Joint Task Force on Managing the Impact of Digitalization on the DOT Workforces

Joint Task Force on Managing the Impact of Digitalization on the DOT
                            Workforces
                         Glossary of Terms

Civil rights:
The rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th and 14th amendments to
the Constitution and by acts of Congress.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civil%20rights

Data Analyst:
Data Analysts (DA) tend to be employees who are effective not only at creating reports or performing
statistics but also have a grasp of a programming language/s and have the ability to work within
different databases. In many ways DA are technical generalists who can solve a wide range of problems
using a variety of different tools. They are typically less technically specialized than a professional
computer programmer or a Data Scientist.

Data governance:
Data governance is the exercise of decision-making and authority for data-related matters. It is
a system of decision rights and accountabilities for information-related processes, executed
according to agreed-upon models which describe who can take what actions with what
information, and when, under what circumstances, using what methods.
http://www.datagovernance.com/adg_data_governance_definition/

Data Scientist:
Data Scientists (DS) are typically either Data Analysts or professional programmers who have chosen to
specialize in Data Science. Data Science is composed of many different things. However, typically DS
will work on projects that involve building a model that can ‘learn’ and ‘make decisions’ much the way a
human does. This is called ‘Machine Learning’ and is changing the face of nearly every industry. Credit
Card companies are using it to detect fraud, applications like SnapChat and Instagram use it to allow you
place funny images or masks over the users face, and Face Book uses it to help you figure out who is in
the pictures you upload. DS are typically very specialized in a programming language/s and can act as a
semi-professional-developers.

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Digitalization (of industries and organizations)i:
The 'organizational process' or 'business process' of the technologically-induced change within
industries, organizations, markets and branches. Digitization of business and organizations has
induced new business models (such as freemium), new eGovernment services, electronic
payment, office automation and paperless office processes, using technologies such as smart
phones, web applications, cloud services, electronic identification, blockchain, smart contracts
and cryptocurrencies, and also business intelligence using Big Data. Digitization of education
has induced e-learning.
The academic discussion surrounding digitalization has been described as problematic as no
clear definition of the phenomena has been previously developed. A common misconception is
that digitalization essentially means the usage of more IT, in order to enable and take
advantage of digital technology and data. This early definition however, has largely been
replaced by the above definition, now linked to holistic views on business and social change,
horizontal organizational and business development, as well as IT.

Diversity:
The condition of having or being composed of differing elements, especially the inclusion of
different types of people (such as people of different races or cultures) in a group or
organization.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity

Enterprise architecture:
A discipline for proactively and holistically leading enterprise responses to disruptive forces by
identifying and analyzing the execution of change toward desired business vision and
outcomes. EA delivers value by presenting business and IT leaders with signature-ready
recommendations for adjusting policies and projects to achieve target business outcomes that
capitalize on relevant business disruptions.
https://www.gartner.com/it-glossary/enterprise-architecture-ea/

Equal employment opportunity:
Equal employment opportunity is an employment practice where employers do not engage in
employment activities prohibited by law. It is illegal for employers to discriminate against an
applicant or employee on the basis of: race; age; color; sex; religion; or national origin.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-equal-employment-opportunity-definition-laws-
policies.html

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Growth mindset:
In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through
dedication and hard work – brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a
love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. – Dr. Carol Dweck
HBR article: https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means

Human capital plan/strategy:
A central pillar in the strategic management of human capital is the alignment of human capital
strategies with agency mission, goals, and objectives through analysis, planning, investment,
and management of human capital programs. Human capital planning is the method by which
an agency designs a coherent framework of human capital policies, programs, and practices to
achieve a shared vision integrated with the agency’s strategic plan.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/human-capital-management/reference-
materials/strategic-alignment/keycomponents.pdf

Inclusion:
The act of including someone or something as part of a group, list, etc., or a person or thing
that is included. The idea that everyone should be able to use the same facilities, take part in
the same activities, and enjoy the same experiences.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/inclusion

