Training and Certification of Construction Inspectors for Transportation Infrastructure (2023)

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94 APPENDIX C – STA SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE Dear Participant: The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) is supporting a research project to prepare guidance on the education, training, certification, recruitment, retention, and career development for construction inspectors on transportation infrastructure construction projects. The goal of this research is to create guidance for STAs and their industry partners in establishing and maintaining a construction inspector (CI) training and certification program for transportation infrastructure construction. (Read more about the project here: https://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4786). As part of the research we are conducting a survey of staff at STAs on transportation construction inspectors. Your expertise and experiences are critical to the success of this important project. We would like you to reflect on your experiences with and knowledge of construction inspectors in terms of training and certification for transportation infrastructure projects. Your individual privacy will be maintained in all published and written data resulting from this study; responses may be identified by staff within your agency. We thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful consideration. We recognize the demands on your time for such activities and have attempted to make the survey focused and it should not require more than 20 to 30 minutes of your time to complete. Please complete this survey by Friday, April 30, 2021. Please click the link below to start the survey. If this link does not work, please copy, and paste the entire link into address field of your browser. A PDF copy of the survey is attached so you may view all the questions prior to taking the survey. You may also complete the PDF version and email it to the principal investigator. http://colostate.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0HgeLj6DjXj0irj If you feel you are not the appropriate person at your agency to complete this questionnaire or know of others at your agency that would be willing to complete the survey, please feel free to forward this invitation to others. Additionally, more than one individual from your agency may complete the survey if others possess relevant construction inspection knowledge. If you have any questions about this study, please contact the principal investigator, Dr. Chris Harper at chris.harper@colostate.edu or 970-491-4021. The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) produces ready-to-implement solutions to the challenges facing transportation professionals. NCHRP is sponsored by the individual state departments of transportation of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). NCHRP is administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Any opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in resulting research products are those of the individuals and organizations

95 who performed the research and are not necessarily those of TRB; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or NCHRP sponsors. CONSENT QUESTION I consent to participate in this survey ☐ Yes ☐ No (If checked, please discontinue completing survey) DEFINITIONS The following definitions are provided for some of the key terms used in the questionnaire. Ability Statements: The power to perform an observable activity at the present time. This means that abilities have been evidenced through activities or behaviors that are similar to those required on the job. Certified Technician: A technician certified by some agency as proficient in performing certain duties. Competency: A combination of skills, knowledge, performance behaviors, and personal attributes that contribute to improved employee performance and organizational success (e.g., conceptual thinking, innovation). Construction Inspector (CI): The person whose primary responsibility is to verify that the contractor’s work meets standards and specifications by observation and measurement of contract performance. Personnel at transportation agencies that perform construction inspections may also be called technicians. Core Competency: A distinct, observable, measurable, activity, that, combined with others, makes up the logical and necessary steps the inspector is required to perform to complete a specific assignment. Inspection: The act of examining, measuring, or testing to determine the degree of compliance with requirements in conformance with the contract. Knowledge Statements: An organized body of information usually of a factual or procedural nature which, if applied, makes adequate performance on the job possible. A body of information is applied directly to the performance of a function. Personnel Qualifications: Personnel are certified and capable of performing inspection as defined by appropriate national, regional, or STA programs. The inspection, sampling and testing is performed by qualified personnel. Qualified Technician: A technician who has been determined to be qualified (i.e., meeting some minimum standard) to perform specific duties. Quality Assurance (QA): All those planned and systematic actions necessary to provide confidence that a product or facility will perform satisfactorily in service; or (2) making sure the quality of a product is what it should be. QA involves continued evaluation of the activities of planning, design, development of plans and specifications, advertising and awarding of contracts, construction, maintenance, and the interactions of these activities.

96 Quality Control (QC): The process specified by the agency for a contractor to monitor, assess and adjust their production or placement processes to ensure that the final product will meet the specified level of quality. This can include state specified QC requirements and Contractor identified QC in the form of process control. Quality Measure: Any one of several mathematical tools that are used to quantify the degree to which a product or service conforms with a given requirement. Skill Statements: The proficient manual, verbal, or mental manipulation of data or things. Skills can be readily measured by a performance test or proficient manipulation of things where quantity and quality of performance are tested, usually within an established time limit. A. GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Please provide the following contact information: First Name: Last Name: Phone Number: E-mail: Your Agency: Position/Title: Brief Job Description: 2. What division/section do you work in at your agency? (Please check all that apply) ☐ Construction ☐ Asset Management ☐ Materials ☐ Contracts/procurement ☐ Operations ☐ Maintenance ☐ Human Resources ☐ Other, please state: ____________________________ 3. How many years of experience do you have related to construction inspections? ☐ 1 to 5 years ☐ 6 to 10 years ☐ 11 to 15 years ☐ 16 to 20 years ☐ More than 20 years

