Scope of Work.docx

SCOPE OF SERVICES

To enable the State to determine the capabilities of an Offeror to perform the services specified in the Request for Proposal (RFP), the Offeror shall respond to the following regarding its ability to meet the State's requirements.

NOTE: Each item must be thoroughly addressed. Offerors taking exception to any requirements listed in this section may be found nonresponsive or be subject to point deductions.

3.1 OVERVIEW

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT or State) is seeking a consultant to update Montana’s Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan (CHSP) available at https://www.mdt.mt.gov/visionzero/docs/chsp/current_chsp.pdf. The CHSP is Montana’s plan as called for in 23 United States Code (USC) 148 and part of an ongoing process that regularly evaluates safety on all public roads and establishes and implements strategies and actions to achieve the State’s safety vision, mission, and goal.

In the Summer of 2024, the MDT will begin an update of the 2020 CHSP in accordance with federal requirements for a strategic highway safety plan (SHSP) and include the recent requirements to integrate the Safe System Approach (SSA), vulnerable road users (VRU) strategies, and consideration of special rules of 23 USC 148.The CHSP is a comprehensive, data-driven, multi-year plan that involves subject matter expert representatives of the 4Es of transportation safety: education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency medical services. The CHSP identifies key emphasis areas and strategies to focus resources on areas of greatest need that have the greatest potential to reduce highway fatalities and serious injuries.

The CHSP serves as a guiding document to align and coordinate strategies and efforts across agencies and programs, and provides strategic direction for the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) funded Highway Safety Improvement Plan (HSIP), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) funded Highway Safety Plan (HSP), and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) funded Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP) and other state, local, and tribal transportation safety plans and the safety policy goals of Montana’s long-range planning document, TranPlanMT[footnoteRef:1]. The CHSP describes the process and potential resources needed to leverage programs, and the coordination of safety partners and stakeholders to work together to implement emphasis areas strategies striving to reach Montana’s vision of zero fatalities and zero serious injuries on Montana’s public roads. [1: TranPlanMT | Montana Department of Transportation (MDT)]

The development and implementation of the CHSP involves coordination with multiple agencies; internal MDT staff; and external safety partners including Federal, State, and local city, county, tribal agencies; and public and private sector safety stakeholders that have a role and responsibility for transportation safety in Montana.

The CHSP update will maintain and strengthen the link between the HSIP and the State’s project selection process; and integrate the guiding principles and core elements of the SSA; support the vision of zero fatalities and zero serious injuries.

Goals of the 2025 CHSP update include:

· CHSP strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis

· Compliance with federal law and regulations.

· Agency and stakeholder consultation, coordination, and engagement

· Data collection and analysis to identify and evaluate key safety issues.

· SSA strategies and action steps based on data driven problem identification and

· Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives

· CHSP implementation plan(s)

3.2 BACKGROUND

Montana’s CHSP was first developed in 2006, as called for by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act- A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) in coordination with the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 500.[footnoteRef:2] The CHSP was amended in 2010 and updated in 2015 and 2020. [2: NCHRP Report 500: Guidance for Implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan | Blurbs New | Blurbs | Main (trb.org)]

In 2020, the CHSP also included the federal requirements of national performance measures 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 490.207) and the states methodology for setting performance targets. MDT has chosen to coordinate and establish the performance measure methodology to set safety performance targets through the CHSP.

Additionally, the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act (IIJA) of 2021 required all states develop a Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessment and integrate VRU strategies in the CHSP. Montana’s Vulnerable Road Users Safety Assessment [footnoteRef:3] was completed in October 2023. [3: ]

Per 23 USC 148(a)(13)(A), the CHSP is a comprehensive plan that is data driven and developed after consultation with—

· a highway safety representative of the Governor of the State;

· regional transportation planning organizations and metropolitan planning organizations, if any;

· representatives of major modes of transportation;

· State and local traffic enforcement officials;

· a highway-rail grade crossing safety representative of the Governor of the State;

· representatives conducting a motor carrier safety program under section 31102, 31106, or 31309 of title 49;

· motor vehicle administration agencies;

· county transportation officials;

· State representatives of nonmotorized users; and

· other major Federal, State, tribal, and local safety stakeholders;

This group of people make up the Advisory Committee (AC) and will help guide the development of the CHSP update to fulfill the requirements of 23 USC 148(a)(13) including

· analyzes and makes effective use of State, regional, local, or tribal safety data.

