Letter of Transmittal: October 2, 2013
To: US Government Accountability Office GAO
From: Lawrence Rosier Principal Management Consultant
Subject: Proposal for Guidance of GAO leaders and the training of GAO Analysts to support a Pilot implementation of the General Reform Model in a selected Federal Government Agency.
This proposal is for Guidance of GAO leaders and the training of GAO Analysts supporting the implementation of the General Reform Model based on Enterprise Lean with Lean Teams to get the highest efficiency with the most effectiveness within a Federal Agency by bringing reform to the entire Agency.
This proposal meets all of the GAO criteria: We advise Congress and the heads of executive agencies about ways to make government more efficient,
effective, ethical, equitable and responsive.
The method builds upon the implementation of Toyota’s Enterprise Lean with both high level agency Management Lean Teams studying Agency systems and document flows and work place Functional Lean Teams studying all of the Agencies functions involving all its employees. The Lean Training of employees is done by Agency training staff after a train-the-trainer program provided by a certified Lean Trainer. The primary purpose of the Lean Teams is to find the best way to perform the Agency’s systems and functions getting the highest efficiency possible while improving the Agencies effectiveness. An added benefit of Lean training is to empower employees for innovation and continuous improvement of their job functions.
Currently the Government uses Lean Six Sigma with specially trained internal consultants with rankings of Black belts. While I support the use of Lean Six Sigma this approach does not reform an entire Agency making it more efficient and effective. This is accomplished in this proposal by implementing the General Reform Model developed by Lawrence Rosier.
Please Review the following Proposal for Guidance of GAO leaders and the Training GAO Analysts in the implementation of my General Reform Model. This document is intended to be used to promote understanding and to start discussion on consulting activities and may be altered to fit required situations. The Federal Government may modify the attached Proposal to fit its specific needs.
Regards Lawrence Rosier Principal Management Consultant
PROPOSAL to: US Government Accountability Office October 2, 2013
By Lawrence Rosier & Associates
Proposal for Guidance of GAO leaders and GAO Analyst Training to support a Pilot implementation of the General Reform Model in a selected Federal Government Agency.
By Lawrence Rosier Principal Management Consultant
This proposal supports the implementation of the General Reform Model developed by Lawrence Rosier Principal Consultant to be implemented by the proposed “GAO Enterprise Lean Commission” in a selected US Government Agency. The Method implements Enterprise Lean with both Management Lean Teams and Functional Lean Teams in a selected Agency.
The Lean concept was developed by Toyota to involve employees in increasing the efficiency and the continuous improvement of their jobs. The benefits to the Government are from efficient and effective operations but also the change in the way government employees view their jobs empowering them to innovate and make continuous improvements to their jobs. The General Reform Model uses the data developed by the Enterprise Lean Teams for Work Measurement and from that staffing and budgeting is determined.
Goals
The main goal is to maintain the services of the Agency while getting the highest efficiency possible and improve the effectiveness of the Agency by empowering its employees through Enterprise Lean training to innovate and make continuous improvement to the systems in their jobs. This is followed by reforms in staffing, budgeting and the Agency’s bureaucratic organization.
The Lean Team data is used by GAO Analysts for right-sizing and the development of a bottoms-up budget. The result is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the agency and will result in a reduction of Agency staffing. A major benefit is the transparency to the Legislative Oversight Committee of the Agency providing transparency of actual costs for each Agency function and the bottoms-up budget. The “General Reform Model” is a approach designed by Lawrence Rosier to accomplish these Goals.
Proposal Details
I suggest an early meeting to allow GAO leaders and staff members to become fully familiar with the logic of the method I am proposing using my General Reform Model with the following Phases.
Phase 1. Formation of a GAO Enterprise Lean Commission
The first step is the formation of a GAO Enterprise Lean Commission with broad powers to lead and implement reforms. I suggest that the Commission be co-chaired by a top level representative of the selected Agency and a representative of the GAO. This is necessary for legitimacy and to make sure that data developed through all Lean VSM data is accumulated in GAO bottoms-up databases. This is followed by the selection of the Agency where the General Reform Model is to be implemented.
I suggest that the day to day activities of the implementation be co-chaired by the Principal Consultant and an Agency representative. The Agency’s representative will be tasked with providing those employees who will participate in the implementation and their expenses such as equipment offices and meeting rooms.
The Principal Consultant will form and lead an Implementation Team with GAO Analysts. The required number is entirely dependent on those who can be made available and the size of the Agency. I do not bring any of my own staff to the job but chose to train current employees, GAO Analysts and Lean Facilitators to fill key jobs during the implementation. The advantage is that the knowledge they acquire in managing the new methods will stay within the GAO and the Agency and will be used for other continuing implementations of Lean.
Phase 2. Implementation of Enterprise Lean in a Selected Agency
The first act of the newly formed GAO Enterprise Lean Commission and the Principal Consultant is in planning for the implementation of Lean Teams throughout the Agency. The purpose is to resolve issues related to Lean training, Facilitators, GAO Analysts and specifically what the Lean Teams must do to meet the requirements for determining staffing and budgets. I suggest that a Certified Enterprise Lean Trainer be brought in to train the Agency’s training staff. Allowing employee Lean training to begin immediately by the Agency’s training staff. I also suggest that the Agency’s normal training curriculum be suspended and an all out effort be made for Enterprise Lean Training of all Agency personnel.