97 4. What are the primary roles of construction inspectors (or individuals that performs construction inspection duties) at your agency? (Please check all that apply) ☐ Inspect source materials ☐ Inspect plant operation ☐ Inspect onsite construction ☐ Record inspection results ☐ Inspect Workmanship ☐ Other, please specify_____________________________ 5. What criteria are used by your agency to determine a construction inspector’s position and/or rank? (Please check all that apply): ☐ Years of experience ☐ Position requirements ☐ Educational requirements ☐ Specialty discipline ☐ Other, please specify_____________________________ ☐ Not sure B. CI SKILLS AND CORE COMPETENCIES 6. From your agency’s perspective, indicate how important (from 0 = Not Important to 100 = Extremely Important) the following “Personal Effectiveness Competencies” are for inspectors in your agency to effectively perform inspections on highway construction projects. Personal Effectiveness Competencies Not Important Slightly Important Moderately Important Very Important Extremely Important 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Interpersonal skills: Exhibits skills to work with others from a range of backgrounds ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Integrity: Interact respectfully with others from different cultures, genders, and backgrounds ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Professionalism: Maintain a professional demeanor ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Initiative: Demonstrate a willingness to work ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Dependability & reliability: Exhibits responsible behavior at work ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Adaptability & flexibility: Open to change and able to adjust to new situations ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐

98 Willingness to Learn: Understand the importance of learning new information ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Written and oral communication skills: Able to communicate important information to others clearly ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Leadership: Exhibits influence on others to maximize efforts and achieve goals ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ 7. From your agency’s perspective, indicate how important (from 0 = Not Important to 100 = Extremely Important) the following “Academic Competencies” are for inspectors to effectively perform inspections on highway construction projects. Academic Competencies Not Important Slightly Important Moderately Important Very Important Extremely Important 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Computer Skills: Able to use computer technologies and related applications ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Science: Use scientific rules and methods to solve problems ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Mathematics: Use arithmetic, algebra, and geometry to solve problems ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Critical & analytic thinking: Evaluate and interpret information to make sound judgments ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Reading comprehension: Understand and interpret written information in work-related documents ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Professional registrations or certifications: Able to obtain the required registrations and certifications ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ 8. From your agency’s perspective, indicate how important (from 0 = Not Important to 100 = Extremely Important) the following “Workplace Competencies” are for inspectors in your agency to effectively perform inspections on highway construction projects. Workplace Competencies Not Important Slightly Important Moderately Important Very Important Extremely Important 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Teamwork: Work cooperatively with others to complete work assignments ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Planning & organizing: Able to create and use logical and systematic processes to achieve goals ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Attention to detail: Diligently checks work ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Following directions: Receive, interpret, and carry out assignments with minimal supervision ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Safety focus and jobsite safety knowledge: Demonstrates responsibility for maintaining a safe work environment ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Problem solving and decision-making: Apply critical thinking skills to solve problems ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ 9. From your agency’s perspective, indicate how important (from 0 = Not Important to 100 = Extremely Important) the following “Technical Construction and Inspection

99 Competencies” are for a construction inspector in your agency to effectively perform inspections on highway construction projects. Technical Construction and Inspection Competencies Not Important Slightly Important Moderately Important Very Important Extremely Important 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Able to work with construction and inspection tools & technologies ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Understanding agency regulations, policies and procedures ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Ability to comprehend construction plans, specification, and contract provisions ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Knowledge of materials and construction means and methods ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Knowledge of quality assurance principles ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Knowledge of development, tracking, and reporting of performance measures ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Experience in inspecting, testing materials, and documenting work ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Understanding project progress schedule ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Knowledge of the project development process ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Risk identification and analysis skills ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ 10. Based on your experience, please rate the level of importance associated with each type of competencies your agency expects from an entry-level, intermediate-level, and advanced- level construction inspection employees using the following scale: 1 = Not Important 2= Slightly Important 3 = Moderately Important 4 = Very Important 5 = Extremely Important Entry-level (< 2 years) Intermediate-level (2 to 5 years) Advanced-level (>5 years) 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Personal Effectiveness Competencies ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Academic Competencies ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Workplace Competencies ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Technical Construction and Inspection Competencies ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ C. CI EDUCATION AND TRAINING 11. What are the minimum education requirements at your agency for each of the following construction inspection employee levels? (Please check all that apply) Inspection Level Less than high High school GED / HiSET Associate degree Bachelor’s degree Graduate degree