· addresses engineering, management, operation, education, enforcement, and emergency services elements (including integrated, interoperable emergency communications) of highway safety as key factors in evaluating highway projects.

· considers safety needs of, and high-fatality segments of, all public roads, including non-State-owned public roads and roads on tribal land;

· considers the results of State, regional, or local transportation and highway safety planning processes.

· describes a program of strategies to reduce or eliminate safety hazards.

· includes a vulnerable road user safety assessment.

3.3 SCOPE OF WORK

The CHSP must be developed consistent with applicable laws, regulations and policies, and stakeholder involvement. The plan must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice.

The 2025 CHSP update must be developed in accordance with the 23 USC 148, 23 USC 150, 23 CFR 490 and 23 CFR 924. The CHSP must be based on safety data and developed by the State transportation department and be developed after consultation with safety stakeholders. Additionally, the CHSP should integrate VRU strategies and consider traffic safety culture concepts and components of the SSA.

An AC of technical experts will help guide the CHSP update. This multi-disciplinary committee will be comprised of multi-agency representatives of education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency medical services from MDT and various Federal, State, tribal and local safety stakeholders. This holistic approach should focus on safety from the approach of the 4Es and the SSA and is not project specific.

This scope of work may be modified in the event of new federal requirements or emerging needs but at a minimum must include:

3.3.1 SWOT Analysis:

The consultant will conduct a strength, weakness, opportunities, and threat (SWOT) analysis of the existing CHSP. This analysis will inform the update process by identifying potential issues with the process, implementation, and progress that should be considered during the update. Identify any Montana statutes that pose a challenge to implementing strategies identified in the SSA, FHWA’s Proven Safety Countermeasures[footnoteRef:4] , NHTSAs Countermeasures That Work [footnoteRef:5] or other recommended safety initiatives should be documented as challenges. [4: Proven Safety Countermeasures | FHWA (dot.gov)] [5: Countermeasures That Work | NHTSA]

3.3.2 Federal Law Compliance:

The CHSP shall be developed to be consistent with federal laws and regulations and include consultation and coordination with safety partners and stakeholders; analyze and effectively use safety data to identify key emphasis areas and strategies; use a performance-based approach; and include an implementation and evaluation process. The relative requirements include but are not limited to:

· Establishment of performance targets (23 CFR 490.209) for the established performance measures (23 CFR 490.207).

· Performance-based goals consistent with safety performance measures established by FHWA (23 CFR 924) and objectives that are specific, measurable, action-oriented, reasonable and time bound.

· Provide a detailed description of the update process.

· Special Rules

· High Risk Rural Roads - If fatality rates on rural roads increase within a state over the most recent 2-year period States are required to obligate additional funding for high-risk rural roads, (23 USC 148(g)(1))

· Older Drivers and Pedestrians - If traffic fatalities and serious injuries per capita for drivers and pedestrians over the age of 65 in a State increase during the most recent 2-year period for which data are available, that State shall be required to include, in the subsequent Strategic Highway Safety Plan of the State, strategies to address the increases in those rates, (23 USC 148 (g)(2))

· Vulnerable road user safety - If the total annual fatalities of vulnerable road users in a State represents not less than 15 percent of the total annual crash fatalities in the State, that State shall be required to obligate not less than 15 percent of the amounts apportioned to the State under section 104(b)(3) for the following fiscal year for highway safety improvement projects to address the safety of vulnerable road users.(23 USC 148 (g)(3))

3.3.3 Agency and Stakeholder Consultation and Coordination Approach:

It is anticipated five to six (5-6) AC meetings will be scheduled for the CHSP update process.

