Iowa DOT Business Plan

Iowa DOT’s Business Plan guides our actions over the five year period of 2021-2025 to achieve our preferred future. It was developed to emphasize internal improvements and align with other long-range and modal plans such as the State Long-Range Transportation Plan, to position the Iowa DOT to meet the demands of today and challenges of tomorrow. It assesses where we are, where we are going, and how we are going to get there.

Track Business Plan Progress

In order to keep the business plan moving and hold everyone accountable for the completion of our goals, we will be tracking the progress of our 90-Day Rocks. Rocks are the highest priority items we need to work on in the next 90 days to meet our 1-Year Objectives.


Business Plan Town Halls

Everyone has a role in the business plan. Follow along during our regular all-employee town halls to hear about what some business units have been up to on specific business plan items.

Business plan & summary

Iowa DOT's Vision

Our Core Values


  • Safety First
  • People Matter
  • Customer Focused
  • Servant Leadership
  • Integrity Without Exception

Our Core Focus

Making Lives Better Through Transportation

Serving the people and businesses of Iowa, the DOT's unique niche as Stewards of Iowa’s Transportation System contributes to the State of Iowa’s Core Purpose of Enhancing the Quality of Life for Iowans .

10-Year Target

Safest - Smartest - Made to Last

Iowa has the most customer-focused, safe, reliable, and efficient transportation system and services in the nation through agility and innovation.

Our 5-Year Priority Goals

Iowa DOT leadership has prioritized five Priority Goals as the overarching direction for the Business Plan:

traffic cones

Improve Transportation System Safety & Performance

Outcomes include: zero fatalities in work zones, total traffic fatalities significantly reduced, increased efficiency, reliability, resiliency, and condition of our transportation system


Improve Customer Service

Improve Customer Service

Outcomes include: greater levels of customer satisfaction across all programs and services


Advance Workforce for Future Challenges & Opportunities

Advance Workforce for Future Challenges & Opportunities

Outcomes include: engaged and empowered employees, increased diversity, equity, and inclusion, and steady reductions in turnover rate (non-retirement)


Secure Stable & Sustainable Funding

Secure Stable & Sustainable Funding

Outcomes include: implemented funding strategies, ensured diversified funding mechanisms, and reduced technical debt (e.g., legacy systems)


Grow Innovation

Grow Innovation

Outcomes include: adopted smart technologies, culture of innovation, and modernized systems


Implementation & Traction

5-Year Picture

By December 31, 2025, transportation throughout Iowa will be safer and performing better, with fatalities significantly reduced and a more resilient, reliable, and efficient system. Our internal and external customers will be better served, employees will be more engaged, and customer satisfaction across all programs and services will be increasing. Empowered employees will be well-equipped to meet both the challenges and opportunities of the future, and a culture of innovation and modernization will be integrated throughout the DOT. As stewards of Iowa’s transportation system we will have addressed our greatest resource needs and identified new, stable, and sustainable funding to ensure our transportation system is well-maintained.


1-Year Objectives for 2022

DOT leadership has set six Objectives for calendar 2022, and every year hereafter new or refined 1-Year Objectives will be set.

  1. Deploy Proactive Traffic Management

  2. Improve Work Zone Safety

  3. Improve the Project Delivery Cycle

  4. All Employees Trained in Customer Service Principles

  5. Remodel the External DOT Website

  6. Create a more Diverse/Equitable/Inclusive Culture

Learn more about the 2022 objectives (DOT employees only)



Previous 1 year Objectives

The Business Plan will be reviewed and updated every other year, implementation is achieved through specific quarterly and biweekly efforts among all Divisions. This includes the setting of specific and measurable goals at all levels of the agency that follow regular timelines. The Business Plan adapts several tools from the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). Staff across the agency will be introduced to many of these tools and terminology to help with implementation and accountability for work related to the strategic direction of the DOT.