Right of Way Quality Management System
FDOT's management system is fully implemented, with many good performance measures in place. On August 25, 1998, DOT's ROW office became the first in the nation to qualify for self-certification to issue all federal approvals on non-interstate ROW matters. This authority includes everything except the initial federal project authorization. FDOT ROW staff proudly considers this self-certification a significant accomplishment, given that 10 years ago, Florida was under federal sanctions for its right-of-way operations. Other successful aspects of its management approach include the following:
- A blended business plan. FDOT produces a blended business plan that incorporates elements from a traditional government strategic plan, a volunteer organization's inception plan, and a private-sector financial plan. The business plan is a dynamic document that presents a unified picture of the department's overall role.
- A quality management model. FDOT follows the Sterling Criteria for Organizational Performance Excellence as its quality management model. Founded on the Baldrige model, the Sterling criteria aim to increase customer value and organizational effectiveness. This self-assessment tool helps organizations determine their current capabilities, including their strengths and areas where improvement is needed.
- Use of performance indicators to address ROW performance. ROW performance is tied to overall agency goals and is consistently evaluated against the proposed business plan.
- Access management and community awareness procedures. FDOT established a special committee with membership from several private-sector business groups to look at access management issues as they affect businesses. This item reflects FDOT's recognition of the need to improve the agency's interaction with businesses that have special needs not traditionally seen with residential clients.
- A mandatory employee training program. The training program covers all functional areas and involves a 2-year employee commitment. Employees are entitled to a 5-percent wage increase following completion of each 6-month training session. Quality teams are in place for every discipline, including the training team.
- Full system automation, with processes identified, evaluated, and mapped. How-to manuals provide employees with "cook-book" solutions and refinement of the internal audit process.
