Partnering Activities
National Association of County Engineers (NACE)

The National Association of Transportation Technology Transfer Centers (now the National LTAP Association) and the National Association of County Engineers (NACE) agree to formalize our partnering to work together to foster a safe, efficient, environmentally sound transportation system by applying new transportation technologies to benefit current and future transportation system users and by expanding and strengthening the skills and knowledge of county engineers and their staffs through training, technical assistance and technology transfer.

Goals

• Improve cooperation by establishing effective communications links between NATTTC and NACE at the national level.
• Encourage the formation of partnerships and strengthen existing partnerships between state organizations of county engineers and Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) and Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) T² centers in their respective states for the purpose of improving the delivery of services and increasing the quality and quantity of training, technical assistance and technology transfer between both parties.

This partnering agreement:

• Provides a framework for action for the two national organizations (see attachment A) and
• Suggests actions that state organizations of county engineers and LTAP and TTAP T2 centers in their respective states can take to form new partnerships or strengthen their existing partnerships (See Attachment B)

Attachment A - Action Plan for Partnering Agreement between National Association of Transportation Technology Transfer Centers and National Association of County Engineers (1997-98)

NATTTC and NACE agree to undertake the following actions by December 31, 1998 to implement their goal of promoting effective communication and cooperation between the two organizations:

• Invite a representative of the other organization to serve on at least one advisory committee, review panel ort other group charged with assessing needs for, designing and evaluating training and technology transfer programs; for example, on the committee planning the program for the organization's annual conference.
• Provide articles of mutual interest for publication in the other organization's national newsletter.
• Increase attendance by members of one organization to the other's annual meetings and at County Road Advisor's and other stakeholders' meetings.
• Encourage both parties to provide workshops, breakout sessions and presentation in connection with their respective national conferences.
• Explore the possibility of jointly developing training materials or informational publications.
• Evaluate the results of these actions in furthering the partnering goals and develop a new action plan for subsequent years.

Attachment B - Suggested Actions to Promote Partnering between Local and Tribal Assistance Program Technology Transfer Centers and State Organizations of County Engineers

LTAP and TTAP T² centers and state organizations of county engineers are free to choose any of these actions listed below which they consider appropriate for their partnerships or develop their own action items.

• Develop a common cooperative approach or direction to address the needs of counties and LTAP and TTAP T² centers in their respective states.
• Encourage the development and execution of a partnering agreement between the two organization that includes an Action Plan detailing specific activities and time frames to implement the partnership.
• Appoint liaisons between the partners, one from each organization, to maintain lines of communication between the two organizations.
• Invite members of one organization to serve on the other organization's advisory committees, review panels and other groups charged with assessing needs for, designing and evaluating training and technology transfer programs.
• Coordinate the scheduling of conferences and training sessions, for example, provide speakers or trainers for one another's conferences and educational programs.
• State organizations of county engines provide updated membership information for LTAP mailing lists in their respective states.
• Encourage the adoption of new technologies to foster a safer, more efficient and environmentally county transportation system; for example, a state organization of country engineers could help identify appropriate sites for LTAP demonstration of new technologies.
• Exchange articles on topics to mutual interest for publication in one another's newsletters.