Lean Government

Lean Government refers to the application of lean production (also known as "Lean") principles and methods to both identify and then implement the most efficient, value added way to provide government services. Government agencies have found that when Lean is implemented, they see an improved understanding of how their own processes work, that it facilitates the quick identification and implementation of improvements and that it builds a culture of continuous improvement.[1]

Lean for government focuses on governing and serving citizens with respect and continuously improving service delivery by cutting out "waste" and "inefficiency" in processes; this in turn will result in better services overall, engaged civil servants as well as more value for tax-supported programs and services. Generally, proponents also see that a Lean government is a means to expand the capacity of government to provide more services per unit of investment.[2]

Common methods and approaches

Many Lean manufacturing methods have been successfully adapted to identify non-value added activities (waste) in administrative, transactional, and office processes that are common in government agencies.[3] Common Lean methods include:

As more and more government services are delivered electronically, Lean government initiatives are commonly applications of Lean IT.[4]

Lean government approaches typically have the following characteristics:[5]

Lean government does not necessarily promote low taxes, only efficient use of those taxes levied. Tax policy is discerned by the legislative and executive branches of government with oversight of the judicial branch of government. Lean government is implemented by the administrative function of government through executive order, legislative mandate, or departmental administrative decisions. Lean government can be applied in legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.

Types of waste

Several types of non-value added activity, or waste (muda in Japanese), are common in government administrative and service processes. Lean methods focus on identifying and eliminating these wastes. The list below identifies common administrative process wastes.[6]

Administrative process wastes with examples

Wastes in administrative and service processes can relate to:

  1. collection, use, and management of information
  2. design and implementation of work processes
  3. the efficiency and effectiveness with which individuals work.[7]

Lean government activity

Numerous government agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the States of Iowa, Minnesota and Washington, are using Lean to improve the quality, transparency and speed of government processes. As in the manufacturing and service sectors, some government agencies are implementing Lean methods in conjunction with Six Sigma process improvement approaches.[8]

U.S. federal government

Some examples of federal government organizations with active Lean Government initiatives include:

U.S. state government

Some examples of state government organizations with active Lean Government initiatives include:

The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, works to support and coordinate information sharing among U.S. States implementing Lean Government approaches in public environmental agencies.[10][11]

U.S. local government

Some examples of municipalities where lean government practices have been implemented include:

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) supports a program to assist local government organizations to improve government processes using Lean.[14]

Canada - Saskatchewan Provincial Government

References

  1. See U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (March 2008) and Graham Richard (2008).
  2. Ken Miller, The Promise of Going Lean, Governing, May 21, 2009.
  3. Venegas, Carlos (2007). Flow in the Office: Implementing and Sustaining Lean Improvements. Productivity Press.
  4. Gilbert, Maria. The City of Cape Coral Enables Leaner Government with AMX and JD Edwards Reuters. March 6, 2009.
  5. "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Council of States, Working Smart for Environmental Protection: Improving State Agency Processes with Lean and Six Sigma". Publication #EPA-100-R-08-007. U.S. EPA. March 2008. p. 3.
  6. "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lean in Government Starter Kit: How to Implement Successful Lean Initiatives at Environmental Agencies, Version 2.0". U.S. EPA Publication # EPA-100-K-09-007, May 2009, p. 5.
  7. Carlos Venegas, Flow in the Office: Implementing and Sustaining Lean Improvements, Productivity Press, 2007, pp. 10-38.
  8. For example, see Michael L. George, Lean Six Sigma for Service: How to Use Lean Speed & Six Sigma Quality to Improve Services and Transactions, The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2003.
  9. "hud lean program expedites loan approvals". http://nreionline.com.
  10. Lee Garrigan. "PROJECTS". ECOS. The Environmental Council of the States. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  11. Staff (17 June 2011). "Lean". US EPA. EPA. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  12. Krings, David, Dave Levine, and Trent Wall, “The Use of ‘Lean’ in Local Government,” Public Management (PM) Magazine, International City/County Management Association, 88:8 (September 2006).
  13. City of Irving, Texas, “City Manager’s Report: February 4, 2009,” page 4, available at: www.cityofirving.org/city-manager/pdfs/city-manager-reports/2009/CMR-020409.pdf; see also video at www.sixthsigma.com/2009/09/irving-texas-utility-uses-lean-six.htm
  14. See http://icma.org/main/bc.asp?from=search&hsid=1&bcid=1126

Further reading