Organizing for TSMO
Case Study 5: Organization and Staffing - Organizing for TSMO

CHAPTER 3 – SUMMARY

A well-defined organizational structure is critical to success for any transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) program. Clearly established roles and responsibilities support TSMO initiatives by planning for mobility and safety solutions that may not traditionally be considered. Each of the agencies interviewed developed TSMO organizational structures in varying ways. They identified what TSMO-based structure would work best with their agency's existing capabilities and aligned these structures with statewide TSMO goals and objectives. The best practices and lessons learned by these agencies regarding a TSMO-based organizational structure include:

• There is no "one size fits all" approach to TSMO organizational structures. A structure can be defined for an entire TSMO program or for specific TSMO strategies. Each of these approaches results in an improved TSMO culture throughout an agency. Agencies should identify which structure will work best to support their TSMO objectives and goals.
• A TSMO organizational structure does not need to be built with new TSMO positions alone. Many agency positions already include TSMO tasks as part of their daily activities. Restructuring an organization to include both existing and new roles utilizes existing staff capabilities and aids the agency in identifying additional roles that will support TSMO activities.
• Using a matrix-style structure can benefit TSMO initiatives by ensuring communication between layered leadership roles. This structure also facilitates program consistency throughout several regions that may have previously varied in implementation of TSMO strategies.
• Benefit-cost analysis is a tool these agencies used frequently to make the business case for TSMO staff. Identifying the value of TSMO-related positions can help facilitate support from agency leadership and funding resources.

Organizations working to develop or enhance a TSMO organizational structure or TSMO staff positions are encouraged to identify which work flow and structure will work best with their existing and developing programs. Daily staff activities should be evaluated when developing a TSMO organizational structure to ensure the goals and objectives of the agency's TSMO program are streamlined into roles and responsibilities. The best practices highlighted in this case study can be used as a resource to identify opportunities to establish and grow TSMO organization and staffing components when developing TSMO programs.