Evaluation of FHWA Support of Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) Development and Implementation

OMB #2125-0628

This collection of information is voluntary and will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of State activities that support the development and implementation of the Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSP). Public reporting burden is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Please note that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 2125-0628. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: Information Collection Clearance Officer, Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590.

SHSP Evaluation - State Questions

Introductory Paragraph (Cover Page in Survey Monkey)

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Safety (HSA) wishes to evaluate the effectiveness of their activities to support the development and implementation of Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSP). This evaluation will help to determine the overall effectiveness of these activities in meeting the objectives of the FHWA safety program; specifically as they pertain to the requirements of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The FHWA Office of Safety has asked the USDOT Volpe Center (Volpe) to evaluate (1) FHWA's support of SHSP development and implementation and (2) States' future needs in improving their SHSP development and implementation processes.

This questionnaire, as well as a similar survey of FHWA Division Office staff responsible for SHSP development and implementation, will provide the FHWA Office of Safety with valuable feedback about its SHSP support activities. It will also highlight the needs of State DOTs for additional products and services in support of the SHSP development, implementation, evaluation, and update processes, with the ultimate goal of improving highway safety outcomes across the nation.

We value your candid responses to the questions in this questionnaire so your answers will be kept confidential. If you would like to learn more about the FHWA program evaluation, you can contact Jeffrey Miller, Team Leader of the Analysis and Evaluation Team in the Office of Safety at: [email protected].

Products and Services

The questions in the first section of the questionnaire refer to FHWA Office of Safety products and services that support the development and implementation of SHSPs. For the purposes of this questionnaire, these products and services include:

1) Providing technical assistance;

2) Conducting education and outreach;

3) Performing and disseminating research and analysis;

4) Developing and distributing technical tools, and

5) Drafting and disseminating policy and guidance.

Background/Demographic Information

1. Are you responsible for managing/coordinating the SHSP development and implementation process in your State?

   1. Yes (BRANCHING: Skip to Question 3)

   2. No

2. (If Answer to 1 is No) Who is responsible for oversight of SHSP development and implementation in your State?

   1. First Name, Last Name, Office

3. How would you describe your participation in the development of your State’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP)?

   1. I am not involved in the development of the plan.

   2. I provide some consultation and support for the development of the plan.

   3. I provide frequent consultation and support for the development of the plan.

   4. I am directly responsible for the development of the plan.

4. How would you describe your participation in the development of your State’s Highway Safety Plan (HSP)?

   1. I am not involved in the development of the plan.

   2. I provide some consultation and support for the development of the plan.

   3. I provide frequent consultation and support for the development of the plan.

   4. I am directly responsible for the development of the plan.

5. How would you describe your participation in the development of your State’s SHSP?

   1. I am not involved in the development of the plan. (BRANCHING: Skip to Question 7a, then to Question 26)

   2. I provide some consultation and support for the development of the plan. (BRANCHING: Skip to Question 7a, then to Question 26)

   3. I provide frequent consultation and support for the development of the plan. (BRANCHING: Skip to Question 7a, then to Question 26)

   4. I am directly responsible for the development of the plan.

6. For how many years have you been involved in the development and implementation of your State’s SHSP?

FHWA SHSP-Related Products and Services

11. Please characterize your use of the following FHWA Office of Safety products and services

7. FHWA sponsored SHSP Peer Exchanges

   1. I didn’t know this service was offered.

   2. I am familiar with this service but I have not used it.

   3. My state has participated in an SHSP peer exchange as a peer.

   4. My state has participated in an SHSP peer exchange as a host state.

8. SHSP Implementation Process Model (IPM)

   1. I am not familiar with this product.

   2. I know of this product but I have not used it.

   3. I have used this product.

   4. My state served as a model or pilot state in the development of the product.

9. A Champion’s Guide to Saving Lives

   1. I am not familiar with this product.

   2. I know of this product but I have not used it.

   3. I have used this product.

10. SHSP Process Checklist

    1. I am not familiar with this product.

    2. I know of this product but I have not used it.

    3. I have used this product.

11. SHSP Guidance Memo and Qs & As

    1. I am not familiar with this product.

    2. I know of this product but I have not used it.

    3. I have used this product.

12. How useful were the following products and services in providing guidance to your State on the SHSP process? (NA=I haven’t used this product or service, 1=Not Useful, 5=Extremely Useful)

    1. SHSP Peer Exchanges

    2. SHSP Implementation Process Model

    3. A Champion’s Guide to Saving Lives

    4. SHSP Process Checklist

    5. SHSP Guidance Memo and Qs & As

13. What types of SHSP-related technical assistance have you received from FHWA? (Check all that apply)

    1. I was provided SHSP-related materials developed by FHWA Office of Safety

    2. A FHWA representative answered my queries via phone or email

    3. A FHWA representative actively participated in SHSP meetings

    4. I receive on-site technical assistance provided by FHWA Resource Center or Office of Safety personnel

    5. None

    6. Other (Please Specify), ___________________

14. Have you attended any of the following SHSP-related events? Check all that apply.

    1. FHWA hosted peer exchange

    2. FHWA hosted webinar

    3. Non-FHWA hosted national conference

    4. Non-FHWA hosted webinar

    5. State-sponsored safety summit

    6. None

    7. Other (please specify) _________

15. How do you rate the usefulness of the FHWA Office of Safety Website to access FHWA Office of Safety materials? (1=I do not use the website, 2=Not useful, 3=Somewhat useful, 4=Very useful, 5=Extremely useful)

