Minnesota Department of Transportation

Minnesota Department of Transportation investment in leadership capacity

Over a period of several years, MNDoT invested in a number of projects to explore many facets of the transportation planning, including:
– urban land-use dynamics,
– cultural dynamics,
– multi-modal dynamics,
– systems thinking training, and
– a longer-term project to develop a dynamic simulation model of Maintenance and Construction of a District

Through these projects, MNDoT made a significant investment in helping its leaders to think systemically. About 80 collaborators became trained systems thinkers, and we developed a great admiration for the hard-working people of Minnesota.

The Maintenance and Construction simulation model was focused on the key dynamics of highway building and maintenance operations. The short-term cycles of the work due to seasonal weather were visible, in addition to a memorable conclusion about the presence of a long cycle due to the tendency to put off expensive rebuilding projects.