About the Project

The use of asset management principles in state highway agencies (SHAs) has become increasingly important as those agencies respond to increasing demands on the highway system and demands for improved transparency and accountability in agency decisions. Asset management provides a framework for using performance data to make sound investment decisions that are aligned with the agency’s strategic objectives.

To help identify and prioritize changes that are needed to support asset management in a transportation agency, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) published the Transportation Asset Management Guide - A Focus on Implementation. The Guide describes the use of a gap analysis as an objective and structured process for evaluating current and desired asset management practices and to identify priorities for actions that are needed to achieve agency goals.

When the Guide was developed, a prototype of a tool was developed to support the use of a gap analysis by SHAs. However, the original tool was developed based on experience in New Zealand rather than the U.S. and was not easily modifiable. To remedy these difficulties, the National Cooperative Research Program (NCHRP) selected APTech to develop a new gap analysis tool that is more intuitive, well described, user-friendly, and applicable for transportation practitioners and decision-makers in the United States.

To determine the capabilities needed in the improved tool, we are conducted a literature and process review. The data from these activities enabled us to develop helpful guidelines for conducting a gap analysis and an intuitive and user-friendly gap analysis spreadsheet tool that is relevant to transportation asset management in the United States. The gap analysis spreadsheet tool will be made available to SHAs through AASHTO and outreach activities such as webinars and workshops. National Highway Institute courses will also be used to promote the tool’s use.