A central goal of the U.S. Domestic Scan Program is to accelerate the implementation of innovative practices and technologies. Scan team participants take an active role in implementing scan findings in the months—and even years—following each scan.
Scan teams implement findings through a broad array of channels.
Dissemination: Spreading the Word
Among national and international audiences
- Presentations during the TRB annual meeting (including panels and Sunday workshops)
- Presentations at other international, national or regional conferences
- Distribution of scan findings and webinar presentations among state DOT representatives (commonly through AASHTO and TRB committees) and FHWA. Webinars have been hosted nationally (FHWA/NHI) and locally (by scan participant agencies).
- Journal and trade publication articles
Within scan members’ own states
- Presentations to DOT executives and state government officials
- Presentations and distribution of scan findings to agency peers (managers, technical staff)
- Presentations and webinars to agency field offices
- Discussions with other state agencies as appropriate based on the scan topic (State Patrol, Natural Resources, etc.)
- Discussions with county and city agencies
- Presentations to contractors, trade associations or researchers at industry events
Implementing Change
At the national level
- Provide input to national guidelines (FHWA or EPA requirements, AASHTO standards)
- Support federal initiatives (such as Every Day Counts)
- Propose scan technology/practice as an AASHTO Innovation Initiative focus technology
- Inform or advise national working groups
- Propose NCHRP research
At the state level
- Propose changes to state practice or policy
- Conduct training (internally within a DOT or among stakeholders in a state or region)
- Implement scan findings on a trial basis or through pilot programs for evaluation
- Re-visit host states to acquire more detailed information on scan technology or practice …
- … or bring in a host state expert to accelerate implementation
- Propose state-funded follow-up research
Additional detailed implementation examples from the first scans are available in this two-page excerpt [PDF] from the Tracing Scan Impacts (Project 20-68B(01)) report.