Major Topic #10: Lessons Learned

This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the interest of information exchange. As part of the IFT project, the IFT Work Group put out a call for information on existing IFT programs from a wide variety of organizations and individuals involved with IFT, in an effort to illustrate examples of lessons learned during the process of establishing and/or maintaining IFT service. This section includes the results of that call for information, and represents a self-selected group of IFT programs that may function as case studies to learn from, and/or act as resources for a variety of IFT information. Certainly many more programs could offer promising approaches than could be included here. Resources prevented an exhaustive and comparative selection process.

The respondents were contacted and extensively interviewed following a standardized format. The examples presented here had four characteristics in common:

• Replicable: Has the potential to be replicated in other settings or provides a basis that others could build upon.
  
  
• Purposeful: Practices were developed intentionally to address an identified problem or to achieve a goal. In some cases, a formal quality assurance program identified the need, in others the program was mandated by legislation. Some programs developed from grass-roots efforts.
  
  
• Operational: Practices included here have all been taken beyond the conceptual and planning stages, and have been implemented.
  
  
• Successful: Has some evidence that the plan implemented is achieving desired results. Measurement techniques vary with the nature of the practice, program, and organization. Evidence of success could be anecdotal reporting, a formal quality assurance program, or published research involving control groups and peer review.

Although not criteria for inclusion, two other characteristics were present in these profiles: collaboration and evolution. All success is shared: Every organization interviewed benefited from and valued the work of people who had come before them. All programs continue to evolve as effectiveness is studied and the results are used to improve performance.

All those who submitted a profile of their IFT program expressed a willingness to share their information directly with other parties interested in IFT; therefore, contact information is included in each profile. The IFT Work Group hopes these examples encourage cooperative efforts between stakeholders in establishing IFT services.

The Work Group appreciates the participation of the services providing information about their programs. The examples offered are presented to stimulate further efforts to improve IFT and to support a network for sharing information. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this section (and the other sections of this document) are not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. If trade, manufacturers’ or program names are mentioned, it is only because they are considered essential to the object of the publication and should not be construed as an endorsement. The IFT Work Group and the United States Government do not endorse specific products, manufacturers or programs.