Improving performance and increasing accountability @ Performance.gov

“If we believe the government can make a difference in people’s lives, we have the obligation to prove that it works – by making government smarter, leaner, and more effective…”

                                                         -- President Barack Obama

Amen to that! The problem: we need a shared definition of effective. Otherwise, one person's waste is another's requirement, and discussions break down along dogma-driven fault lines. A little tug and pull in Congress usually works to produce a reasonable compromise which satisfices the requirements. However, the recent debate over the debt crisis in this country revealed a government that is divided, ineffective, and not particularly smart. It is a national embarrassment that we formed a supercommittee of Congresspersons to attempt what the body as a whole was designed, and failed, to do.

The problem with using Congress to solve a problem that Congress created is--or ought to be--obvious.  As Albert Einstein said, “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

On 16 August, Newt Gingrich advocated using Lean Six Sigma instead of a "supercommittee" to sort through the competing demands and find the best value for tax payer dollars. Lean Six Sigma (L6s) is a combination of Toyota's Lean Manufacturing speed and Motorola's Six Sigma quality. I have certainly seen L6s work in "target rich" government environments, such as the Army staff. 

"The former House speaker is a big fan of the waste-cutting management philosophy popularized by Fortune 500 companies, and used a speech to the Heritage Foundation to press again for its adoption in Washington. “An intelligent Congress in a city that wanted to be intelligent would hold hearings, bring in the experts, figure out how to fundamentally change the government.”"

Read more: politico.com 

NPR recently highlighted Performance.gov, an organization designed to respond to the President's challenge to cut waste, save money, and better serve the American people, by providing data and analysis for data-driven decision-making.

"...Performance.gov provides a window on the Obama Administration's approach to improving performance and accountability. Performance.gov shows progress on the Administration’s efforts to create a government that is more effective, efficient, innovative, and responsive.

"Reforming how Washington works is an ongoing effort that demands vigilance and leadership. The Administration is strongly committed to investing in what works and fixing or cutting what does not. As part of this effort, the Administration is leading the “Campaign to Cut Waste,” an initiative to eliminate wasteful spending and get the most from taxpayer dollars throughout the government. Whether driving progress on top priorities or cutting the cost of delivery, government leaders at all levels are accountable for achieving results."  

Read more: Performance.gov

I would love to see Newt's idea catch on. In fact, I would love to be a part of using L6s to make our government more responsive. Could I get a job working for Performance.gov? Of course, I would need to arrange a month off each summer to facilitate a rolling Chautauqua on Pirsig's Metaphysics of Quality...

Hat tip to NPR