Admin TF Meeting Notes: February 25, 2014

Admin TF Meeting Notes: February 25, 2014

Meeting Notes

RAC Task Force on Administration

Conference Call

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

In attendance: Steve Pepin (co-chair),Allison Hardt (co-chair), Dale Peabody, Amy Schutzbach, Cynthia Gerst,Chris Hedges,Michael Bufalino, Skip Paul,James Watkins.

Absent: Ron Curb, Rod Montney, Dawn Van Landingham

Action items areunderscored.

  1. Draft Meeting Notes from Admin TF meeting on January 28 , 2014

A motion (Gerst/Schutzbach) to accept the meeting notes was accepted.

  1. Existing Business
  • RAC Winter Meeting Survey - (Allison)

Allison is hoping to have a draft survey by the end of this week for review by the other Task Force members.

  • 2014 RAC 101 – All

A revised format was distributed during the call (see attached). Decisions to be made: title of the session and topics to be addressed. The choices for title were narrowed down to four and these will be distributed to the full task force for a vote:

  • RAC 101: It’s Not Just for Dummies Anymore
  • RAC: Understanding Your Role
  • RAC 101 Research Management – Promoting Best Practices
  • Your Role in RAC: A Foundation for Best Practices

Topics selected are as follows:

  1. Peer Exchanges.
  2. Resources for Program and Project Management.
  3. Pooled Fund program.
  4. Relationship of RAC to other bodies: SCOR, AASHTO, NCHRP, TRB, FHWA.
  5. Research Report Quality.

The next steps will be to identifying presenters/facilitators for the webinar and the July meeting.

  • NHI Research 101 Course (Allison)

No update to report.

  • “Ahead of the Curve” Update – (Cynthia)

Two conference calls were held recently. A problem statement is being developed to provide consulting services to accelerate implementation of the initiative. This problem statement will be submitted to the NCHRP this Friday for funding consideration. The next meeting will be in about one month.

  • Website Subcommittee (Cynthia)
  • A peer exchange interest and availability resource is under development.
  • A classification system has been developed for the Peer Exchange reports.
  • A process for updating the Task Force membership spreadsheet is being reviewed.
  • The “Map of Transportation Research Organizations” chart will be revised.
  • DOT Fact Sheets (Allison)

Five have been recently updated – IN, Il, MN, OH, WI (Region 3). Three are still missing- Region 1 – RI, Region 2 – TN, Region 4 – SD

  • RAC Mentors Checklist Update (James Watkins)

James will follow up with other RAC members to be clear on what is needed. Allison and Cynthia will send him some information that was compiled earlier.

  1. New Business
  • Role of SCOR

John Halikowski has asked Skip Paul to form a small task force to discuss several topics, including SCOR’s role in pursuing a “Framing Surface Transportation Research for the Nation’s Future”, other SCOR roles and responsibilities, outreach to other AASHTO committees, and updating the SCOR strategic plan. Skip will be organizing a conference call to initiate the discussion.

  • Admin Task Force Agenda – Summer Meeting

Topics identified so far: RAC 101 debriefing, January 2015 meeting format and agenda.

  • Task Force Membership – With Clint Adler leaving the Alaska DOT we have a Region 4 spot open.
  1. Items for RAC leadership

Topics identified: RAC 101, winter RAC meeting debriefing.

  1. Open Discussion
  2. Next Call – Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at 1:30PM EST.

Adjournment at 2:35 Eastern time.

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