9 tips to make an efficiency initiative stick
An efficiency initiative is more likely to take hold if senior agency officials support it and if employees get involved in developing the initiative's goals, according to new report.
Agencies are working to run more resourcefully with fewer hurdles and less red tape as they consolidate their operations and reexamine programs and organizational structure. In studying agencies’ efforts, the Government Accountability Office found several techniques that agencies used to make the organizational cleanup efforts work.
From that, we've distilled some tips other agencies can use:
- Give senior officials charge over the initiative and had them lead sessions on how the implementing the initiative was going.
- Dedicate a team of people to guide the transition.
- Set up a timeline to accomplish the goals.
- Build momentum by sharing goals and charting progress from day one.
- Involve employees to gather their ideas and make them feel invested in the transition.
- Identify efficiency initiatives that can create immediate returns as well as more substantive, long-term changes.
- Find ways to pay for the upfront costs that come with long-term efficiency improvements.
- Share performance trends and best practices during regular sessions.
- Involve officials from agency headquarters and regional offices in those sessions.
About the Author
Matthew Weigelt is a senior writer covering acquisition and procurement for Federal Computer Week. Follow him on Twitter: @matthewweigelt.