on our data and information resources.

It is critical to better understand the data and information systems that currently exist within the department and determine how we can best leverage those investments. It is also important to recognize that new data and systems may be needed. The linking and integration of data from sources across the department will facilitate efforts to improve data quality, decrease the number of duplicative systems, and improve the speed and quality of data analysis.

Portfolio & Project Management

The ability to lay out work for large efforts and provide the necessary support has been a major contributor to the success of projects over the years. The ability to clearly define project priorities for all types of projects within the Iowa DOT and successfully manage them to completion is imperative for the agency’s success, especially as resources continue to become increasingly tight.

Growing demands on IT resources has created a situation that likely is no longer sustainable. Realigning the IT governance structure to support current demands and take into account long-term support and on-going maintenance will assist in providing adequate support from IT assets.
 

Organizational Communication

Communication is critical to the success of any organization. Lacking knowledge of what is going on, and why, contributes to poor employee satisfaction, low morale and affects productivity.

Recent efforts have been made through Face-to-Face training and other initiatives to improve communication. However, there is an on-going need to improve our ability to clearly communicate between employees, within work units, within the department and with our external customers. Knowing how, when, and in what format to share information will be critical. In the age of information, communication can make or break the view others have of the department. We have a duty to clearly, consistently, and accurately provide access to information, assuring that we are maintaining transparency and fostering trust in the Iowa DOT.
 

Workforce & Knowledge Management

The Iowa DOT has always benefited from having a dedicated, innovative, and skilled workforce. With jobs and technology changing, there is a strong need to keep skills current and develop the means to line up individuals with the ever-changing skill sets needed to meet the demands of the department. Within the parameters of state government, it is critical for the Iowa DOT to attract, hire, and promote the right people for the job; provide the support necessary for individuals to be successful; and ultimately gain from the wide range of skills and experiences a diverse workforce brings to the DOT.

Over the next decade, the Iowa DOT will see a significant portion of their current employees retire. When employees choose to leave, a great deal of knowledge and expertise will leave with them. In addition to developing employees while they are here, is vital to find a way of maintaining knowledge within the department after employees leave.