This report summarizes information about the potential that environmental scanning activities offer the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT).
Environmental scanning activities help an organization to anticipate, evaluate, and prepare for situations or conditions that serve as obstacles or opportunities to move toward a future vision. Environmental scanning in its broadest sense includes marketing and strategic planning, as well as identifying emerging issues, setting priorities, monitoring the environment, interpreting information, and alerting management to the need for action.
The report highlights some issues for Mn/DOT to consider as it looks at using environmental scanning as a tool and makes specific recommendations for its incorporation.
Systems Thinking is the fifth discipline identified by Peter Senge in his book "The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization." An organization, or a group of people, that encompasses all five disciplines enables participating individuals to orient themselves within complex systems and to grow together as a learning team.
This project was a response to the Commissioner of Transportation's directive to broaden the Minnesota Department of Transportation's (Mn/DOT's) research investment to include the development of policy. The Office of Research Administration (ORA) adopted a System Thinking approach to defining and exploring how the Commissioner's directive could best be implemented.
