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Knowledge Management at State Departments of Transportation: Research Roadmap (2025)

Chapter: 4 The KM Research Roadmap

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Suggested Citation: "4 The KM Research Roadmap." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Knowledge Management at State Departments of Transportation: Research Roadmap. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/28598.

CHAPTER 4 The KM Research Roadmap

4.1 Research Roadmap Organization

The KM research roadmap consists of 39 RNs and 11 RPSs that collectively address the identified RNs. Figure 2 illustrates the relationship between RPSs and RNs.

Six of the RPSs are scoped for the full NCHRP project; another five are intended to support the implementation of the results of the six full NCHRP RPSs (and other prior projects). Implementation projects may be funded through NCHRP Project 20-44, “NCHRP Implementation Support Program,” or AASHTO Committee Support programs (e.g., NCHRP Project 20-123, “Support for AASHTO Committees and Councils,” or NCHRP Project 20-24, “Administration of Highway and Transportation Agencies”).

The 39 RNs are organized into the following RN categories and are designed to address the barriers to KM adoption and advancement discussed in the previous section:

A – Understand the Context for KM. Products that provide a better understanding of the context for KM within a transportation agency.
B – Document and Share KM Practices. Products that document KM applications at transportation agencies so they can be easily shared and used as models.
C – Provide Practical Guidance for KM Implementation. Products that provide guidance to transportation agencies on KM strategy, approach, and implementation or operationalization.
D – Provide Practical Tools Supporting KM. Supporting tools and templates for KM strategy development and implementation efforts.
E – Advance Knowledge Representation and Delivery Methods. Studies that advance the state of the practice in transportation knowledge representation, discovery, and delivery.
F – Facilitate KM Research Implementation. Research activities to spread awareness of completed research, conduct pilots, and support adoption.

The 11 RPSs are organized into the following three research tracks:

KM Implementation Resources. Provide practical guidance to help DOTs expand the application and impact of KM.
Advancing Knowledge Discovery and Delivery. Advance tools and methods for knowledge discovery and delivery.
Fostering Learning Cultures. Advance practices for overcoming cultural barriers to knowledge creation, learning, and improvement.

Table 2 summarizes the three research tracks—their purpose, the gaps they intend to address, and the proposed primary RPSs they include and implementation support RPSs that would facilitate the adoption of the primary research results.

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***Figure 2. RPSs include multiple RNs.***

Table 2. KM research roadmap overview.

Research Track	KM Implementation Resources	Advancing Knowledge Discovery and Delivery	Fostering Learning Cultures
Purpose	Provide practical guidance to help DOTs expand the application and impact of KM.	Advance tools and methods for knowledge discovery and delivery.	Advance practices for overcoming cultural barriers to knowledge creation, learning, and improvement.
Why Needed?	Lack of operationally focused guidance on integrating KM within existing DOT functions. Lack of tools for assessing KM maturity and benchmarking implementation progress geared toward DOTs.	Lack of DOT-specific data about the extent of the inefficiencies and risks associated with current info rmation and knowledge discovery practices. Siloed approaches to data and information management that inhibit knowledge transfer and integration. Strong potential for game-changing advances in knowledge discovery and delivery using a combination of AI technologies and semantic models representing transportation subject domains.	Limited understanding of how organizational culture affects learning and collaboration. Lack of tools and strategies DOTs can use to assess and tackle cultural barriers.
Primary RPSs	PS1. KM Manual PS2. KM Toolkit	PS4. Guide for a Holistic Approach to Information and Knowledge Management PS5. Anticipatory Knowledge Delivery for DOTs PS6. AI Applications for Knowledge Discovery and Delivery	PS10. Guide for Fostering Organizational Learning and Collaboration
Implementation Support RPSs	PS3. Leadership Forum and Peer Exchanges Supporting Implementation of the KM Manual and Toolkit	PS7. Supporting Implementation of Holistic Approaches to Information and Knowledge Management PS8. Supporting Implementation of Anticipatory Knowledge Systems for Transportation Agencies PS9. Supporting Implementation of AI Applications for Knowledge Discovery and Delivery	PS11. Supporting Implementation of Learning Culture Assessment and Improvement

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4.2 Relationship of Proposed Research to Current and Completed Research

Several completed and active research projects have produced or are expected to produce results that will feed into the proposed research in this roadmap. It will be important to ensure the new projects build on and do not duplicate what has already been accomplished. The most important contributing projects have been identified for each research track and are shown in Figures 3 through 5. Other potentially related projects are listed in Table A-1; for example, several projects have covered the topic of succession management, which is related to fostering a learning culture.

