Planning and Approach

The proposal for a PPP scan was evaluated and selected by a group made up of FHWA representatives and National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project Panel 20-36 members. After scan team members were selected, a desk study was completed to identify candidate countries for the scanning study. The desk study involved literature reviews, expert interviews, and synthesis. Based on the desk study, the team selected the most appropriate and promising countries to visit.

Subsequently, the team prepared a panel overview document, which was sent to the host countries to prepare

Figure 1. Scan team members at the headquarters  of Estradas de Portugal, S.A

them for the U.S. delegation. The panel overview explained the background and scope of the study, its sponsorship, team composition, topics of interest, and tentative itinerary.

Before conducting the scanning study, the team prepared a comprehensive set of amplifying questions to further describe and refine the panel overview document. Development of the amplifying questions was an iterative process, and the questions were designed to acquire information relevant to the scan's objectives while remaining general enough to capture unanticipated data the host nations might provide. Appendix B lists the scan's amplifying questions.