The consultant will facilitate all AC meetings and provide progress updates at key points during the update progress and ensure schedule timeline. All meeting materials, agendas, and minutes will be reviewed and approved by the project manager before distribution. Meeting minutes should include a record of attendance, topics discussed, AC decisions, and next steps. All draft documents in the development of the update will be provided to the project manager for review and approval in advance of distribution.

The first AC meeting should focus on the purpose of the CHSP and begin the framework by establishing a safety vision and goals for the CHSP and safety for public roads and users and include consideration of incorporating traffic safety culture. The remaining meetings should be based on the task schedule. Development of the CHSP includes documenting the update process and participation of safety partners and stakeholders; conducting a SWOT analysis; developing content to update the CHSP website; crash data analysis; identifying safety issues based on crash data and determining appropriate strategies; and developing an implementation plan containing a matrix to track, report, and evaluate progress. The format of the CHSP should include appealing info graphics which can be used in public outreach.

3.3.4 Data Analysis:

Compile, analyze, and present safety data (crash, roadway, and traffic) on all public roads for all transportation modes to identify the leading areas of roadway fatalities and serious injury crashes and contributing factors. The data factors should align with the Module Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC)[footnoteRef:6] attributes. In the case of a railway-highway grade crossing, safety data is the characteristics of highway and train traffic, licensing, and vehicle data. [6: Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria | NHTSA]

Analysis will be based on the most recent 10-years of safety data and include trend analysis, analysis of contributing factors, crash location, and other data and information applicable to the assessment of transportation safety issues on Montana’s public roads. The initial data analysis should be a high-level look at fatal and serious injury crashes based on crash factors in the NCHRP Report 500. A secondary level of analysis will look at leading crash factors based on roadway environment, user behavior, and where and when crashes occurred to identify common factors resulting in severe injuries. Data analysis will be used to make informed decisions about emphasis areas, objectives, strategies/actions, and performance criteria. Consistent data and infographics should be included in all documentation, presentations, fact sheets, and publications. The final data analysis and all documents and info graphics will be provided to the project manager in a usable and manipulatable format.

3.3.5 Emphasis Area, Strategy, Objectives, and Action Identification:

Develop emphasis areas based on the crash data analysis of fatalities and serious injuries to identify leading areas in need of focus. Complete a secondary data analysis to identify leading crash factors and key areas of greatest need to help focus resources where they will have the greatest potential to reduce highway fatalities and serious injuries. Facilitate strategy determination based on SMART objectives, best practices, risk analysis, systemic improvements, safety countermeasures, and other means of facilitation to define objectives, identify appropriate proven safety countermeasure strategies/ actions, and define performance criteria. Integrate VRU strategies and activities identified in the Montana VRU Safety Assessment[footnoteRef:7] and the SSA. [7: Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessment | Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) (mt.gov)]

3.3.6 Implementation Plans:

The update must include robust emphasis area implementation/action plans that describes: the purpose and process; how strategies and actions are implemented; assigned roles and responsibilities of team members; a measurable timeframe for completion; defined output and outcome measures for evaluating progress. The implementation plan will also include the process for tracking and evaluating progress of the CHSP emphasis area strategies objectives and outcomes.

3.3.7 Draft & Final Document & Deliverables:

Develop a draft and final document that describes the CHSP development and implementation process. The CHSP must state the safety vision and goals and include safety target methodology. The CHSP must include the SWOT; stakeholder consultation and participation; development of safety performance measures methodology and targets; data analysis and sources; integrate SSA; emphasis areas, strategies, actions, objectives, and implementation plan; and incorporate traffic safety culture and special rules, as appropriate.

The plan should include an acronym guide and a glossary of terms to include definition of data attributes.

The final document must reflect changes approved by the AC with final approval from the project manager. The CHSP should reflect a streamlined format using info graphics and state crash data that is easily understood, user friendly, and can be used in public stakeholder outreach. Deliverables must be published in a reader-friendly format that allows for broad dissemination through electronic and print mediums. All photos should be Montana-related or reflect the infrastructure of a rural state like Montana and list credits or source.

