State DOT Certification Programs for Materials Sampling and Testing Personnel (2025)

Chapter: Appendix C: Interview Guide

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Suggested Citation: "Appendix C: Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State DOT Certification Programs for Materials Sampling and Testing Personnel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/28849.
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APPENDIX C

Interview Guide

Interview Questions

Program Management Interview Questions

  1. How is the Management set up in the DOT, what area of the DOT manages the program?
  2. How are others involved in the Program, either management or training (Consultant, University etc.)?
    • If others are involved: What is the relationship between the DOT and the Consultant/University? Do you have a contract or is it funded by registration costs, or some other manner?
    • How much does it cost (# of FTEs or contract amount)?
  3. Is training part of the certification or separate?
    • Who performs the training? How is it supplied?
  4. Do you have any documentation on how/when the program started and are you aware of or have you seen any major changes?
  5. Have you considered adding other certifications or do other areas in the DOT have their own certifications?
  6. Is there anything you would like to change about your program?
  7. If you had the research money to do a project to improve the qualification/certification program, what would be the focus of that research?
  8. Anything else you would like to share about the certification program?

Use of Technology Interview Questions

  1. When and how did the DOT move to online training?
  2. Did the DOT move to online exams at the same time?
  3. Any specific event or condition that precipitated the move?
    • Follow up, has there been any efforts to move back to “in person”?
  4. For which certifications did the DOT adopt online training and did this require additional adjustments to the certification/qualification program?
    • If so, what were they?
  5. For which certifications did the DOT adopt online examinations and did this require additional adjustments to the certification/qualification program?
    • If so, what were they?
  6. Has the DOT observed specific benefits and challenges to the use of technology for training or testing?
  7. If you had the research money to do a project to improve the technology used in the qualification/certification program, what would be the focus of the research?
  8. Anything else you would like to share about online training and certification?
Page 158
Suggested Citation: "Appendix C: Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State DOT Certification Programs for Materials Sampling and Testing Personnel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/28849.
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Page 157
Suggested Citation: "Appendix C: Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State DOT Certification Programs for Materials Sampling and Testing Personnel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/28849.
Save
Cancel
Page 157
Page 158
Suggested Citation: "Appendix C: Interview Guide." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State DOT Certification Programs for Materials Sampling and Testing Personnel. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/28849.
Save
Cancel
Page 158
Next Chapter: Appendix D: 23 CFR 637 and Related FHWA Resources
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