4.3 Tagging of RNs and RPSs

Both RNs and RPSs were tagged with classifications indicating what types of KM processes they cover and what types of KM implementation motivations they address. The following categories are used for KM processes and implementation motivations:

KM Processes

Knowledge Strategy and Planning. Getting started with KM, aligning KM with organizational goals, identifying gaps, and setting priorities.
Knowledge Capture and Reuse. Methods and supporting processes, technologies, and cultural factors related to creating, managing, delivering, and using knowledge assets.
Collaboration and Social Learning. Methods and supporting processes, technologies, and cultural factors related to fostering person-to-person knowledge transfer and learning.
Knowledge Representation and Organization. Methods and supporting processes, technologies, and organizational factors related to representing and organizing knowledge so that it can be found/discovered and used.

Motivations for KM Implementation

Succession Management. How to ensure smooth transitions when employees retire or change jobs—through the transfer of explicit and tacit knowledge.
Innovation. How to support the innovation/introduction of new practices through staff development and recruiting and providing an environment conducive to knowledge sharing and creation.
Continuous Improvement. How to ensure DOT practices are continuously improved based on lessons learned from experience.
Efficiency. How to ensure employees have access to the right knowledge at the right time to perform their jobs, including access to both internal and external information or expertise.

These tags were created to facilitate use of the roadmap and ensure its coverage of important aspects of KM. Note that tags were assigned to reflect only the primary intent or content of the need or problem statement. For example, PS4–Holistic Approach to Information and Knowledge Management is not tagged to include the Collaboration and Social Learning KM process because it is primarily concerned with the other three processes. While collaboration could in fact be covered in this project as part of implementing this holistic process, it is not the primary focus.

4.4 Overview of RNs and RPSs

Table 3 lists the RNs within each research category and indicates the RPSs to which each RN has been assigned. Further descriptions of each RN are provided in Appendix C.

Table 4 lists the RPSs within each research track. Detailed RPSs are provided in Appendix D.

Both tables identify the tags for KM Motivations and Processes assigned to each RN and RPS.

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***Figure 3. KM implementation resources track – dependencies.***

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***Figure 4. Advancing knowledge discovery and delivery track – dependencies.***

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***Figure 5. Fostering learning cultures track – dependencies.***

4.5 Timing and Sequencing of Research Projects

This research roadmap was designed to fit within a 5-year time horizon. Therefore, relatively few proposed RPSs exist. By design, each RPS has a fairly large scope, in most cases involving two phases of work. Thus, most of the dependencies across individual RNs are reflected within the projects, in terms of the sequence of activities conducted to produce the final products. Considerable flexibility exists with respect to the order in which the projects are done—other than that, implementation projects need to follow the primary research project(s) they support.

Figure 6 illustrates one possible sequencing of the projects represented by the proposed RPSs. This order can be modified at the discretion of the AASHTO CKM and other KM stakeholders. This timing was based on the following considerations:

Ensure completion of existing active and pending projects that will feed into the proposed research projects.
Schedule implementation projects for the year following the completion of the associated primary research project.
Prioritize work on the KM Manual, which includes foundational work to create a maturity model and KM architecture for DOTs.
Allow for a maturation period for AI tools, including large language models before initiating the AI-related research, given the current rapid advances in that area.

Colors indicate relationships between primary research projects and their associated implementation projects.

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Table 3. RNs.

			MOTIVATIONS				PROCESSES
			Succession Management	Innovation	Continuous Improvement	Efficiency	KM Strategy & Planning	Knowledge Capture & Reuse	Collaboration & Social Learning	Knowledge Representation
NEED	PROBLEM STATEMENT	DESCRIPTION
NEED CATEGORY A. UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT FOR KM
A1	PS1	Learning and Improvement in DOTs: Understanding Current Practice	■	■	■	■		■	■
A2	PS4	Finding Information at DOTs: Understanding Current Practice				■			■	■
A3	PS10	Changing the Status Quo: Understanding Approaches to Introducing New Practices		■	■				■
A4	PS10	Anatomy of a Successful Innovation		■				■	■
A5	PS10	The Elements of Culture at a Transportation Agency	■	■	■	■	■	■	■	■
NEED CATEGORY B. DOCUMENT AND SHARE KM PRACTICES
B1	PS2	Scoping Study: A Sustainable Model for Sharing KM Practices	■	■	■	■		■	■	■
B2	PS2	Transportation Agency KM Practice Compendium	■	■	■	■		■	■	■
NEED CATEGORY C. PROVIDE PRACTICAL GUIDANCE ON KM IMPLEMENTATION
C1	PS1	Updated KM Guide/Manual	■	■	■	■	■	■	■	■
C2	PS2	KM Playbook	■	■	■	■	■	■	■	■
C3	PS2	Model Internal Agency KM Manual	■	■	■	■		■	■	■
C4	PS1	KM Guidance for Different DOT Functions	■	■	■	■		■	■
C5	PS1	KM Guidance for Human Resources (HR) Managers	■		■	■	■	■	■