16. Please rank the following in order of the frequency that you contact them directly for SHSP-related support?

    1. FHWA Office of Safety

    2. FHWA Division Office

    3. FHWA Resource Center

    4. Other State Peers

17. How effective is each in alerting to you the availability of HSA products and services? (1=I never find out about HSA products and services this way, 2=Not effective, 3=somewhat effective, 4=very effective, 5=Extremely effective) Please explain. (open ended)

    1. Communication with FHWA Office of Safety

    2. Communication with FHWA Division Office

    3. Communication with the FHWA Resource Center

    4. Communication with peers in other States

    5. FHWA-hosted Webinars

    6. FHWA Office of Safety Website

18. What factors may limit your use of FHWA SHSP-related products and services? (check all that apply)

    1. FHWA Division personnel are not available when I need them.

    2. FHWA Headquarters personnel are not available when I need them.

    3. FHWA Division personnel don’t have enough expertise in relevant topics.

    4. FHWA Headquarters personnel don’t have enough expertise in relevant topics.

    5. I find the material is too general to address my specific challenges.

    6. I don’t have enough time to read the materials.

    7. I don’t find out about materials at a time when they might be most useful for my needs.

    8. Other materials are more useful in guiding the development and implementation of SHSPs.

    9. Other (please specify) ________________________

19. Has FHWA support of the SHSP process in your state contributed to significant changes in highway safety investments, planning processes, institutional culture, or safety outcomes? Please explain. (Open Ended)

State Needs

20. Which of the following statements best describes the status of your SHSP?

1. We are implementing our original SHSP.

2. We are in the process of updating the original SHSP or we plan to update the original SHSP in the next six months.

3. We have completed and are implementing an updated SHSP.

4. We view the SHSP as a living document and portions are updated frequently without an overall revision.

21. On average over the course of a year how many hours per week do you dedicate to managing the SHSP process?

    1. Less than 5 Hours

    2. 5-10 Hours/week

    3. 11-20 Hours/week

    4. 21-30 Hours/week

    5. 31-40 Hours/week

22. In your opinion, what has been the greatest benefit of the SHSP planning process for your state?

1. Improved collaboration among a diverse group of safety stakeholders.

2. Prioritized cost-effective strategies.

3. Identified emphasis areas based on analysis of data.

4. Spurred increased investment in safety.

5. Increased leadership support for safety.

Please explain.

23. Please rank the following factors in the order of their importance in supporting a successful SHSP planning process?

1. Sufficient project funding.

2. Full-time funded position to manage SHSP activities.

3. Engaged stakeholders.

4. Leadership that champions safety.

5. Complete, timely and reliable data.

Why did you rank them this way?

24. Please rank the following areas in terms of your need for support in completing or updating your SHSP? Rank 1-7. (Forced Ranking, 1= Greatest need for support, 7=Lowest need for support)

1. Collecting, analyzing and sharing data

2. Identifying and prioritizing cost-effective safety strategies

3. Integrating the SHSP with other transportation plans

4. Developing a SHSP marketing plan

5. Implementing projects identified in the SHSP

6. Updating the SHSP

7. Evaluating the SHSP

Why did you rank them this way?

25. Do you have any suggestions of types of support FHWA could provide that would help you develop, implement, perform evaluation or update the SHSP?

SHSP Coordination and Integration

26. How would you characterize the role of SHSP in your state?

1. We implement the SHSP to meet the statutory requirement of the safety program.

2. We use the SHSP to justify DOT safety investments and activities.

3. The SHSP is the driving document for most safety investments and activities in our state.

Why do you characterize it in this way? (open ended)

27. How would you rate the involvement of FHWA’s Federal partners in the development of the SHSP in your State? (1= No involvement, 2= Some involvement, 3= Frequent involvement)

    1. NHTSA

    2. FMCSA

28. How effective is the CVSP in integrating elements from the SHSP in your State? (1 = not effective, 5 = very effective)

29. How effective is the HSP in integrating elements from the SHSP in your State? (1 = not effective, 5 = very effective)

30. How could the HSP or CVSP better integrate elements of the SHSP in your State? (open ended)

AASHTO SHSP Peer Exchange Follow-Up

31. Did you attend AASHTO's SHSP Peer Exchange, June 14-15 in Austin, Texas?

    1. Yes

    2. No (BRANCHING: Skip to end of questionnaire)

32. As a result of attending the SHSP Peer Exchange, please describe how you were better able afterwards to influence the policies, plans or programs of your agency. (Open-ended)

33. As a result of attending the SHSP Peer Exchange, please describe how you were better able to influence the policies, plans or programs of any partner agencies. (Open-ended)

34. What intermediate or long-range actions do you intend to take as a result of attending the SHSP Peer Exchange? (Open-ended)

35. How can future AASHTO SHSP Peer Exchanges be improved to better meet the needs of your state? (Open-ended)

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Please click Submit before closing this window.

If you have any questions about the FHWA Office of Safety's SHSP evaluation, please contact Jeffrey Miller at [email protected].

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