Performance measures should be developed in consultation with the key stakeholders including transit agency’s management, staff, customers, governing body, service contractors, and oversight organisations. Acceptance by these stakeholders is critical to the long term viability and success of the performance measurement program. In so far as level crossing safety is concerned, it is important to engage highways authorities and law enforcement agencies. Likewise Operation Lifesaver and other third party initiatives to improve safety need to be engaged.
SPMS developers should be encouraged to shift their focus from output/process measures to outcome measures that focus on safety goals and long‐term impacts. Performance targets should be realistic but, wherever feasible, should encourage progress beyond historical performance levels.
Sustained support and commitment of senior management are essential for the SPMS effort to take hold and become a vehicle for continuous safety improvement. Senior managers should be actively engaged in creating a measurement‐friendly culture by promoting performance measurement as a means of continuous improvement and using the resources and other tools at their disposal to accomplish such culture change. In addition, senior managers should set a personal role model by utilising performance metrics in decision‐making. When top managers insist on receiving and using performance indicators, and when the word is spread throughout the organisation, attitudes change rapidly.
Investment in developing skilled human resources capacity is essential to sustaining the SPMS initiative. Both technical and managerial skills will be needed for data collection and analysis, and setting goals. Investment in modern data systems and analysis tools will also be required to ensure the long‐term success of SPMS. The governing board and senior management must commit the financial resources required for building organisational capacity and maintaining the SPMS on a continuous basis.
The SPMS should be able to produce and report the true story ‐‐ both good and bad news. Performance information should be transparent, made available to all stakeholders, and be subject to independent verification. Messengers should be protected to preserve the integrity of the measurement system. The focus should be on opportunities for improvement rather than allocating blame.
There is little value in even the best‐designed performance metrics unless they are used systematically to inform decision‐making and drive safety improvement. Once the SPMS is in place, performance results should be evaluated carefully to gain insight into the success of past efforts and develop ideas for improving future performance.
Visible commitment to using metrics even when targets are exceeded re-affirms the message that performance measurement is a long‐term initiative as opposed to an episodic effort for a short period. One way of demonstrating commitment to performance measurement is to institute a formal process of reporting performance results. Another useful strategy is to have safety performance as a standing item on the agenda of executive meetings and staff meetings.
Acknowledging and rewarding employees who use performance results to learn and improve safety is important to sustaining the SPMS effort. This can be done through a variety of cost‐effective methods.
Separating the impacts of the transit agency’s activities from those of external factors beyond the agency’s control can be complex and challenging. For example, collisions involving a bus are influenced by many factors besides the actions of the bus driver. The impacts of weather, risky behaviours of pedestrians and other vehicle drivers should be understood and accounted for in evaluating the agency’s safety performance. In reporting performance results, it is important to explain any limitations of the performance evaluation process and caution the audience about interpreting the results in ways that may not be valid. This cautionary note is clearly applicable when addressing issues arising at level crossings.
The FTA guidance contains the following recommendations with regard to SMS:
- Ensure that transit properties develop and implement safety management systems
- Develop and sustain a positive safety culture
- Promote practicing risk management in all activities
- Demonstrate the feasibility of a Confidential Close Call Reporting System.
Similarly the guidance makes recommendations regarding SPMS:
- Promote the adoption of standard terminology and uniform safety performance metrics in the public transportation industry
- Advocate the need for clearly articulated safety goals and accountability for safety performance
- Ensure that transit properties consistently measure and analyse safety performance
- Encourage transit properties to consistently analyse and report performance trends and gaps
- Identify gaps and establish quality standards for safety data.
Recommendations are also made concerning future research:
Produce a synthesis of best practices in developing and implementing safety management systems and safety performance measurement systems in the transportation industries
Develop a central clearinghouse for public transportation safety risk mitigation techniques by mode.
(June 21st, 2011) |
