ERIC ED458346: Red Tape, Silver Hammers, & Shattered Ashtrays: What States and Communities Can Learn from Eight Years of Federal Reinvention.

40 Pages·2001·0.87 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 458 346
UD 034 566
AUTHOR Sylvester, Kathleen; Umpierre, Michael
TITLE
Red Tape, Silver Hammers, & Shattered Ashtrays: What States
and Communities Can Learn from Eight Years of Federal
Reinvention.
Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, MD.
INSTITUTION
PUB DATE 2001-00-00
NOTE
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DESCRIPTORS
Benchmarking; Federal Government; *Governance; Information
Technology; Internet; Local Government; Organizational
Development; Organizational Effectiveness; *Program
Evaluation; *Quality Control; State Government
*National Partnership for Reinventing Government
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This report presents lessons learned from the National
Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR) and offers advice for state and
local reinvention efforts, describing how NPR's leaders built political and
public support and focusing on five aspects of reinvention: getting started
(e.g.; creating a reinvention team, building relationships with the central
budget and management agency, creating reinvention labs, using stories and
measurements to build support, focusing on customers, and creating a sense of
urgency); unleashing untapped human potential (e.g., recognizing good ideas
that save money, moving decision making into the field, giving workers the
tools they need to do their jobs, enhancing the quality of work life, and
building performance partnerships); using benchmarks to improve government
processes (employee work groups and surveys, performance measures, and
using information technology to transform
one-stop customer service) ;
governance (government online rather than in line, user-friendly interfaces,
Internet applications, and using the power of place to build support for
and moving to balanced measures to assess results in terms of
change) ;
achieving agencies' missions and satisfying customers and employees.
(Contains 71 endnotes.)
(SM)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
(:)
00
EARN FROM EIGHT YEARS OF FEDERAL REINVENTIffN `
WHAT STATES AND COMMLJNTIES CAI
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Office of Educational Research end Improvement
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Headquartered in Baltimore, the
The authors would like to thank all the
Foundation is the largest private foun-
veterans of the National Partnership
dation in the nation dedicated solely to
for Reinventing Government, especially
the needs of vulnerable children and
John Kamensky and Pamela Johnson,
families. The Foundation's grants are
who shared their stories and insights
intended to help states, cities, and
with us. At the Social Policy Action
neighborhoods improve the life
Network, Kathy Reich provided
chances of the millions of American
thoughtful editing, and Melody
children at risk of poor educational,
Drummond assisted with the research.
economic, social, and health outcomes.
We are also grateful to Ira Barbell of
For more information, visit the
the Annie E. Casey Foundation and
Margaret Dunk le of the Institute for
Foundation's website, www.aecf.org.
Educational Leadership's Policy
Exchange. They provided invaluable
guidance and advice during the course
© 2001, The Annie E. Casey
of the project.
Foundation
Additional free copies of this report
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a
may be ordered from the Annie E.
private charitable organization dedi-
Casey Foundation at 410-223-2890,
cated to helping build better futures
or visit www.aecf.org.
for vulnerable children and families
in the United States. It was established
in 1948 by Jim Casey, one of the
founders of United Parcel Service,
and his siblings, who named the
Foundation in honor of their mother.
CONTENTS
Introduction
1
Overview
2
Getting Started
4
Strategies for Unleashing Untapped Human Potential
14
Moving to Balanced Measures
20
Benchmarking Studies
22
Using Information Technology to Improve Government
26
Conclusion
30
Resources
31
32
Notes
INTRODUCTION
NPR also changed the culture of
ne legacy of the Clinton State and local governments can
0
some agenciesand the relation-
learn a great deal from the history
administration was its eight-
of NPRboth from its successes
ship of the federal government to
year effort for "creating a govern-
its own employeesby measuring
and from its shortcomings. This
ment that works better, costs less,
the agencies against new kinds of
report harvests the lessons and
and gets results Americans care
about." Although the National
standards, some set by workers offers advice for state and local
Partnership for Reinventing themselves and some adapted from reinvention efforts. It focuses on
Governmentor NPRdid not
the private sector. Finally, NPR five important aspects of reinven-
tion: getting started, unleashing
changed relationships with state
achieve all of its ambitious goals, it
untapped human potential, using
did significantly reduce the size of and local governments by treating
them as full partners in producing
benchmarks to improve govern-
the federal workforce, cut adminis-
ment processes, using information
trative costs, use information tech-
results for the citizens they serve in
technology to transform gover-
nology to improve government common.
