Best Practices in Consultant Management at State Departments of Transportation

Abstract

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has been experiencing a significant increase in the number of consultants that it is using, and there is an attendant need to manage these consultants better. Best practices in consultant management within state departments of transportation (DOTs) were examined, and the consultant program at GDOT was examined in detail. DOTs with innovative programs and with similarities to GDOT were identified, and site visits and interviews with relevant DOT personnel were conducted at the Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania DOTs. The results of the review of consultant programs and the detailed on-site interviews revealed that successful consultant management programs shared the characteristics of transparency, regularity, independence, and consistency. This finding will help GDOT reform its consultant management program to cope with the increased use of consultants and improve delivery of services to the citizens of Georgia.