DOTD Issues Strategic Improvement Plan in Response to Executive Order JML 24-60
Friday, January 17, 2025 at 10:02:44 AM
Baton Rouge – Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) Secretary Joe Donahue has issued a Strategic Improvement Plan identifying issues and challenges faced by the department and laying out a plan to address issues involving the department’s funding, efficiency, and communication. The report describes efforts already underway or that will be undertaken in the coming year. These efforts will implement recommendations made by the governor’s transition council and those appearing in the Departmental Effectiveness and Funding Study conducted last year by outside consultant Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The BCG report was funded by private industry and the legislature, and it was based upon a careful review of DOTD’s operations with the goal of identifying potential areas of improvement that will benefit the general public, legislators, and DOTD stakeholders and employees. The study’s findings included, among others, issues related to funding, staffing, public trust, and construction management, and it also made recommendations about how these issues could be addressed to improve DOTD’s operation and the delivery of its mission.

“DOTD is grateful to BCG and for its in-depth study of the department’s existing operations and recommendations for improvement included in their report,” said Secretary Donahue. “Improvement is an ongoing process, and I believe that DOTD has made real strides over the last year in becoming more transparent and rebuilding public trust. The initiatives outlined in the Strategic Improvement Plan provide a framework for how this transparency can be incorporated into the department’s day-to-day functions, and for regaining public trust and correcting longstanding problems that will better enable us to deliver a safe and reliable transportation system for the people of Louisiana. There is always an opportunity for further improvement and I am pleased to release DOTD’s Strategic Improvement Plan, which incorporates and builds upon the recommendations made by the governor’s transition team and BCG’s study, laying out the planned approach for how the department will become more modern and efficient.”

On May 1, 2024, Governor Jeff Landry issued Executive Order No. JML 24-60 that directed the DOTD secretary to provide a report to the governor, the commissioner of administration, and the secretary of revenue by January 15, 2025. The report includes the information contained within the Strategic Improvement Plan. Some of the departmental goals identified in the plan include on-time project delivery, driving statewide economic development, creating a culture of accountability, and engaging in honest and transparent communication with all stakeholders. Other initiatives include common-sense organizational realignments that re-position various functions within the agency, and the creation of a transformation office that will implement the recommendations made by BCG and the governor’s transition council.

“No progress would be possible without the continuing support of the citizens of Louisiana and our state legislature, as well as the dedication and hard work of DOTD employees,” continued Donahue. “My hope is that the initiatives described in the Strategic Improvement Plan will move the department in a new direction that will result in demonstrable change that benefits everyone who lives, works, or visits the great state of Louisiana.”

For much more information, BCG’s study is here and DOTD’s response can be found here.