Austroads has released its 2016-2020 Strategic Plan which repositions the peak organisation of Australian and New Zealand road transport agencies for a strong, relevant and sustainable future. The plan outlines Austroads' purpose and role, operating principles, strategic environment, and programs and priorities. Under the new four-year plan, the Austroads Programs will be consolidated to broaden the portfolio of work undertaken. The new Assets, Safety and Network Programs will be led by a full-time Program Manager. Program Managers will be director or senior executive level staff from member agencies, seconded to Austroads for a temporary contract. Full-time Program Coordinators will be employed in Austroads National Office to provide administrative support to the Program Manager. Austroads Task Forces will continue to play an essential role and their membership will continue to be drawn from member agencies. Task Force members will meet two to three times a year to identify research needs and Austroads Guide updates, share project progress, discuss issues and share practices. The number of projects Austroads manages each year will be significantly reduced. The projects undertaken will be of larger scale with more significant outcomes. Project development and delivery will be more responsive and agile. This will mean that some projects may need to be turned around in less than 12 months and may fall outside the standard project development time-frame. Austroads will develop project management and budgetary processes that allow for this rapid identification and delivery of projects. There will be a greater emphasis on delivering projects on time and on budget. Austroads will provide greater transparency in the development and purchasing of research contracts. New contracts, where appropriate, will be open to competitive tender. This will enable Austroads to consistently engage highly skilled teams of specialists who can provide strong value for investment. The National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System (NEVDIS) is a customer service system owned by Austroads on behalf of the eight Australian states and territories. Its primary purpose is to share vehicle and driver information between jurisdictions. NEVDIS' existing commercial arrangements will be standardised and opportunities to develop products will be pursued to negate the need for future jurisdictional funding. (Author/publisher)
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