title
Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) With SMS Compass for Safety Risk Analysis and Safety Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Support At No Cost to RTA
end
|
DESCRIPTION: Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) With SMS Compass for Safety Risk Analysis and Safety Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Support At No Cost to RTA |
AGENDA NO: Click or tap here to enter text. |
|
ACTION REQUEST: ☒ Approval ☐ Review Comment ☐ Information Only ☐ Other |
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Authorize the Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to negotiate and execute a CEA with SMS Compass for the development and provision of safety risk analysis and KPI support services, through a joint demonstration pilot (“pilot”) aimed at enhancing RTA’s Safety Management System (SMS). Under this CEA, services would be provided for a pilot demonstration period (“pilot period”) through June 30, 2028, and at no cost to RTA.
end
ISSUE/BACKGROUND:
body
In recent years, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has grown its relatively new safety oversight program with greater emphasis on using and analyzing safety data (reported by U.S. transit agencies) as a basis for benchmarking industry performance. The use of data to both measure safety performance and develop and implement safety risk mitigations is considered a core tenet of FTA’s National Public Transportation Safety Plan, pursuant to Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”) Parts 670 and 673.
For RTA, while processes are in place to collect, review, analyze, and report cross-functional safety data, staff do not use any dedicated system or application to conduct risk analyses or prioritize mitigations. Unfortunately, the tools and processes currently used by staff-for example, creating manual sheets of static data in Microsoft Excel-combined with outdated practices for intaking pertinent data (e.g. accident and incident data), as well as staff limitations, are proving to be cumbersome to manage, largely reactive and not proactive, and often difficult to translate to meaningful action. These limitations require staff to expend additional time and resources to keep up with the growing demand from oversight entities for dynamic trend analysis, risk prioritization, and reporting.
In early 2026, safety software provider SMS Compass approached the RTA Safety Department about an opportunity to participate in a pilot whereby SMS Compass would configure and test their platform while RTA would receive FTA-compliant safety risk analyses, KPI data products, and technical support. The draft CEA (“agreement”) and accompanying draft Statement of Work (SOW) were developed by both parties and reviewed by RTA’s Counsel.
The RTA Safety Department is seeking to leverage the no-cost agreement and participate in a pilot with SMS Compass, through June 30, 2028, to enhance RTA’s SMS and more effectively and efficiently utilize staff and resources, ultimately, to achieve safety goals and objectives.
end
DISCUSSION:
The analysis and KPI support that will be delivered by SMS Compass under this agreement will leverage RTA safety data-specifically that which is already reported to FTA’s National Transit Database (NTD)-to provide visualizations and insights, helping leadership evaluate and prioritize safety risks, determine corresponding risk mitigations, and measure program effectiveness.
Through this agreement, RTA will receive:
• Real-time, formal risk assessments generated from safety data to be provided by RTA;
• Targeted analysis allowing users to focus on specific risk types, operating modes, time periods, and trends;
• Action planning and tracking;
• Standardized KPIs and data reports that align with FTA and State Safety Oversight (SSO) requirements;
• Automated alerts for significant changes in trend movements or assessed level of safety risk; and
• Export functionality that generates Excel-based outputs such as risk registers to support analysis and decision-making.
The pilot will be managed by the Chief Safety, Security & Emergency Management or designee. RTA will provide data necessary for platform configuration and analysis and provide feedback to SMS Compass at regular intervals. SMS Compass will perform the services outlined in the SOW and provide onboarding, training, and technical support to ensure successful utilization of the software.
RTA retains full ownership of its safety data under this agreement. SMS Compass ensures that all RTA data remains private and is used only for generating insights, improving the platform, and delivering relevant reports. All data are stored securely in an encrypted location, adhering to enterprise security standards.
This software and the full support outlined in the agreement will enhance RTA’s SMS capabilities and help bridge the gap that often exists between real-time safety performance analysis and executive-level decision-making, ultimately resulting in safer transit operations.
RTA and SMS Compass will evaluate the software tool and may extend the term of the agreement with Board authorization. Note: Participation in the pilot does not obligate RTA to continue or purchase any future products or services from SMS Compass.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no cost to RTA under this agreement.
NEXT STEPS:
Upon approval, the Interim CEO will direct staff to negotiate and execute the CEA with SMS Compass. Upon execution, staff will commence the pilot with SMS Compass pursuant to the CEA and attached SOW.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Cooperative Endeavor Agreement
2. Statement of Work
3. Resolution
Prepared By: Michael (Mike) J. Smith
Title: Chief Safety, Security & Emergency Management Officer
Reviewed By: Tracy Tyler
Title: Chief Legal Officer
Click or tap to enter a date.
Ronald G. Baptiste Date
Interim Chief Executive Officer