Use a Phased Plan to Focus on Recruiting, Training, and Retaining a Transportation Systems Management and Operations Workforce.
The Nevada Department of Transportation Enhanced the Safety, Efficiency, and Cost-Effectiveness of the State’s Transportation System by Recruiting and Training Specialized TSMO Positions.
Nevada, United States
NDOT TSMO Workforce Development Program
Summary Information
Transportation systems management and operations, or TSMO, includes a broad set of strategies that aim to optimize the safe, efficient, and reliable use of existing and planned transportation infrastructure for all modes. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) established a TSMO Champion Team in 2018, adopted a Statewide TSMO Program Plan in early 2020, and created a TSMO Staffing and Workforce Development Plan in 2023. As of 2024, NDOT had rolled out their TSMO training plan and recruited five TSMO-specific positions, resulting in streamlined agency operations and enhanced monitoring and incident response.
NDOT took a phased approach to transition to a TSMO-centric organizational structure. The agency’s planning process resulted in several key best practices and lessons learned, including the following:
- Review existing organizational structures in preparation for the development of a TSMO staffing and workforce development plan. NDOT assessed itself using a capability maturity model (in 2014 and again in 2020), which allowed for the identification and refinement of immediate, short, and long-term action items.
- Develop a strong business case for hiring and training. NDOT highlighted each position’s contribution to advancing transportation systems across the state and identified triggers for TSMO-specific positions. Analysis was done to demonstrate the contribution each position would make to achieving the next level of TSMO maturity and the relationships between the new positions and internal and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate with other state agencies to facilitate recruitment and hiring. In addition to other stakeholders, NDOT worked closely with the Department of Human Resource Management to develop Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) for each TSMO position and assisted that agency with the classification process. The collaboration addressed gaps in the state’s existing, traditional KSAs.