Develop web content to provide an update on the CHSP development process. The materials should complement the current CHSP webpage. The project page should document the planning process, include a plan schedule, meeting minutes, data analysis, identified emphasis area strategies, the final plan, resources and contact information.

3.4 MEETING AND DELIVERABLES:

The final plan must be published and distributed within 12 months of the notice to proceed. (Deadline for CHSP to FHWA is December 2025) Once the contract is executed, the consultant’s Principal Investigator and any other team members shall meet in Helena with the project manager and other MDT staff to review and finalize the project work plan. Two weeks prior to this meeting, with input from the Project Manager, the consultant will prepare and submit the agenda and meeting materials. Within two weeks after the meeting, the consultant will submit a final work plan.

Based on the complexity of the project, Offeror will include on-site committee meetings to the proposal, as appropriate. Two weeks prior to any meetings, with input from the Project Manager, the consultant will prepare and submit the agenda and meeting materials. Within two weeks after the meeting, the consultant will submit the minutes of the meeting for approval by the State.

Bi-weekly updates via telephone will be scheduled with the Project Manager to report progress and address issues. The consultant will submit an agenda at least one workday prior to the meeting and minutes of the meeting within three workdays after the call.

Monthly invoices and progress reports will be prepared and submitted electronically to the Project Manager on or before the 15th of the month following the month which the progress report covers. These reports will, at a minimum, include status of each of the major tasks outlined in the work plan; planned and actual time schedule for each of the tasks, including the percent completion; issues (financial, staff, equipment, technical) as they affect the tasks or project as a whole, as well as resolution or attempts at resolution; discussion of major accomplishments or discoveries; and fiscal expenditures.

All reports and meeting minutes are considered draft until the Project Manager review process has been completed.

Deliverables are expected to be of exceptional quality. All draft deliverables must be edited for content, accuracy, grammatical correctness, and presentation quality formatting and graphics prior to submittal. All proposals must address deliverable quality and describe how quality will be guaranteed (i.e., use of editing staff and/or peer reviewer).

3.5 METHOD OF PROVIDING SERVICES

Offeror shall provide a detailed work plan that will convincingly demonstrate to the State what the Offeror intends to do, the timeframes necessary to accomplish the work, and how the work will be accomplished to meet the contract requirements specifically detailed above in Sections 3.3 and 3.4. Offeror must specifically address each of the following requirements as defined in this RFP.

3.5.1 PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING THE DELIVERABLES AND WORK PLAN

Describe the method and approach that you/your firm would use for the development of the responsibilities and deliverables detailed in Sections 3.3 and 3.4. Describe the creative and cost-effective methods you/your firm would use to solicit meaningful agency and stakeholder engagement and participation. Address how this will be incorporated into the plan development and implementation process and how this input will be used to identify issues and confirm effective strategies. Include information about the proposed process you/your firm would use to assure all transportation users are considered, how and what data collection and analysis would be completed, and the process for production and quality assurance/quality control of the deliverables. From this description, the evaluation committee will gain insight into the Offeror’s thought process and working style. This section is not expected to be a final workplan. Include a schedule and timeline of actions and activities and key personnel assigned for each task. Offeror shall provide an example of a final report in MSWord, PDF format, or hardcopy that the Offeror has produced.

3.5.2 UNDERSTANDING OF SAFETY PLANNING AND THE COMPREHENSIVE HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN

Describe your/your firm’s understanding of Montana’s Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan, SSA, traffic safety culture, key emphasis areas, and a strategic implementation plan. Identify the process, procedures, and resources you would utilize to develop and produce deliverables (presentations data analysis charts and infographics, fact sheets, work/action plans, reports, educational information, etc.) that are useful and relevant to the development, understanding, and promotion of the CHSP.

3.5.3 LINKAGE TO CHSP PROCESSES

Describe the approach you/your firm would use to develop a plan that links and coordinates the safety vision, objectives, goals, programs, and safety strategies identified in the MDT’s HSIP, HSP, CVSP, TranPlanMT documents; and metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) transportation plans, community transportation safety plans, local road safety plans and other safety plans with the 2025 Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan.