Today the Texas Transportation Commission convened for a special meeting and, among other items on the agenda, heard from the TxDOT Restructure Council on the final report of recommendations and priorities ftp://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/restructure/report_010511.pdf. The press release from the Council is available for review. If either link is not working, please visit the main page: http://www.txdot.gov/about_us/organizational_review.htm.
The next steps involve the Commission making decisions on an implementation strategy and plan. Once those decisions are made, implementation planning and execution will be the responsibility of the Commission and TxDOT.
The Council’s recommendations include:
- Changing TxDOT’s senior leadership to set the stage for objectiveness, which is needed to implement initiatives such as a new strategic vision, continuous change, organizational structure, accountability and transparency. The Council urged the Commission to address the need for new senior leadership at a pace and manner it considers to be in the best interest of TxDOT.
- Recasting outdated views and beliefs due to TxDOT’s inability to recognize the need for self-correction and redirection. Consideration should be given to developing additional values that encourage open-mindedness, innovation and behavior that supports the necessary changes within the department.
- Creating a new organizational structure that is better aligned with the TxDOT’s mission, thereby improving work performance and creating a more efficient work environment.
- Increasing financial oversight and controls by consolidating all financial functions under the clearly defined authority of a chief financial officer. This and other related financial recommendations should ensure sound and responsible financial management of a multi-billion dollar budget, as well as increase the standards of accountability and transparency.
- Investing in an enterprise-wide updated information technology system to replace the fragmented, independent systems that significantly limit flexibility and effectiveness of TxDOT operations.
- Elevating human resources as a strategic partner in senior leadership so that it can develop a well-planned approach to human resources management, thereby supporting the department’s mission.
- Developing a comprehensive communication policy that is responsive and engages all stakeholders, which should result in repositioning TxDOT as an agency that is responsive, reliable and transparent.
- Continuing with improvements to streamline the environmental review process, apply refined right of way acquisition practices to more projects, proceed with an in-depth study into the use of in-house engineering and outside engineering consultants, and implement a field operations staffing plan.
- Centralizing oversight of procurement functions, including the Historically Underutilized Businesses/Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program areas, so that more consistent policies and procedures, program objectives and measurements are set; thereby improving monitoring and compliance.