Principal Investigator(s):
Robert Johns, Former Director, Center for Transportation Studies
Project summary:
This Pilot Project to Develop a Collaborative Leadership Approach to Managing Conflict and Consensus Building during Local Agency Transportation Project Development addressed two components of the broader longer-term program, including education and facilitation application. In addition, frameworks and resources developed and information gained were shared within FHWA and the National Local Technical Assistance Program to facilitate learning and information exchange to feed into the recommended national initiative. One local transportation agency was selected to participate in the pilot project applying collaborative leadership techniques to a local transportation project that would benefit from conflict management or consensus building approaches. The local project selected consisted of the following two primary components: 1) Education: Local agency staff members and selected facilitators participated in training to learn about collaborative leadership approaches to managing conflict and consensus building within the transportation project development process; and 2) Facilitation Application: Supplying a skilled facilitator/mediator guided the collaborative process and strengthened consensus leading to successful project development. The pilot education and application effort helped build an experience and knowledge base for the creation of recommended training and a framework for the national application of collaborative leadership strategies to assist local agency personnel in managing conflict and consensus building during a transportation project.