100 school graduate Entry-level: (< 2 years of inspection experience) ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Intermediate-level: (2 to 5 years of inspection experience) ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advanced-level: (>5 years of inspection experience) ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ 12. What are typical education methods used by your agency for construction inspection employees to gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform construction inspections? (Please check all that apply) ☐ Structured internships ☐ Mentoring (formal or informal) ☐ Internal agency training program ☐ External third-party training program ☐ On-the-job training ☐ Self-directed learning ☐ Communities of practice (e.g., scheduled meetings to share knowledge, discuss areas of interest or concern) ☐ Attending conferences/workshops ☐ Other, please specify_____________________________ 13. Does your agency administer in-person construction inspection testing? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure 14. If YES to Question 14, indicate the frequency (from 0 to 100%) of in-person construction inspection training at your agency. Frequency Not Sure Frequency of administering in-person construction inspection training % ☐ What percentage of in-person training is offered as Just-in-Time/As needed? % ☐ 15. Does your agency administer online/virtual construction inspection training? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure 16. If YES to Question 16, indicate the frequency (from 0 to 100%) of online/virtual training at your agency.

101 Frequency Not Sure Frequency of administering online/virtual construction inspection training % ☐ What percentage of online/virtual training is offered as Just-in-Time/As needed? % ☐ 17. Which of the following training methods are used by your agency for training construction inspection employees? If YES, please indicate the approximate frequency of use for that method. Yes No Frequency Formal On-the-job Training (OJT) – (e.g., scheduled on-site training) ☐ ☐ % Informal On-the-job Training (OJT) – (e.g., supervisors/peers train others as they work in the field) ☐ ☐ % Formal Instructor-led training in a classroom setting ☐ ☐ % Formal Instructor-led training in hands-on applications ☐ ☐ % In-person training provided by a 3rd party (e.g., 3rd-party training center) ☐ ☐ % Live Instructor-led online training (e.g., live video conference interface) ☐ ☐ % Self-paced online training (i.e. self-paced courses or video-based training modules) ☐ ☐ % Virtual training provided by a 3rd party (e.g., TC3, NHI) ☐ ☐ % Mentoring opportunities ☐ ☐ % Other, please Specify_______________________________________ ☐ ☐ % 18. How are construction inspection training materials developed in your agency (Please check all that apply)? ☐ In partnership with universities ☐ In partnership with community colleges ☐ By or in partnership with experienced, current or retired, employees of your agency ☐ In partnership with industry members/organizations/consulting firms outside your agency ☐ Other, please specify_______________________________

102 19. Does your agency provide training for construction inspectors in the use of inspection technology and software applications? ☐ Yes, please briefly explain (If possible):_______________________________________ ☐ No ☐ Not sure 20. Over the past five years, how often has your agency revised and updated its existing construction inspection training program? ☐ None ☐ 1 time ☐ 2 times ☐ 3 times ☐ 4 times ☐ 5 times (Updated annually) ☐ More than 5 times ☐ Not sure 21. Does your agency make any accommodations of its training processes to account for different learning disabilities (e.g., ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia) of your inspection employees? ☐ Yes, please briefly explain (If possible):___________________________________ ☐ No ☐ Not sure 22. Based on your experience, what are the common barriers that may prevent construction inspectors from participating in a training program? (Please check all that apply) ☐ Perception that training is not necessary ☐ Lack of information for available training programs ☐ Lack of funding to receive the training ☐ Training schedule conflicts with work schedule ☐ Dissatisfied with the quality of a training program ☐ Training location is not accessible ☐ Training requires too much time to complete ☐ The training cannot increase inspector’s salary and help get a promotion ☐ Language barriers ☐ Lack of training targeted to construction inspection ☐ Lack of staff to plan and organize delivery of training ☐ Lack of formal internships

