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Including amendment dated November 2011

Including amendment dated November 2009

FAQs

This FAQ page is divided into four categories. Click a category to go straight to the correct section.

A - Applicability

B - Finance

C - Process

D - Outcome

A - Applicability

Who is the guide aimed at?	The guide is aimed at ALL practitioners involved in the consideration, development implementation or operation of Pilots and Trials that will potentially impact upon the HA network.
The guide appears quite long, is there a concise version?	There is not an abridged version of the guide but the Executive Summary provides an effective resume of the guide’s content. The HA PartnerNet site provides easy navigation through the guide and Adobe Acrobat's simple and effective search capability can be used when the guide is downloaded in PDF format.
Do trials which have already commenced need to apply the guidelines?	The guide does not need to be applied retrospectively but it should be applied as any Pilot or Trials moves into a subsequent stage in the overall process.
What if there is a trial organised by DfT or another network operator, or a shared trial with the agency. Is it still necessary to fill in the PT1 form for NOG?	If a Pilot or Trial impacts upon the HA network the guide must be applied. It will be necessary to complete and submit a PT1 form to NOG.
Does the guide cover the soft estate of the HA network?	Yes it covers the whole Highways Agency estate.
What about trails undertaken by the maintenance community?	There is no difference as the guide applies to all work completed by or on behalf of the Highways Agency. A prime aim is to share more effectively all lessons learnt.

B – Finance

Who will be paying for the implementation of the guide requirements?	The full costs of the implementation of a pilot or trial should be openly available. For example, managing agents involvement in traffic management requirements for a pilot or trial should be included.
Where will the resources to run a pilot or a trial come from?	A pilot or trial is no different to any other project within the HA. The funding and resources will be bid and allocated using standard HA procedures.
For trials where there is no HA funding required, e.g. trials where a manufacturer pays for the trail themselves, type approval. How is the PT1 form then completed?	The PT1 form should show HA costs only. Any support funding will be indicated in the associated business case.
Does the guide require the Pilot or Trial to look at value for money and affordability?	Value for money is one aspect that should be considered as part of the initial feasibility stage. This, and the continuing affordability, should be reviewed throughout the duration of the pilot or trial.
When setting objectives, does this include costs, staff costs and manpower resource requirements, also safety implications?	All potential costs and risks, including safety aspects, of a pilot or trial should be considered when setting the objectives.

C – Process

Who governs the process?	Overall governance is provided by the National Operations Group
How can any adverse impacts of a Pilot or Trails be mitigated?	The development and the continuous review of a risk register is a requirement of the ongoing Risk Management strategic activity as detailed in the guide.
Why should the rollout of a Pilot or Trail be considered during its initial stages?	The expectation for any Pilot is that it will subsequently be implemented across the wider HA network. The implications of the rollout, for example additional traffic officer recourses, should be considered as part of the ongoing procurement and maintenance strategic activity.
Is there a methodology for the feasibility stage?	There is not a prescribed process but the guide does provide reference to documents showing how feasibility studies have been conducted in the past.
A traditional economic appraisal may not result in the support of a new idea. Does the guide provide for a broader assessment approach to pilots and trials?	All impacts of the Pilot or Trial should be considered in the development of the assessment methodology, both financial and non financial.
If a stakeholder is an equal partner with an input to the project, is there a plan to manage them?	Liaison with all stakeholders in a Pilot or Trial, including project partners and also the end users, must be considered as part of the Stakeholder Management Strategy.
Does the guide make suggestions about a pilot or trial's impact on other operators?	The development of a coordinated communication plan to liaise with all impacted by a Pilot or Trial is an integral element of the Stakeholder Management Strategic action area.
Why are there stop points at the end of each stage?	Reviews at the end of each stage provide an opportunity to consider the achievements of the pilot or trial, where the project can report back on progress and justify its continuation at a high level, if required.
Does the level of risk dictate the category of Pilot or Trial?	The level of impact upon the HA network operations and business targets is the key determinant in the category definition of a pilot or trial. If the risk of such impact is high the higher the pilot or trial categorisation.
Does the guide tell us to look at whole life costs?	All aspects of the impact of a Pilot or Trial should be considered including the whole life costs. This should be one of the considerations within the Procurement and Maintenance Strategic action area.
What is the change control process?	You need to be aware of the implications of making any changes to the pilot or trial. The change control process is used to provide such an audit trail. Making any change may impact, for example on the pilot or trials objectives, and the change control process will assist in determining who needs to be advised.

D - Outcome

Where do you send the final results to? Is it the same for all pilot and trials?	The final reports for all pilots and trials should be submitted for inclusion in the HA’s Research Compendium.
How do we learn lessons from previous trials?	Reports from previous Pilots and Trials will be accessible through the HA's Research Compendium.
Are there suggested outcomes or evidence that must be produced to demonstrate that each stage of the Pilot or Trial has been completed?	For each stage in the guide there is an output section. This details what typical outputs might be expected at the completion of each stage prior to the commencement of the next.
Why is it necessary to define the end of a pilot or trial?	Without a clear end point the final assessment of a pilot or trials impact cannot be fully determined, or any hand over to operational teams effectively commence.
Trials often lead to a change in design standards, but it can take a long time to implement this change. How can this be accelerated?	In conjunction with the design standards team, consideration should be given during the feasibility stage of a pilot or trial as to ALL the supporting information that may be required should there be a resultant change to design standards. Liaison with the standards teams should be maintained and all the required information should be collected throughout the duration of the pilot or trial.
How can the guide ensure that the knowledge gained from a pilot or trial is shared and does not stay only with the team conducting the trial?	The last stage of the guide requires that the lessons learnt from any pilot or trial, good or bad, are disseminated to the wider community.
This process may lead to a delay in getting a good idea on the road?	Perhaps, but the value is in providing information back to a central point, the NOG and the wider Agency community. Following the guide will assist in ensuring the full benefits of good ideas are properly realised.