Our operational process
In order to cost efficiently ensure relevant member services, NTM operates in a project-oriented organization. This is crucial for our ability to deliver and meet member needs meanwhile our long-term credibility is maintained.
Operation, maintenance and development
The daily operation is carried out through a small secretariat staffed by the following functions:
- Managing director, responsible for the daily operation
- Accounting administration responsible for book keeping and invoicing
- Authorized externals auditor
The work of NTM is to develop and provide credible:
- Measuring tools based on solid data and methodologies
- Relevant default benchmarking data
- Trailblazing examples of environmental improvement measures within mobility and logistics services
- Meetings, conferences and educations
In essence, the aim is to support our members´ ambition to develop transport solutions with less environmental impact.
Key to this mission is to secure sufficient financial resources for the operation and development. Fulfilling member needs through relevant services tools and data hopefully motivates the annual membership fee which is the core financial revenue. To further develop tools and services, activity financing from public and private funding is an additional financial source that primarily supports specific development needs. NTM also offers access to NTMCalc web services through a licence fee.
A crucial part of NTM is also to accomplish cumulative learning. This means that NTM participates in a number of externally financed projects together with other organizations where results as new applications, data and methods can enrich and improve the tools of NTM.
Formal process for deciding on new data and methods
Using the best available data and methods has ever since the start of NTM been a pragmatic strategy. When better and/or more accepted data and methods have been found NTM normally make use of this new information.
Implementation of new data and methodologies in tools and guidelines is determined by below decision hierarchy of NTM.
Level | Decision level | Advisor | Example of question |
1 | Member meeting | Reference group 1 | All other issues |
2 | Board | Reference group 1 | Energy carrier questions |
3 | Focus area responsible 2 | Project group 3 | Allocation rules for a passenger train |
4 | Traffic mode expert 4 | Project group 3 | Energy use for a specific locomotive |
All decisions must comply with the above hierarchy if there is uncertainty or controversies
- The reference group is linked to projects or activities and can support in difficult questions.
- Focus area responsible in the board i.e. Goods & logistics, Travel, Fuels and Transport procurement
- The project group replaces the present working group, but is fundamentally the same function. The main difference is that after finalized project the project group is terminated.
- The traffic mode expert for each mode of traffic is presently being appointed. It is likely that more than one expert is needed e.g. trucks, buses and cars.
Project- and activity management
Our projects and activities management include:
- Ordering part/Steering group
- Reference group (when needed)
- Project and activity responsible persons
- Budget
- Timeline, milestones and deliverables
- Final reporting requirements
The project must fit into the total annual budget of NTM that is determined by the board and members.