Knowledge management:
Knowledge Management is a collection of policies, processes, and practices relating to the
cultivation, identification and documentation, utilization, sharing, and retention of
intellectual/knowledge-based assets in an organization. It is a management practice that fosters
collaboration across organizational and disciplinary boundaries and links people who have the
requisite knowledge with those who need it to do their jobs. (AASHTO CKM briefing paper
2018)

Learning culture:
A learning culture consists of a community of workers instilled with a ‘growth mindset.’ People
not only want to learn and apply what they’ve learned to help their organization, they also feel
compelled to share their knowledge with others.
https://shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/Pages/0515-learning-culture.aspx

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Master Data Management (MDM):
A set of processes and tools that consistently defines and manages the non-transactional data
entities of an organization. An MDM strategy defines the process for cleansing the data,
harmonizing the attributes, and ensuring that all required information is present.
https://www.earley.com/blog/why-taxonomy-critical-master-data-management-mdm

Micro-aggression:
A comment or action that is subtly and often unintentionally hostile or demeaning to a member
of a minority or marginalized group.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/microaggression-words-were-watching

Ontology:
High-level knowledge and data representation structure. Ontologies provide a formal frame to
represent the knowledge related with a complex domain, as a qualitative model of the system.
Ontologies can be used to represent the structure of a domain by means of defining concepts
and properties that relate them.
https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/knowledge-based-support-medical-work/21117

Organizational culture:
The set of shared values and norms that controls organizational members’ interactions with
each other and with suppliers, customers, and other people outside the organization. An
organization’s culture is shaped by the people inside the organization, by the ethics of the
organization, by the employment rights given to employees, and by the type of structure used
by the organization. (Jones, G. (2013) Organizational theory, design, and change, seventh
edition, Prentice Hall. p9.)

Organizational learning:
Organization-wide continuous process that enhances its collective ability to accept, make sense
of, and respond to internal and external change. Organizational learning is more than the sum
of the information held by employees. It requires systematic integration and collective
interpretation of new knowledge that leads to collective action and involves risk taking as
experimentation.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organizational-learning.html

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Performance measurement:
Performance measurement analyzes the success of a work group, program, or organization’s
efforts by comparing data on what actually happened to what was planned or intended.
Performance measurement asks, “Is progress being made toward desired goals? Are
appropriate activities being undertaken to promote achieving those goals? Are there problem
areas that need attention? Successful efforts that can serve as a model for others?”
http://www.phf.org/resourcestools/Documents/PMCguidebook.pdf

Source of truth (for data):
The source of truth is a trusted data source that gives a complete picture of the data object as a
whole.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/difference-between-system-record-source-truth-santosh-
kudva/

Strategic workforce management:
A systematic approach used to predict, prepare for, and manage workforce needs. It
aligns the needs and priorities of an organization with those of its workforce in order to
place the agency in the best position for ongoing success.
The most common elements of strategic workforce management include: forecasting;
succession planning; workforce development; employee wellness and engagement;
employee recognition; recruitment; retention; diversity and inclusion; and change
management.

System of Record (for data):
A system of record is the authoritative data source for a given data element or piece of
information.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/difference-between-system-record-source-truth-santosh-
kudva/

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Talent management:
A unified strategy designed to help organizations make the best possible use of their human
capital now and in the future, to use their human capital to help meet the organization’s vision,
and to ensure the maximum return from their talent by creating an attractive organizational
culture that encourages happiness and commitment.
https://www.hrzone.com/hr-glossary/what-is-talent-management

Taxonomy:
“Semantic architecture” – naming things and making decisions about how to map different
concepts and terms to a consistent structure. Taxonomy includes mechanisms for
understanding context and making meaning precise. Taxonomies can represent related
concepts that can be used to connect processes, business logic, or dynamic/related content to
support specific tasks.
https://www.earley.com/blog/why-taxonomy-critical-master-data-management-mdm

Technology:
The branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their
interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial
arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/technology

Workforce development:
Workforce development is the coordination of public and private-sector policies and programs
that provides individuals with the opportunity for a sustainable livelihood and helps
organizations achieve exemplary goals, consistent with the societal context.
https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/bridges/spring-2010/what-is-workforce-development

i
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_transformation

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