The training of staff members is done first followed by GAO and Agency management and then Lean Facilitators. Lean Facilitators organize and train each employee Lean Team functional work group which usually meets for one hour on a weekly basis. There are three major Lean Team endeavors, a high-level Steering Lean Team, a mid-level Lean team made up of mid-level managers to make document flows efficient and at-the-work-place Functional Lean Teams those who do the basic work of the Agency. The Steering Lean Team will report to the Principal Consultant and will provide assistance in the management of the implementation.
The Steering Team also has an alternate task when required to consolidate the Agency’s internal Services as described in Lawrence Rosier’s Consolidation Model. Mid level Lean Teams are tasked to study inter-department and agency document flows.
After a period of about three to six months most Functional Lean Teams, those that were organized and trained by Facilitators, should have their Value Stream Analyses completed. I have had success with doing the flow of the current method on long butcher or brown wrapping paper taped around a conference room on the walls. The proposed improved method is done directly under the current method to highlight the differences between the methods. I suggest that those Lean Teams having considerable savings present the improved method to Agency management. After the presentation the Lean study data is given to a GAO Analyst to determine the savings from the proposal.
Phase 3. Training of GAO Analysts
The Principal Consultant will play a key role in being sure that the Lean teams are properly trained and in the selection and approach of the high-level Lean teams. The Principal consultant will insure that the GAO Analysts can determine the correct staffing level through Work Measurement and determine any expenses needed during the process. Some Analysts may find the proper staffing for variable processes difficult to determine. If so the Analyst will defer to the Principal Consultant to make this determination. This data combined with the number of occurrences of the Function over time, obtained from a daily log kept by each Lean Team, provides the basis for an accurate bottoms-up budget. The data from the Lean study will be Transferred to a spread sheet by the GAO Analysts and summarized in a database where all of the Agency’s Functional Data is stored. The activities and training of the GAO Analysts is important and will be followed closely by the Principal Consultant.
Phase 4. Principal Consultant and GAO Analyst Special Activities
The Principal Consultant will make a final review of the data to determine the actual staffing required. Note that in most cases this is not a simple calculation due to variations in the times required to do some processes. Consolidation of Agency employees is required meaning most employees who currently do not have a full time job will have to be trained to also do a second job while other employees will become redundant.
Phase 5. Replacing the Bureaucracy with a Team Management
The Principal Consultant and the Implementation Team can now begin the process of organizational reform by replacing the Bureaucratic organization with a Team Management organization. The GAO Enterprise Lean Commission will assist in the selection of key managers largely from the Management Lean Teams. The Agency’s Top Management will manage the Agencies activities through Group Teams with each managing several Functional Teams. The Lean Teams at the Functional level will become self managed Functional teams with each of their elected leaders reporting directly to a Group Managed team. Group Managed Teams can assume their management role from the pre-organized high level Management Lean Teams. There is some flexibility in how this process actually occurs but it is necessary in order to eliminate the problems caused by the bureaucratic organization. This is also the period of time for right-sizing the entire Agency once it is known where staffing can be reduced. Layoffs should be completed within three months.
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Phase 6. Workload Planning and Scheduling
Efficiency is also improved with the application of Workload Planning and Scheduling. The process begins by first grouping functions by skill level and expertise. This is followed by developing a weekly Work Load Plan. As actual data is developed the plan is revised for continuous improvement. A Special skill is required in balancing the work load to give the remaining employees a full time job. This may be further complicated by jobs which continually change which will require the training of a Work Planner to balance the work load assignments for each employee on a weekly basis using a scheduling tool.
Results and Agreements
Current knowledge about Bureaucratic staffing has shown that nearly all bureaucracies are overstaffed by as much as 20% or more. Savings to the Federal Government for this implementation is largely from the salaries and benefits of redundant employees. Long term benefits continue from employee empowerment to innovate and make continuous improvement to their jobs. Other benefits are from the simplification of government processes. The Return On Investment is expected to be $100 for every $1 invested. Three months after the implementation of the General Reform Model projections for future savings can be made.
The Federal Government Agrees to Pay Lawrence Rosier & Associates a Fee per week for services rendered. This agreement can be canceled by either party with a one week notice. All consulting expenses such as travel, lodging, rental car, per diem are the sole responsibility of Lawrence Rosier & Associates.
The following Client signatures of the representatives for the GAO represents a general agreement that the GAO will follow the proposal’s outline of Lawrence Rosier’s General Reform Model as presented. The proposal may also be modified by mutual agreement. With the Client also agrees to the weekly fee required by Lawrence Rosier and Associates.
Lawrence Rosier & Associates 12143 Cedar Grove Rd. Rolla, Missouri 65401
573 364 8789, cell 573 578 4716
Email: Lawrencerosier4@gmail.com
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