Maryland State Highway Administration Pilot of the Data Business Plan Guide for State and Local Departments of Transportation: Data Business Plan

Chapter 2. Stakeholder Outreach

Stakeholders for Maryland Department of Transportation (DOT) State Highway Administration's (SHA) Data Business Plan (DBP) include internal and external persons and organizations that collect, own, maintain, use, interface with, access, or benefit from mobility data. This section identifies internal and external stakeholders for mobility data in the Maryland SHA area and describes their involvement throughout development of the DBP. Stakeholders assisted in defining the data to be considered in the plan, conducting a capability maturity assessment of the data elements, identifying the desired state for the data, and offering ideas for improvement strategies.

Stakeholder Registry

Table 1 identifies the pilot site champion and supporting staff who served as the main points of contact for the Maryland SHA pilot.

Table 1. Pilot contacts.

Agency	Name	Role	Email	Phone Number
Maryland DOT SHA	Subrat Mahapatra	Pilot Site Champion	smahapatra@sha.state.md.us	410-545-0412
Maryland DOT SHA	Laurie Goudy	Pilot Site Co- Champion	lgoudy@sha.state.md.us	410-545-5681
FHWA Office of Operations	Walter During	FHWA	walter.during@dot.gov	202-366-8959
Cambridge Systematics, Inc.	Anita Vandervalk	Principal Investigator
Cambridge Systematics, Inc.	Dena Snyder	Deputy Principal Investigator

Regional mobility data stakeholders are identified in a stakeholder registry in appendix A. These stakeholders played a vital role in identifying the business needs and uses for mobility data from the perspective of their individual offices and agencies.

Stakeholder Outreach

Stakeholder outreach was conducted throughout each step of the DBP development process. The Stakeholder Engagement Plan in table 2 identifies the stakeholders engaged in each step of the DBP development, the feedback desired, and engagement mechanisms to gather input from stakeholders.

Outreach with the pilot site took place through the following activities:

• Stakeholder Letter. Subrat Mahapatra distributed a stakeholder letter introducing the pilot project. The letter is provided in appendix B.
• Phone interviews. Phone interviews were conducted with pilot site champions and partner agency stakeholders to further discuss stakeholder needs and gather information for the DBP.
• Stakeholder workshop. One on-site stakeholder workshop was conducted in September 2016 to gather information needed to develop the DBP.
• Capability Maturity Assessment. A teleconference was held in December 2016 to conduct an assessment of the maturity of the data elements in terms of data usability, standards, integration, storage, tools, and governance.
• Stakeholder Meetings. On-site meetings were held in April 2017 with key data owners to review results, finalize the DBP, and gather feedback for enhancement of the FHWA Guidance.

During the early stages of the outreach, it was decided to focus the DBP internally but to still consider needs of external stakeholders at a high level.

Table 2. Stakeholder engagement plan.

Data Business Plan Development Process	Key Actions	Relevant Pilot Site Stakeholders	Stakeholder Input Needed	Outreach Mechanism
Step 1. Stakeholder Outreach	Identify and document stakeholders Develop stakeholder registry and plan for engaging stakeholders.	Pilot Site Champions	Obtain input on regional stakeholders to include in the Data Business Plan development effort.	Phone interviews
Step 2. Data Assessment	Identify issues related to the collection, management, governance, or use of mobility data programs and stakeholder cooperation/coordination Assess level of maturity within assessment areas using a Data Management Maturity Model.	Pilot Site Champions Regional Stakeholders	Obtain input on specific issues, symptoms, and root causes within each assessment area. Obtain input on maturity within each assessment areas.	Phone interviews Stakeholder workshop
Step 3. Gap Assessment	Identify gaps and overlaps that exist in program activities related to data, data architecture, and data governance.	Pilot Site Champions Regional Stakeholders	Obtain input on what mobility data is being collected within their organizations and at the regional level, how the data supports mobility planning, operations and performance measure activities, and who is responsible for managing/updating data. Obtain consensus on gaps and overlaps that exist in program activities related to data, data architecture, and data governance.	Phone interviews Stakeholder workshop
Step 4. Improvement Actions	Identify improvements needed to address gaps within each assessment area. Identify desired future condition. Identify strategies/actions needed to move to next level of capability. Prioritize strategies/actions. Develop Improvement Actions. Revise the Improvement Actions as needed.	Pilot Site Champions Regional Stakeholders	Obtain input on improvements needed to address gaps. Obtain input on desired maturity level and steps needed to achieve the goals and objectives of the DBP. Obtain input on priorities and schedule for implementing strategies/actions. Assign responsibilities for plan implementation. Obtain updates on shifting priorities or other data management/governance initiatives.	Phone interviews Stakeholder workshop
Step 5. Data Governance Processes and Documents	Develop data governance model. Determine data governance roles and responsibilities. Develop supporting documentation.	Pilot Site Champions Regional Stakeholders	Obtain consensus on the data governance model and data governance roles and responsibilities. Obtain input and consensus on supporting documentation.	Phone interviews Stakeholder workshop
Step 6. Data Management Practices	Identify data management practices, standards, and policies needed to support management of mobility data.	Pilot Site Champions Regional Stakeholders	Obtain input on data management practices, standards, and policies needed in each focus area.	Phone interviews Stakeholder workshop
Step 7. Develop Data Business Plan	Document the Data Business Plan.	Pilot Site Champions Regional Stakeholders	Obtain feedback on the Data Business Plan.	Phone interviews Stakeholder workshop
Step 8. Implement Data Business Plan	Execute the strategies/actions contained in the Improvement Actions. Formalize roles and responsibilities to support data governance. Implement performance measures to track success. Report on implementation progress.	Pilot Site Champions Regional Stakeholders	Obtain feedback on proposed revisions of the Data Business Plan. Obtain feedback on training needs and plan effectiveness. Provide an update on plan implementation and seek strategic direction from senior management.	N/A