Outsourcing Decision Making in Public Organizations: Proposed Methodology and Initial Analytic Results from a Department of Transportation

In the past several decades, departments of transportation (DOTs) have explored outsourcing as an alternative to human resource development or as an enhancement to productivity. Many studies have looked at outsourcing within DOTs: some indicate success and some indicate failure. Little agreement is found in either process or scope within the governmental outsourcing literature. A potential solution to the decision to outsource in public agencies is explored through a comprehensive, process-based evaluation linking DOT goals and managerial insight to competencies, a hierarchical evaluation to indicate a potential priority list based on management insight, a knowledge audit to address knowledge transfer and loss, a traditional cost collection and market analysis, and an evaluation of human resource expertise and utilization. The process leads to an outsourcing decision support tool that evaluates the multidimensional implications of outsourcing, allowing potential functions to be hierarchically listed for outsourcing and informing decision makers of functions that need internal resource allocation.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/2199-05
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Outsourcing+Decision+Making+in+Public+Organizations%3a+Proposed+Methodology+and+Initial+Analytic+Results+from+a+Department+of+Transportation&author=R.+Eger&author=S.+Samaddar&publication_year=2010
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/Research_and_Education_2010_164862.aspx
• Authors:
  • Eger III, Robert J
  • Samaddar, Subhashish
• Publication Date: 2010

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 37-47
• Monograph Title: Research and Education 2010
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 2199
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Contracting out; Cost effectiveness; Decision making; Decision support systems; Human resources management; Management; Public administration; Resource allocation; State departments of transportation; Transportation departments
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Transportation (General); I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01152685
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780309160759
• Report/Paper Numbers: 10-3309
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 17 2010 12:32PM