Performance Standards:
There are two keys to managing a maintenance operation: the first
is to Manage by Objective; the second is to measure results according
to Performance Standards that say, "the level of roadside maintenance
will be acceptable when..." and the standards are spelled out.
Examples: ditches are acceptable when there is no evidence of erosion;
when ruts caused by tire tracks off the pavement are raked-out
and seeded within two days; when roadside planting contains all of
the trees that have survived or been replaced as shown on the approved
planting plan; when drop inlets are cleared of debris within a week
of a summer storm; and so on...
Maintenance is the subject of a course in itself. May some of
these thoughts be useful to you.
