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Lean in Government Starter Kit
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Chapter 1. Introduction
Since 2003, several state environmental agencies and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have achieved impressive results improving government processes using Lean methods. Numerous other federal, state, and local government agencies have also turned to Lean to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency of government programs and services. Environmental agencies have used Lean methods to advance their mission—protecting human health and the environment—in better, faster and cheaper ways. This Lean in Government Starter Kit – Version 2.0 is designed to assist interested government agencies in planning and implementing successful Lean improvement events. The Starter Kit builds on ideas presented in Volume 1 of EPA and ECOS’ Lean in Government Series, Working Smart for Environmental Protection: Improving State Agency Processes with Lean and Six Sigma.
The Starter Kit contains practical tools, resources, and tips for:
- How to get started with Lean;
- How to implement and manage the phases of a Lean event; and
- How to sustain and diffuse Lean activity within an organization.
The Starter Kit answers questions to help agency managers determine whether Lean is right for their agency, and presents ideas for agencies interested in expanding their Lean initiatives. Each section includes a set of downloadable resources that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of an agency.
Conducting a Lean improvement event is an eye-opening experience for agencies just getting started as well as agencies with significant experience implementing Lean. The rapid, dramatic, and transformative improvements that several public environmental agencies have achieved in recent years using Lean has piqued the interest of many more agency managers—even in large governmental agencies. At the same time, this excitement raises important questions:
- How can we get started with Lean?
- How do we implement Lean events?
- How can we sustain and diffuse the successes of our initial Lean activity?
Organized around three topics—getting started with Lean, implementing Lean events, and sustaining and diffusing Lean activity within an agency—this Starter Kit provides practical answers to questions that are likely on the minds of government agency managers. The Starter Kit focuses on ways to ensure that initial time and resource investments in Lean are highly successful. As some agencies are painfully aware, one or two poorly planned and executed Lean events can sour the agency on Lean and undo past progress. Conversely, a few well-executed Lean events can transform how agency personnel think about what is possible to achieve in terms of excellence in government.
Getting Started with Lean
Chapter 2 introduces Lean methods, explains how Lean is different from other initiatives, and helps agency decision makers consider whether Lean is right for their agencies. Key topics include:
- What Is Lean?: Lean is a process improvement approach and set of methods that seek to eliminate non-valued added activities or waste. Lean kaizen events enable rapid, breakthrough improvements in as little as a few days, while creating a continual improvement culture. Kaizen means “to change for the good of all” in Japanese.
- Why Do Lean?: Lean can dramatically improve the performance and effectiveness of agency processes in a relatively rapid time frame. Lean increases transparency and actively engages employees in finding ways to work better and smarter.
- How to Select a Lean Project: Focus Lean improvement efforts on processes with the most “pain” or the greatest perceived problems or in areas where there are supportive champions.
- How to Find Technical Assistance for Lean Efforts: There are a variety of technical assistance providers that exist to assist agencies through Lean implementation.
Implementing Lean Events
Lean event implementation consists of three phases: event planning, event implementation, and event follow-up. Chapter 3 provides guidance, resources, and tips for conducting a Lean event from start to finish, including:
- Event Planning: This phase ensures that a Lean event is well scoped and planned. From team selection to logistics to communication, preparation is essential for a productive Lean event.
- Event Implementation: Each Lean event is a journey that requires skilled facilitation and guidance as well as hard work from a committed team.
- Event Follow-up: Once the event has ended, effective follow-up is essential to complete remaining action items, to prevent backsliding, and to sustain the team-based focus on continuous improvement.
Sustaining and Diffusing Lean Activity
Once your agency has completed a Lean event, it is important to think strategically about how to sustain the improvements and, if desired, diffuse Lean throughout your agency. Chapter 4 discusses four models for deploying Lean in an organization, along with specific steps to sustaining and diffusing Lean activity. The chapter also discusses key strategies for getting more value out of Lean and for building a strong continual improvement culture across an agency. The possibilities are exciting, whether you plan to use Lean for targeted problem-solving or to transform the culture of your agency. Whatever your path, this Starter Kit will help you get the most out of your Lean events and activities