Section 6. (a) The secretary shall operate and administer an office of performance management and innovation within the department that shall, without limitation, administer this section. The divisions of the department shall report to the office of performance management and innovation with regard to setting goals and establishing performance measures to improve the department and divisions’ operations and the delivery of transportation services and projects in the commonwealth.
(b) The secretary shall establish a performance measurement system for the divisions of the department, which shall establish program goals, measure program performance against those goals and report publicly on progress to improve the effectiveness of transportation design and construction, service delivery and policy decision making. Performance measurements shall include, for at least the then current fiscal year and the previous 5 fiscal years, all modes of transportation. Performance measurements shall include the number of projects completed, the percentage of projects completed early or on time, the percentage of projects completed under budget or on-budget, the number of projects in construction phase and the percentage of projects advertised early or on time. Performance measurements shall include usage information for all modes of transportation, including measures of throughput, utilization and ridership. This information shall be presented with measurements of congestion, on-time performance, if appropriate, and incidents that have caused delays or closures. Performance measurements shall include assessments of maintenance performance by asset class, mode and region, including a breakdown of highway pavement, bridge and track, for subway, commuter and commonwealth-owned freight rail, by condition level, with an explanation of current year and future year planned maintenance expenditures and the expected result thereof. Reporting on planned maintenance programming shall include an assessment of the categories of maintenance-related activity as described in the American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials’ Maintenance Manual for Roadways and Bridges. The division of highways shall expand and enhance its project information system and shall develop additional means to establish a centralized system, available on the internet, to document performance measurements and the progress and status of all planning, design, construction and maintenance projects undertaken by the department, and all road and bridge projects of any city or town that are funded, in whole or in part, by the commonwealth. A municipality shall have access to the system at no cost, shall enter such information into the system as may be required by the division of highways and shall otherwise fully participate in the system as a condition of receiving financial assistance from the commonwealth. All information in the project information system shall be a public record unless otherwise exempted by law. A report of the project information system and performance measurements shall be published annually and made available to the public not later than December 31. The report shall also be filed annually with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means and the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on transportation. The performance measurement system shall require each division to develop a strategic plan for program activities and performance goals. The system shall require annual program performance reports which shall be submitted to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on transportation.
(c) The office of performance management and innovation shall be charged with evaluating the goals and measures established by the department and its divisions and monitoring the results reported. The office shall recommend changes to proposed goals and measures as are appropriate to align goals and measures with the strategic priorities of the secretary. The office shall report regularly to the public on the progress the department and its divisions are making at achieving stated goals. The office shall be responsible for the establishment and, in cooperation with each of the divisions, operation of an asset management system for all divisions and shall report regularly on the condition of assets and infrastructure. Reports on performance shall include measures of: (i) maintenance activity and results; (ii) usage on all modes of transportation; (iii) operational performance; and (iv) planning, design and construction, including on-time and on-budget project delivery.
The office shall annually publish a “scorecard” identifying the number of projects actively under construction and those completed in the previous year by type, value and location and those planned for the following year. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the office shall determine the appropriate measures and standards of performance in all categories and reporting on performance trends.
The office shall be responsible for reporting publicly and transparently and making all reports available through an on-line system.
The secretary shall use the performance criteria established in this section to determine the quality of service of all private entities, including commuter rail providers, that perform transportation services on behalf of the department. The results of such performance measures shall be criteria used in negotiating any contracts.
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