103 ☐ Other, please specify___________________________________ D. QUALIFICATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS 23. What qualifications/certifications does your agency require or use for construction inspection employees? (Please check all that apply) ☐ Agency training programs ☐ External training programs ☐ Local technical assistance programs ☐ University/Community College ☐ State certification programs ☐ Other, please specify____________________________________________ 24. What regional or national certification programs for field inspection does your agency accept or use? (Please check all that apply) Training and Certification programs for field inspection Used by your agency American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) ☐ AASHTO’s Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council (TC3) ☐ American Concrete Institute (ACI) ☐ American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) ☐ Certified Public Infrastructure Inspector (CPII) by American Public Works Association’s (APWA) ☐ Mid-Atlantic Region Technician Certification Program (MARTCP) ☐ National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) ☐ National Highway Institute (NHI) ☐ National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) ☐ New England Transportation Technician Certification Program (NETTCP) ☐ North Central Multi-Regional Training and certification Program (M-TRAC) ☐ Northeast Center of Excellence for Pavement Technology (NECEPT) ☐ Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ☐ Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) ☐ Southeast Task Force for Technician Training and Qualification (SETFTTQ) ☐ Western Alliance for Quality Transportation Construction (WAQTC) ☐ Other, please specify__________________________ ☐ 25. Does your agency use material, supplier, or contractor certifications for acceptance of work? ☐ Yes, please briefly explain (If possible): _____________________________________ ☐ No

104 ☐ Not sure 26. Does your agency use any recertification strategies (e.g., specified recertification intervals) for construction inspection employees? ☐ Yes, please briefly explain (If possible): ____________________________________ ☐ No ☐ Not sure 27. Does your agency require third-party consultant inspection personnel (e.g., Construction Engineering and Inspection consultants) to be qualified/certified? ☐ Yes, please briefly explain (If possible): ____________________________________ ☐ No ☐ Not sure E. RETENTION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT 28. In cases when your agency has limited in-house inspectors, how does your agency offset the shortage in the number of in-house inspectors? (Please check all that apply) ☐ Outsource to third-party consultant firms ☐ Reduce the number of inspections and frequency ☐ Use contractor or producer/supplier QA and/or QC programs ☐ Use risk-based inspection strategies ☐ Use technologies to perform inspections (e.g., Sensors, BIM, UAVs, etc.) ☐ No shortage in the number of in-house inspectors ☐ Other, please specify__________________________________ 29. On average, what is the annual turnover rate of construction inspectors at your agency? ☐ Less than 5% ☐ 5 to 10% ☐ 11 to 15% ☐ 16 to 20% ☐ More than 20% ☐ Not sure 30. Approximately, how does the construction inspector retention rate compare to other employment categories (e.g., engineer) at your agency? ☐ Lower ☐ Higher ☐ No difference ☐ Not sure

105 31. From your experience, please select the top five factors of the following choices that attract construction inspectors to your agency when they are hired. ☐ Appealing job position ☐ Competitive salary ☐ Health benefits ☐ Vacation/leave benefits ☐ Retirement benefits ☐ Promotion opportunities ☐ Professional development opportunities ☐ Stable employment ☐ Diverse workforce ☐ State/government employment ☐ Relative or friend already an employee ☐ Working in public service ☐ Other, please specify______________________________ 32. Of the following, please select the top five factors that you think would increase retention of in-house construction inspectors at your agency. ☐ Better health benefits ☐ More flexible vacation/leave benefits ☐ Better working conditions ☐ More promotion opportunities ☐ Better retirement benefits ☐ Better education benefits/tuition reimbursement ☐ More flexible work schedule ☐ Better salary opportunities ☐ Fewer responsibilities for the same salary ☐ Overtime pay ☐ Other, please specify_______________________ 33. Does your agency have a guidance or policy for equity, diversity, and inclusion that applies to hiring construction inspectors? ☐ Yes, please briefly explain, or provide a weblink: _____________________________ ☐ No ☐ Not sure 34. Are you and your agency interested in participating in a focus group or follow-up interview

106 to review the construction training and certification Guide that we will be developing? If so, please indicate you interest. You may also provide additional contact information if other individuals within your agency are interested or better suited to participate. Invitations to participate will be sent out in March 2021 and we plan to conduct these events in late March and early April 2021. Please note that your interest does not mean you are agreeing to participate. ☐ Yes, I am interested in participating in a focus group or follow-up interview with the research team ☐ Not interested at this time ☐ Please provide other contact information if possible: Name: Phone Number: E-mail: 35. If you are aware of documents, reports, manuals, or other studies that related to this study of training and certification of construction inspectors, could you share them by uploading them using the button below. Or, you may email them to the principal investigator at chris.harper@colostate.edu 36. If possible, could you provide us with the contact information of consultant construction inspection firms (e.g., Construction Engineering and Inspection consultants) that your agency has worked with? Name: Organization: Position/Title: Phone Number: E-mail: