TOP TEN REASONS FOR HAVING A STATE QUALITY PROGRAM

1. Partnering at the program level
   1. Better communications with public
   2. Better products
   3. Team participation/shared goals
   4. Increased customer value/satisfaction
   5. Removal of burdensome group procedures (policies and procedures)
   6. Improved contract specifications
   7. Better system preservation
   8. Asset management
   9. Cost Savings
   10. More profit
   11. Better feedback dialogue
   12. Improved public agency/private industry communications/relations
   13. Trust building
   14. Fewer change orders and claims
2. Design/construction interaction
3. Innovation
4. Reduction in total project delivery time/reduced construction delays
5. Improved efficiency
6. Longer lasting products/improved life cycle
7. Improved job site morale
8. Shared resources
9. Project ownership form beginning to end
10. Top quality, award winning projects

GUIDELINES FOR STARTING A STATE QUALITY PROGRAM

1. Document why a State Quality Program (SQP) is needed and what is to be accomplished.
2. Develop a vision to use to convince others of the potential benefits of this effort.
3. Determine who must participate for the SQP to accomplish its objective.
4. Decide who are necessary to be charter members.(One school of thought says limit the members to those who have the strongest role in the industry that delivers highways. Another school of thought says involve as many as possible as members of the steering committee.)
5. Call a meeting of those identified in No.3.
6. Draft a Charter, execute it by the selected charter members, and establish a Steering Committee composed of those who participate in No. 4 and who are supportive of and committed long-term to the initiative.
7. Identify the champion/leader of this effort and appoint that person as the Chairman of the Steering Committee. (Don’t choose this leader by popularity or default. This has to be someone with passion for highway quality, customer service, and for raising the delivered quality to what it should be.)
8. Develop a mission statement during the meeting mentioned in No. 4. (Everyone on the steering committee must know what the mission, goals, objectives, action items, and measures are.)
9. Formulate a strategic plan from the products of No. 7. (This will take time and will not be finished during the activities of No. 7.)
10. Determine how the subordinate players (non-charter members, associations’ staff, agency headquarters personnel, district office personnel, and area engineers and their people) will be activated and motivated to latch on to the vision and work in partnership with the industry to accomplish the objectives of the SQI.
11. Decide how the steering committee will conduct its work. (Periodic meetings, task forces, subcommittees, etc. Periodic steering committee meetings will almost certainly have to be held and these should be scheduled for the next 6 months to a year to avoid conflicts later. The people on the steering committee will be “doers” who are already very busy therefore early scheduling is critical)
12. Focus on high pay-off goals, focus on successes, even if small, and publicize and celebrate accomplishments to energize and inspire the players.
13. Keep your sights high, stay the course, and steer, not row. Steering committees focus, guide, advocate, encourage, facilitate, and motivate, but never force change. The players must choose and implement changes that they believe in order for the changes to be successful.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF AN SQP CHARTER

(State Quality Program charters typically follow the pattern of the NPHQ charter with sufficient modifications to make it applicable to the signatory community and to give ownership to the associations and organizations joining in the partnership. The following example may be used and modified at the discretion of any State Quality Program.)

We, the undersigned have come together to form this quality program partnership to guide and lead the (State name) Highway transportation program into the 21st Century with the knowledge and understanding that this state’s highway system and the economies resulting from improved quality highway work and operation is critical to this state’s economic prosperity and that of the Nation.

(State name) takes pride in its highway system, in serving its customers, and in the quality it has heretofore provided to the highway users. The purpose of this quality program partnership is to better understand the expectations of the traveling public and to fulfill those expectations by ever improving the quality and life of this state’s highways through improved durability, smoothness, safety, aesthetics, environmental responsiveness, efficiency and economic value, in balance with other modes of transportation.

The (State name) Quality Program is formed to establish and document our renewed commitment to quality highway products, operation, information, and services through:

• Increased awareness of proper design principles, better performance-based construction standards, the importance of adherence to specifications, the need for quality materials, the effective use of qualified personnel, and the importance and value of timely and proper maintenance;
• Application of the principles of continuous improvement, value-added awareness, and the principles of partnering at all stages of planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of the highway system;
• Flexibility, coupled with responsibility and accountability, for designers, contractors, workers, and suppliers;
• Incentives that reward achievements and innovations in providing demonstrated value-added quality;
• Adequate assurance of quality achievement in planning , design, construction, maintenance, operation, information, and services by owner agencies;
• Cooperative development of quality management systems and specifications between Federal, state, and local agencies, academia, and industry; and
• Continued, partnering-type relationships with the research community to foster constant improvement of highway engineering technology by increasing the emphasis on cooperative research, implementation, and technology sharing and transfer.

A close, abiding, and honored partnership by all stakeholders is required for the development, delivering, preservation, and efficient functioning of a high-quality highway system. In that spirit of partnership, the undersigned agencies, organizations, and entities have cooperatively developed this Quality Program and signify by the signatures affixed hereto this __ day of _________ , 200_, that they will collectively strive to fulfill the incorporated provisions.

______________________________________
Agency Organization

______________________________________
Association Agency

______________________________________
Organization Association

SUGGESTED AGENDA FOR INITIAL MEETING
TO FORM STATE QUALITY PROGRAM

(The initial meeting is a critical event. It is during this meeting when the merits of a State Quality Program are presented and the opportunity is given for stakeholders to buy-in to the idea. Only if this meeting is planned and conducted well will the SQP be received well. The vision for the SQP must be convincing and implant confidence and the presentation of the potential benefits must be convincing and whet the appetite of the stakeholders. The following is one example of a possible agenda for an initial meeting to start the formation of an SQP.)

Suggested Agenda for Initial Meeting to Form State Quality Program

1. Call Meeting to Order and Do Self Introductions
2. Acknowledge Stakeholder Interest and Explain Purpose of Meeting
3. Paint Captivating Vision for the Proposed State Quality Program
   • Importance of State Highway System
   • Historical Evidence of Performance of the State Highway System
   • Current Customer Demands and the Necessity for Satisfying Those Needs
   • The Importance of Quality in Satisfying Customer Expectations and Its Benefits
4. Give Convincing Argument for the Involvement and Potential Benefit to Stakeholders
   • Longer Lasting Roadways and Reduced Maintenance Costs in the Long Term
   • Better Customer and Legislative Support for State Highway Program
   • More Construction Funds for Construction and Reconstruction of Highways
   • More Work and Earnings for Industry Stakeholders
5. Obtain Support and Commitment of Attending Organizations to the SQP
6. Organize
   • Create the SQP Steering Committee
   • Identify Champion/Leader and Appoint as Chairman of a Steering Committee
7. Begin Development of Mission Statement
8. Lay Plans for Future Steering Committee Meetings and Operations
9. Identify Topics for Next Steering Committee Meeting

EXAMPLE AGENDA FOR KICK-OFF MEETING TO PUBLICLY INTRODUCE STATE QUALITY PROGRAM

The purpose of the kick-off meeting is to:

1. Create a gathering public agency and private industry personnel for introduction of new or renewed emphasis on improving quality of highways
2. Transmit CAOs’ vision for improved highway quality and the priority in achieving the vision.
3. Focus attending personnel on quality performance, product, and customer service.
4. Gain acceptance of, commitment to, and enthusiasm for quality principles.
   

EXAMPLE AGENDA

1. Ice Breaker Period
2. Plenary Session
   1. Welcome, Introductions, and Purpose of Meeting
   2. CAO(s) Vision for Improving Quality of Highways
   3. Motivational Message from Key Note Speaker
   4. CAO(s) Call for “Buy-in” and Support
3. Provide Lunch and Time for Peer-to-Peer Discussion
4. Break-out Sessions for Coaching, Planning, and Team Building
   1. Benefits of Quality Program to Agency(s), Industry, Traveling Public
   2. Benefit of Better Communication, Ethical Cooperation, and Genuine Partnering.
   3. Reasons for Customer Focus and Customer Service
   4. Improvements in Life Cycle Costs Resulting From Improved Highway Quality
   5. Prioritizing Implementation of Quality Initiatives
5. Close and Recap Meeting

SPEAKERS FOR KICK-OFF MEETING

Bringing in a speaker who is an experienced practitioner/proponent of quality improvement will be highly beneficial to cultivating favor and support among the industry stakeholders. There may be some cost with getting a good speaker, but it will be worth the cost to do so. Often there are professors at the state-supported university(s) and there are knowledgeable industry champions available to the industry organizations who can set the stage for adopting an SQP. NPHQ will be able to help identify candidate speakers who may be able to participate in the kick-off meeting and declare the merits of energizing a quality improvement initiative.

EXAMPLE STATE QUALITY PROGRAM ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Purpose
There are several purposes for holding a State Quality Program Annual Conference.

1. Focus organization personnel on quality performance and product.
2. Transmit CAOs’ visions for improved quality and sense of importance.
3. Celebrate current achievements and successes.
4. Create a gathering of personnel for education and training.
5. Provide forum for peer-to-peer exchange.
6. Create goals, give assignments, and establish target dates.
7. Renew acceptance of, commitment to, and enthusiasm for quality principles.

Format
These events generally follow a format similar to the following example.

1. One half day plenary session (begin at 1:30 or 2:00 PM)
   1. Start with a welcome and “warm-up”
   2. Key note message
   3. CAO vision and call for support
2. Evening social period and dinner
   1. Informal setting
   2. Only program is to call order, welcome, and express appreciation for attendance
   3. Have meal together
   4. Peer-to-peer exchange
3. Technical presentations (Some states do and some do not have these)
4. Break-out sessions for coaching, planning, and problem or issue solving, such as:
   1. Benefits of partnering, communication, and cooperation
      1. Agency
      2. Driving public
   2. Imperatives of customer focus and customer service
      1. Customer provides highway funds
      2. Customer-focused contracts
      3. Customer-focused project delivery teams
   3. Imperatives of attention to incorporating optimum quality in highway work
      1. Planning
      2. Design
      3. Construction
      4. Maintenance
      5. Operations
   4. Imperatives of industry participation and support
   5. Other subjects
5. Close and recap event
   1. Recap
   2. Give assignments and establish target dates
   3. Encourage support for innovative customer focus and service
6. Closing banquet or luncheon
   1. Recognition and awards
   2. CAO send-off message(s)
   3. Drawing for door prizes from name tags tuned in immediately before drawing. (Some state do and some state do not practice this
   4. Dismiss

Financing Event
These events are typically financed by one or more of the following methods.

1. Funding from State Highway Agency
2. Funding from Industry partners
3. Registration fees from attendees
4. Rental fees for technical exhibit booths (all coffee breaks and refreshments are set up in technical exhibit area)

Selection of State Highway Agency Participants
Some States open the event to anyone and leave the selection of actual attendees to the central office division directors and the district engineers. The CAO could give specific guidelines indicating the level, type of work performed, or the attitude to be considered in designation attendees. The CAO should form his guidelines to bring in personnel that can best lead activities to improved quality and guide other personnel in a “culture shift” to quality-conscious, customer-focused performance in all activities related to delivering a highway system. The chief objective in selecting attendees is to create a Quality Champions Group that includes people from every category of work that is involved in the delivery of highways (planning, design, construction, maintenance, operations, etc.) and that will be leaders for instilling a quality focus in their colleagues.

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