Launching a Redesign Effort

Lessons from the Reinventing

Government Effort

John M. Kamensky, IBM Center for The Business of Government

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Overview of Clinton-Gore National Performance Review

Started 6 weeks into Clinton Presidency

Based on set of principles, guidelines

Staff of 250 civil servants at White House, plus teams in every agency

Six month deadline

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Overview of NPR

Advice from business leaders: focus on customers and listen to workers

1,200 recommendations -- reduce “overhead” by 252,000, fix systems, and save $108 billion

Continued and evolved over next 8 years

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What Did I Learn About Government Redesign?

The Process The Principles The Recommendations The Implementation The Aftermath The Lessons You Can

Apply

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The Process

Teams – for systems and agencies

Terms of Reference Tollgates Townhalls Timeline

Recommendations Report Rollout

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Examples of “Systems” Teams

Redesigning Management Systems Transforming Organizational Structures Mission-Driven, Results-Oriented Budgeting Improving Financial Management Reinventing Support Functions Reinventing Personnel Management Reengineering Through Info Technology Improving Regulatory Systems

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Initial Premises of NPR

• Focus on how Government works, not on what it should do

• Do not move “boxes”• Target overhead Don’t make recommendations to do more

studies• Tie administrative changes to policy priorities• Identify “Champions” for recommendations

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The Principles

Customers first Empower employees Cut red tape Create partnerships

Outcome: Increased Citizen Trust

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Others Have Principles, Too

Anticipatory Governance Results-Focused Governance Collaborative Governance Transparent Governance

“Four Strategies to Transform State Governance,” by Keon Chi

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The Recommendations

Cut overhead positions by 15 percent, consolidated mission support functions

Empowered front-line employees via waivers, reinvention labs

Emphasized customer service Used performance agreements, flexibility,

measurement

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The Implementation Phase

Created President’s Management Council Remaining staff focused on implementation

via networks, best practices, recognition, tracking

Increased transparency of performance using Balanced Scorecard

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NPR Implementation Guidelines

Focus on what works, not what doesn’t Be value/principle-driven, not rule-driven Be customer-centric, not agency-centric Focus on services and results, not agencies

and programs

Recommendations weren’t the ultimate goal – culture change was. . . But how?

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Insights During Implementation

Congress eats dessert first. Headquarters doesn’t cut headquarters; it cuts field. Departments don’t do work; bureaus do it.

Focus on them during implementation. Link reforms to mission and performance You can’t always trumpet your successes if you

want to keep them. . . . . . . But shining light on success begets more

success.

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The Aftermath

What continued

President Bush’s Management Agenda

President Obama’s Management Agenda

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What Continued . . .

Chief Operating Officers in agencies President’s Management Council Employee, Customer Surveys Emphasis on performance and results

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Bush Management Agenda

Bush Administration shifted from “let a thousand flowers bloom” to 5 centralized initiatives. Maintained course over 8 years.– Small handful of “catalytic mechanisms”– Scorecard public, follow through relentless– Simplify, unify technology– Build once, use many times – central standards,

architecture, investment decisions– Tie performance to budget

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Bush’s Strategic Themes

Citizens-centered Results-oriented Market-based

Outcome: Fiscal Responsibility and Program Accountability

Human Capital

Competitive Sourcing

Budget & PerformanceIntegration

FinancialPerformance

Expanded E-Government

June 30, 2003 Progress in Implementing the President's Management Agenda

E-GovHuman Capital CompetitiveSourcing

FinancialPerf.

Budget/Perf.

Integration

HumanCapital

CompetitiveSourcing

FinancialPerf. E-Gov

Budget/Perf.

Integration

AGRICULTURE

COMMERCE

DEFENSE

EDUCATION

ENERGY

EPA

HHS

HOMELAND

HUD

INTERIOR

JUSTICE

LABOR

STATE

How Bush Measured Progress

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Obama Accountable Govt Initiative

Drive cross-cutting and agency-level high priority goals

Promote Open Government, transparency, citizen role

Emphasize efficiency: technology spending, improper payments, customer service

Reform contracting, hiring processes

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Obama Uses Dashboards

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NPR attempted to go around central control agencies . . . PMA uses them heavily; AGI less so

NPR relied on temporary, dedicated staffing . . . . PMA relied on permanent staff, as supplemental task, AGI same

NPR attempted to engage front line . . . . PMA attempts to engage agency political leaders; AGI

hasn’t

NPR focused on recognizing success . . . . PMA focuses on scorecards of all; AGI dashboards for key items

Contrast between NPR, PMA, AGI

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The Lessons You Can Apply

Clear purpose, scope Support from the top A champion in charge Create sense of urgency to act Focus on mission, organize around

customers Quick wins, stories, measurement – builds

support for longer-term initiatives

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Break-Out Groups: 30 minutes

Two areas of conversation:

Where should we focus?– What themes, principles, strategies should we use?– What cross-agency initiatives make sense?

Are there “Fix-It Suggestions” we can act on now?

Result: Identify selected areas for action

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Final Insights:Agency Leadership Matters

Transformation is possible when pursued in a systematic way– Strategic plan, operating plan, tie to budget– Define customers, services & products,

strategies, processes and link to dollars– Measure relentlessly – organizational, team,

individual scorecards – and reward performance

Shift thinking from “agencies and programs” to “services and results”

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I Left REGO Inspired . . . .

There are transformational leaders that make a difference

– Ken Kizer, James Lee Witt, Joe Dear, Dan Beard, Dan Goldin

Employees saw the difference in their workplace: – 84 percent satisfaction

Citizens saw the difference: – 60 percent saw improvement by 2000.– Satisfaction almost equal to private sector.– Regulatory streamlining: artificial skin

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Resources NPR Archived Website

– http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr/index.htm

Sylvester & Umpierre, “Red Tape, Silver Hammers, Shattered Ashtrays: What States and Communities Can Learn From Eight Years of Federal Reinvention” Annie Casey Foundation (2001)

– http://www.aecf.org/publications/pdfs/Rego.pdf

Osborne & Plastrik, “Reinventors’ Fieldbook” Jossey Bass Publishers (2000)

IBM Center for The Business of Government– www.businessofgovernment.org

John Kamensky– john.kamensky@us.ibm.com; 202-551-9341

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