NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR HIGHWAY QUALITY

The National partnership for Highway Quality (NPHQ) is the successor name for the former National Quality Initiative. NPHQ is dedicated to continuous quality improvement in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance operations of the nation's highways. The member organizations that comprise the NPHQ Steering Committee consist of the following highway industry organizations:

• American Association of State Transportation Officials
  
• American Concrete Pavement Association
  
• American Consulting Engineers Council
  
• American Public Works Association
  
• American Road and Transportation Builders Association
  
• American traffic Safety Services Association
  
• Associated General Contractors of America
  
• Asphalt Institute
  
• Federal Highway Administration
  
• National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association
  
• National Asphalt Pavement Association
  
• National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

NPHQ is a partnership that is guided by a Steering Committee composed of Representatives from each of the member organizations. This committee is co-chaired by a representative from the AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways and by a representative of private industry members of NPHQ. Program activities and operations are guided by a long-range plan, which was developed with objectives focused on continuing to improve the quality of highways in the United States.

The NPHQ Steering Committee leads this program and strives to get all of the States to consider using good practices that are being successfully used in various state highway programs. Four subcommittees, an Administrator, and a Secretary carry out the directions of the Steering Committee.

The Awards Subcommittee oversees the NPHQ awards programs. It evaluates nominations and makes recommendations to the Steering Committee for the selection of award winners. It strives to increase participation of the states in these awards and it monitors the NPHQ awards programs to ensure their adequacy and effectiveness. The Awards Program consists of the NPHQ National Achievement Award and the NPHQ Making A Difference Awards, which are given in alternate years.

The Communications Subcommittee guides the NPHQ outside communications, publications, marketing and web site. It leads the NPHQ Special Communication team that channels information about the NPHQ program through the member organizations.

The Measurements Subcommittee is responsible for verifying and providing data that shows the quality of the Nation's highways. It evaluates the measures being used to validate quality improvement and is constantly searching for new measures. The subcommittee shares information with other subcommittees for use in their areas of responsibility.

The State Quality Programs works to promote local quality programs in the various states and in the local road and street programs. It guides the NPHQ State Quality Program Lead States Team, which is able to serve as mentors to other State Quality Programs that want to start or improve an existing program. It also monitors the accomplishments and innovations being implemented by the State Quality Programs and forwards that information to the Awards and Communications subcommittees for consideration.

NPHQ strives to be aware of customer needs and to champion and encourage implementation of successful strategies used by state, county and/or city highway, road, and street programs. It emphasizes the use of customer-focused contracts and customer-focused project delivery teams that complete construction and maintenance work in a more timely, less-disruptive, and safer manner for the customer and the driving public.

Major improvements in highway quality have occurred during the eight years that NQI promoted improving the Nation's highways. Significant increase in the number of vehicles and miles driven has also occurred during this same period but there has been very little increase in highway mileage. These facts mandate that highway work must be cost-effective and provide longer service life. Major portions of the U.S. highway system are 30, 40, even 50 years old. This aging infrastructure presents challenges for state highway agencies and contractors to upgrade, rehabilitate, and maintain. These challenges dictate that these projects must be cost effective, take less time to build and open to traffic, are high quality, and last longer. Highway engineers and contractors must also look for new and innovative techniques and practices that improve highway work and better satisfy the needs of today's highway users. Higher quality and longer lasting highways occur when state highway agencies, designers, contractors, and suppliers come together and cooperate as project delivery teams that are customer-focused and quality oriented.

While customer satisfaction surveys show that much of the public believes that the highway system has improved, they also show that the public expects their highways to continue to get better. The National Partnership for Highway Quality (NPHQ) is the only nationally formed organization that combines public and private highway expertise in an effort to promote keeping the Nation's highway system in the highest quality condition possible and to improve its safety and service to the public. The NPHQ Steering Committee earnestly solicits your interest, support, and participation in this important mission.

Questions about NPHQ or requests for additional information should be directed to NPHQ Administrator Bob Templeton at telephone number (512) 301-9897, or e-mail address btemplenphq@aol.com. Come visit NPHQ's web site at www.nphq.org.