Worker Presence Subgroup Charter - usdot-jpo-ode/wzdx GitHub Wiki

Revised February 2022

The Transportation Subcommittee (TSC) Work Zone Data Working Group (WZDWG) Worker Presence Subgroup is the lead steward in accelerating the inclusion of worker presence information in the WZDx specification, and supporting the publication and use of these data to improve worker safety, alert drivers to reduce speed, signal to an Automated Driving System (ADS) to transfer control to a human driver before entering a work zone, and other potential uses. This subgroup is open to all Work Zone Data Working Group (WZDWG) members.

The Worker Presence Subgroup is chartered under the WZDWG, which itself is chartered under the FGDC Transportation Subcommittee.

The Worker Presence Subgroup is accountable to and provides recommendations to the WZDWG, which provides leadership and direction in the use and development of the WZDx Specification. This subgroup’s focus is on helping the WZDWG (data producers and users) develop a shared understanding of the steps required to incorporate worker presence information into the WZDx specification, making it possible for roadway operators to produce and data users to consume worker presence information in a harmonized manner. The Subgroup will help members of the WZDWG align on a common definition of worker presence, lead development of specification updates related to worker presence data, understand and prioritize the needs of data users, and identify best practices for producing this information while respecting privacy of workers and companies.

The scope of the Subgroup includes:

1. Stakeholder Engagement
   1. Interview data producers and data users to better understand their capabilities and needs for worker presence data, and to understand how well the worker presence updates in WZDx version 4.0 (v4.0) meet those capabilities and needs;
   2. Work with the WZDx Demonstration Grant awardees and other early adopters that are considering including worker presence information in their feed(s) to understand how they implement the new information, including which (if any) of the new properties they use;
   3. Raise awareness about recent changes to the WZDx specification that make generating and sharing worker presence data easier
2. Awareness and Education
   1. Develop a one-pager to educate members of the WZDWG about worker presence information, including its importance for improving worker safety, the value of including it info in WZDx feeds, and barriers to broader availability of it
   2. Investigate outcomes and issues that arose as part of stakeholder engagement conducted through FHWA’s Put Work Zones on the Map campaign.
3. WZDx Specification
   1. Review and evaluate how the new worker presence properties included in WZDx version 4.0 meet the need for worker presence information and create new GitHub issues for any proposed revisions or additions to the properties;
   2. Work with the Specification Update Subgroup and Smart Work Zone Subgroup on further updates to the specification to create real-time data about worker presence in a way that is accessible for data producers (including infrastructure owner operators, smart work zone vendors, and contractors) and useful for data consumers.  

Activity / Milestone	Expected Completion Date
Subgroup Kickoff Introduce co-chairs and review subgroup purpose and scope. Discuss proposed activities and timeline for current development cycle.	January 2022
Interview data users Identify prospective WZDx data users who have expressed interest in using worker presence data. Meet with data users to discuss worker presence information needs and barriers, such as the data quality, update frequency, etc.	March 2022
Interview data producers Identify data producers planning to integrate worker presence in their systems. Participate in interviews with jurisdictions planning to include worker presence information in their WZDx feed to learn about their process.	May 2022
Develop one-pager encouraging adoption of Worker Presence object Document the importance for improving worker safety and the value of including worker presence info in WZDx feeds based on conversations with data users and data producers. Document strategies to overcome barriers to the publishing accurate and reliable worker presence information. Publish and share one-pager with the WZDWG and broader community.	June 2022
Present to Work Zone Data Working Group Present findings to the Work Zone Data Working Group at the semi-annual meeting in mid-July	Mid-July 2022

The WZDx Worker Presence Subgroup co-chairs shall be from organizations which are active in the development and application of policies related to the creation, publication, consumption, mapping, and analysis of data relevant to the mission of the WZDWG. The subgroup should have a minimum of two (2) and maximum of four (4) co-chairs that represent both data producers and users.

1. Subgroup meetings shall be held at the request of the subgroup co-chairs and conducted as needed to meet subgroup objectives. The tentative meeting dates are posted above.
2. Meetings will be held in-person or virtually.
3. Agenda items will be coordinated with other subgroup members and will be available at least five days in advance of proposed meeting dates.
4. This subgroup charter shall be reviewed and updated as deemed necessary by subgroup leadership.
5. Issues that need to be resolved will be relayed promptly to the WZDWG chair and/or co-chairs for schedule and resolution.
6. The subgroup may establish additional rules and procedures for conducting business.

The subgroup will employ the tools best suited to meet its responsibilities, e.g., the use of teleconferences, GitHub, and webmeetings. Subgroup co-chairs will coordinate working group activities with other WZDx subgroups, the larger WZDWG, the FGDC Coordination Group, and other appropriate parties that are necessary to accomplish key activities, effectively growing the geospatial community.

The subgroup shall develop an annual summary of accomplishments and planned activities which shall be presented to the WZDWG Chair.

The WZDWG Chair may request that the subgroup prepare special reports, white papers, technical papers, briefings and the like to address pertinent issues, crosscutting activities, and/or urgent matters consistent with larger FGDC community needs. These requests may come from one or several FGDC offices - the Office of the Secretariat, Coordination Group, or Member Agencies. The Worker Presence Subgroup, through the WZDWG Chair, will submit content for the FGDC Annual Report each year, as requested by the FGDC Secretariat.

The subgroup shall publish information about its activities on the WZDx GitHub wiki page (https://github.com/usdot-jpo-ode/jpo-wzdx/wiki). References may need to be established between independent sites and the FGDC Transportation Subcommittee site.

This charter will remain in effect for a maximum of twelve (12) months, or until amended, replaced, or terminated by the WZDWG Chair, the Transportation Subcommittee Chair, the FGDC Steering Committee, or the FGDC Coordination Group.

This charter shall be posted on the GeoPlatform Communities web site (https://communities.geoplatform.gov/ngda-transportation/work-zone-data-working-group/) as well as the Work Zone Data Exchange GitHub wiki page (https://github.com/usdot-jpo-ode/jpo-wzdx/wiki).