The Operations AcademySenior Management Program
Operations AcademySenior 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 Structure1. 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 3-12-07 successfully completed
• Deadline for fall session applications 6/29/07
• Fall session 11-5-07
• Program for fall session finalized
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