Peter Field Is Finding The Right Solutions Through Problem Solving

The NPS team working on Fort Clatsop at Lewis and Clark National Historic Park.

What's your name and job title?

Peter C. Field, Transportation Branch Chief at the Denver Service Center.

Does curiosity and wonder play a role in being an engineer? If so, how does it impact you and your work?

Curiosity and wonder do play a role in being an engineer, but I would say the curiosity is more accurately described as being observant. Engineers tend to see a process where others see a result or simply see a bigger picture. Comedians are generally observant; they see something different than the rest of us and point out that observation in a funny manner. Engineers are like comedians in being observant, but engineers are generally not funny.

The impact to my work is that engineers can be seen as challenging to the overall idea of a project. That is not the engineer’s intent. As engineers, we are thinking through the processes needed for the engineering elements of the project and testing them to figure out what will work best. Effective communication of the engineering ideas and concepts is key to working with other disciplines.

What is one of your favorite facets about being an engineer? Or what might surprise people about being an engineer?

As an engineer, we have been trained in a process to work through problems. So much of an undergraduate degree in engineering is problem solving, checking the solution, and then checking the process used for the solution. Sometimes, we even solve the problem two different ways to verify the results. If you are on Oregon’s Highway 97 crossing the Crooked River Canyon 295 feet above the streambed, you want to be confident the engineers that designed the bridge were trained in process and checked their design thoroughly.

I enjoy having that training in problem solving, it helps when working with others to find solutions.

What might not surprise you is, in general, engineers are introverts. I have no data to support this other than observation and several jokes about engineers. That is not surprising to anyone reading this article, but what might be surprising is engineers do want to solve the right problem. When all disciplines work together, I personally believe the engineers are extroverts to making sure we are solving the right problem.

I had the opportunity to hear the CEO of Coleman Corporation speak. He defined insight as “insight is something when you hear it you know it is insight.” Coleman Corporation owns Stearns that makes life jackets. The CEO said there were engineers making life jackets float better, but the number of boating related drownings in the U.S. were not declining. It was when someone realized that if the life jackets were more comfortable, more boaters would wear them, and the number of boater drownings would decrease. That was insight. Stearns started making the inflatable life jackets that have become popular with boaters for their comfort, while still providing the floatation if needed. Just an example of needing to solve the right problem.

What is one of your favorite park projects that you've worked on and why?

One of my favorite park projects was rebuilding Fort Clatsop at Lewis and Clark National Historic Park. As an engineer working for Federal Highway Administration at the time, the opportunity to accept a detail to the National Park Service (NPS) to be the project manager for this effort was unique and professionally very rewarding. Led by then superintendent Chip Jenkins, the multi-disciplinary team worked to get Fort Clatsop rebuilt quickly while engaging the community in the effort. The fire that destroyed Fort Clatsop was on the eve of the bicentennial of the Corps of Discovery arriving at “Fort Clatsop 1”. The replica, or “Fort Clatsop 2”, was built in the 1950s by the community. As an engineer, my professional growth expanded working with historic architects, historians, archeologists, community members, and interpretation staff. We designed changes to the previous replica to make the rebuilt fort more historically correct. I learned what Lithic Debitage is (lithic = rock, debitage = French word for trash). We had an event to start rebuilding “Fort Clatsop 3” 200 years to the day that Corps of Discovery started building the original fort, December 10, 1805. Over 100 people attended that event and helped debark the donated logs. By the bicentennial of the time the Corps left, March 22, 1806, we had the log walls in place on the rebuilt fort. The event on March 22, 2006 celebrated the efforts of over 600 individual volunteers. This project was one of my favorites because of the community involvement and working inside the NPS for the detail.

Tell us about a unique or special technology or practice that you've had the opportunity to experience working with or using in your career? What problem did it solve?

One practice that has been very helpful for me professionally is facilitating risk management meetings for projects, generally with the selected contractor at the pre-construction meeting. As an effort to partner better, a risk management workshop can identify potential risks (and opportunities) and then assess the impact and probability of those risks (and opportunities). And then most importantly make informed responses to those risks.

For a project along the Salmon River in Idaho where the road would be completely removed during retaining wall construction, the risk of an emergency response was highlighted. After talking through the probably and impact of the risk, the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) staff said they had an extra ambulance in the fleet that they could stage at the construction site for quicker response. The solution was elegant, low cost, and most importantly developed as a team with the contractor, community, and the Federal Land Management Agencies. The risk assessment workshop also led the contractor to find an innovative way to construct the retaining walls using less time than was allowed in the contract. That lowered the number of days the road was closed and lowered the impact on the community. Having facilitated risk assessments for multiple projects, it was rewarding to see the process encourage a partnership with the contractors.

If your older self gave your younger self advice, what would it be?

My older self would give my younger self the advice of Bob Bryant, Oregon Department of Transportation Region 4 Manager, “We will not be remembered for what work we did, we will be remembered for how we did that work.”

In September 2015, President Obama was on “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” at Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. Bear asked President Obama if he would encourage his daughters to go into politics. President Obama said he would not encourage them to go into politics, however he would be supportive if they did. President Obama then said, “I encourage my daughters to be two things, useful and kind.” Hearing that comment by the President was insightful. Being useful and kind will help you in most situations in life.

This is the advice I would give my younger self, “Be useful and kind so that you are remembered for how you did you work. You will get more personal satisfaction from being remembered well than simply for solving the problem.” … and… “Try to work for (or with) the National Park Service. You will enjoy it.”

And, not all engineers are introverts.