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C6	PS4	Managing DOT Information: A Holistic Approach				■		■		■
C7	PS1	Model DOT Knowledge Architecture	■	■	■	■	■	■	■	■
C8	PS2	A Compendium of Techniques for Sharing DOT Knowledge Assets			■	■		■		■
C9	PS10	KM Practices Supporting Resilience		■	■			■	■	■
C10	PS2	Sustainable Methods for Creating and Maintaining Employee Expertise Directories	■			■		■	■	■
C11	PS10	Strengthening Transportation Agency Cross-Functional Collaboration		■	■	■	■		■
C12	PS10	Integrating Emergent Practices in Transportation Agencies – Guidance for Senior Managers		■			■	■	■	■
C13	PS10	Change Management Guidance Supporting KM	■	■	■	■	■	■	■	■
NEED CATEGORY D. PROVIDE PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR KM IMPLEMENTATION
D1	PS1	KM Maturity Model for DOTs	■	■	■	■	■
D2	PS1	KM Maturity Assessment Tool	■	■	■	■	■
D3	PS10	KM Risk Assessment Tool	■	■	■	■	■
D4	PS10	Learning Culture Assessment Tool	■	■	■	■	■
D5	PS2	Knowledge Mapping Tool	■			■		■	■	■
D6	PS2	Social Network Analysis Tool	■	■	■	■	■		■
D7	PS2	KM Communication Tools	■	■	■	■	■	■	■	■

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D8	PS2	KM Toolkit				■	■	■	■	■
NEED CATEGORY E. ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATION AND DELIVERY METHODS
E1	PS5	Anticipatory Knowledge Delivery for Transportation Agencies				■		■
E2	PS6	Applications of AI to Support KM in Transportation Agencies	■	■	■	■	■	■	■	■
E3	PS6	Advancing Knowledge Representation Methods for Transportation Agencies	■	■	■	■				■
E4	PS6	Advancing Knowledge Discovery Methods for Transportation Agencies	■	■	■	■	■	■		■
NEED CATEGORY F. FACILITATE KM RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION
F1	PS3	Leadership Forum on KM	■	■	■	■	■
F2	PS3	KM Peer Exchanges	■	■	■	■	■	■	■	■
F3	PS7	Supporting Implementation of Holistic Approaches to Information and Knowledge Management				■		■		■
F4	PS9	Advancing Knowledge Representation Methods for Transportation Agencies – Pilot Applications	■	■	■	■				■
F5	PS9	Supporting Implementation of AI Applications for Knowledge Discovery and Delivery	■	■	■	■	■	■		■
F6	PS11	Supporting Implementation of Learning Culture Assessment and Improvement	■	■	■	■	■		■
F7	PS8	Anticipatory Knowledge System – Pilot Application				■		■

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Table 4. RPSs.

			MOTIVATIONS				PROCESSES
			Succession Management	Innovation	Continuous Improvement	Efficiency	KM Strategy & Planning	Knowledge Capture & Reuse	Collaboration & Social Learning	Knowledge Representation
PROBLEM STATEMENT		PREDECESSOR(S)
TRACK 1: KM IMPLEMENTATION RESOURCES
PS1	A Knowledge Management Manual for Transportation Agencies		■	■	■	■	■
PS2	A Knowledge Management Toolkit for Transportation Agencies	PS1	■	■	■	■		■	■	■
PS3	Leadership Forum and Peer Exchanges Supporting Implementation of the KM Manual and Toolkit	PS1, PS2	■	■	■	■	■	■	■	■
TRACK 2: ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY AND DELIVERY
PS4	Holistic Approach to Information and Knowledge Management		■	■	■	■	■	■		■
PS5	Anticipatory Knowledge Delivery for DOTs		■			■		■		■
PS6	AI Applications for Knowledge Discovery and Delivery			■	■	■		■		■
PS7	Supporting Implementation of Holistic Approaches to Information and Knowledge Management	PS4	■	■	■	■	■	■		■
PS8	Supporting Implementation of Anticipatory Knowledge Systems for Transportation Agencies	PS5	■			■		■		■
PS9	Supporting Implementation of AI Applications for Knowledge Discovery and Delivery	PS6		■	■	■		■		■
TRACK 3: FOSTERING LEARNING CULTURES
PS10	Guide for Fostering Organizational Learning and Collaboration			■	■	■			■
PS11	Supporting Implementation of Learning Culture Assessment and Improvement	PS10		■	■	■			■