Enhanced Management of Steep Descents on the Road Network
Tender ID: 594517
Tender Details
Tender Description
Purpose
To facilitate comprehensive research and evaluation of current and emerging practices for managing steep descents on the road network, with a goal to enhance both the effectiveness and consistency, across Australia and New Zealand.
Additionally, the project aims to enhance driver awareness on the safe navigation of steep descents for heavy vehicles through communication and guidelines.
The research is to support informed decision-making and planning, ensuring the implementation of the most suitable and effective practices for Austroads members environments.
Deliverables:
This project will produce the following deliverables:
• A project plan, stakeholder engagement plan and data management plan
• A concise final report that includes the following:
o summary of the research informing a best practice guideline
o a Data Dictionary to ensure standardisation of terminology and data elements
• A comprehensive guideline that establishes best practices and a consistent approach to the content and delivery of steep descent management training and driver awareness materials
• A PowerPoint presentation on the final report (to be delivered in the webinar).
• A steep descent access toolbox talk kit designed for Road Managers and project stakeholders
• Optional: Video on safely navigating steep descents, designed for heavy vehicle drivers
• Project data with populated metadata spreadsheet [if applicable]
Also included as part of this tender are the following documents:
• Master Services Agreement outlining our Terms and Conditions. Please note that our Terms and Conditions are not negotiable.
All submissions that are research project based must adhere to the Austroads style requirements and the Australian Government Style Manual
Summary of Austroads Publication Requirements for Research Reports:
Consultants engaged to deliver research reports for Austroads are required to use a standard report template designed to ensure clarity, consistency, and accessibility across all published outputs. While the full template will be provided upon contract commencement, the following outlines the key requirements tenderers should be aware of:
General Formatting and Style
• Reports must follow the Australian Government Style Manual, particularly in relation to:
o Inclusive and accessible language
o Grammar, punctuation, and capitalisation (e.g. sentence case for most headings)
o Referencing and attribution
• Use pre-defined Austroads styles for all headings, body text, tables, figures, and captions. Manual formatting (e.g. changing fonts or colours directly) is not permitted.
• The Table of Contents must be auto-generated and kept updated.
• The report should be:
o Logically structured: Each section must contribute to the report's purpose.
o Consistent: No conflicting information or contradictions.
o Thorough: All aspects of the agreed scope must be fully addressed and justified.
Content Development Guidelines
• The Summary and Section 1 (Introduction) are mandatory for all reports.
• Reports must include appropriate referencing for external sources, data, and studies.
• Any copyrighted material used must have documented permission and be properly acknowledged.
• A qualified editor must review the report before submission to ensure correct grammar, spelling, and readability.
Figures and Tables
• All figures and tables must:
o Be sequentially numbered
o Include a clear caption inserted using the Microsoft Word Insert Caption tool
• Images and diagrams must be clear, relevant, and referred to in the text.
Technical Details
• Specific instructions are included for each section within the template (e.g. expected content, structure, and formatting).
• Reports must avoid "style corruption" often caused by copying and pasting formatted text—authors must verify styles remain consistent with Austroads' format.
• Reports should be reviewed to ensure there is no duplication, ambiguity, or omission of scope elements.
All submissions are to be submitted as a PDF at a maximum size of 10MB.
All submissions are to include a completed Tender Proposal Coversheet.
The naming convention for submissions is: [your Company name] – [Project No.] – [any internal reference numbers].
Location
New South Wales : Central West : Far North Coast : Far West : Hunter : Illawarra : Mid North Coast : Murray : New England : Orana : Riverina : Southern Highlands : Sydney
Queensland : Cairns & Far North Queensland : Gladstone : Mackay Whitsunday Region : Mount Isa & North West Region : Rockhampton : South East Queensland : South West & Darling Downs : The Central West : Townsville : Wide Bay Burnett
Victoria : Barwon South West : Gippsland : Grampians : Hume : Loddon Mallee : Melbourne
South Australia : Adelaide : Eyre & Western : Far North : Fleurieu & Kangaroo Island : Limestone Coast : Murray & Mallee : York & Mid North
Northern Territory : Barkly : Big Rivers : Central Australia : East Arnhem : Greater Darwin : Top End
Australian Capital Territory
Tasmania