nance, and moving to balanced
interactions with citizens, and
reform the procurement system.'
measures to assess results in terms
of achieving agencies' missions and
satisfring customers and employees.
I
OVERVIEW
In 1993, the National
also imposed one important rule:
Excellence in Performance (STEP),
There would be no recommenda-
Partnership for Reinventing
and Oregon's Benchmarks. Local
Government (generally called tions for further study.
successes in cities like Sunnyvale,
NPR and formerly the National California, and Hampton, Virginia,
For eight years, beginning in 1993,
Performance Review) was born. also served as models. NPR's lead-
NPR would review the specific and
Its mission: Creating a government
ers focused less on what govern-
the generalfrom assessing the
ment should do and more on how
that works better, costs less, and
effectiveness of individual agencies
government should work. Former
gets results Americans care about.
and their unique functions to
NPR Deputy Director John
NPR was the tenth attempt in the
rethinking government systems
Kamensky says that instead of
20th century to reform the federal such as procurement and person-
taking the classic approach of reor-
nel. It would examine how govern-
government. All the earlier efforts
ganizing government, NPR "tried
including those of the 1937
ment functioned in its central
to fix what's inside the 'boxes'
offices and in the field in what
Brown low Commission, the 1949
rather than spending time and
Hoover Commission, and the 1983
NPR officials called "reinvention
political energy trying to move
Grace Commissionhad used the
labs." It would look to the private
the 'boxes."
same basic formula to engineer sector for innovations, such as
James R. Thompson wrote in a benchmarking tools, and adopt a
reform: Declare a crisis. Bring in
strong focus on customer service
the experts. Study the problem for
2000 article in the American
a limited time. Issue a report.
a mindset rarely associated with
Review of Public Administration,
"More than prior executive branch
bureaucracies. It would look to the
Declare success. Disband:
future of public administration
reform initiatives, NPR is directed
Few observers expected NPR to
at effecting change in the 'core
with advances in electronic govern-
be different. NPR was different,
ment and decentralized control.
technologies' of agencies and hence
however, right from the start
in the behaviors of rank-and-file
NPR's reported accomplishments
because it was led by Vice President
government employees."'
included cutting the federal civilian
Al Gore. NPR's leaders used a new
The effort focused on what could
workforce by 426,000 and recom-
set of strategies, many of them
mending to Congress about $177
be accomplished through executive
inspired by successful state efforts
billion in savingsof which
such as the Texas Performance authority as well as by legislative
action. And Vice President Gore
Congress approved $136 billion.
Review, Minnesota's Strive Toward
2
NPR'S MISSION: Creating a government that WOR KS BETTER,
COSTS LESS, and GETS RESULT& Americans care about.
Although a 1999 U.S. General
embraced reinvention; others chose
Accounting Office (GAO) report'
largely to ignore NPR. For the
concluded that these savings could
most part, NPR's savings were not
not be credited solely to NPR,
reinvested in efforts such as new
most agree that the initiative
technology and training; instead,
deserves a significant portion of
they were spent on programs that
the administration considered more
the credit.
politically popular. And NPR did
President Bill Clinton signed 50
not achieve its goal of revamping
directives and Congress passed
the civil servicethe one reform
more than 90 laws aimed at
that would have had the greatest
streamlining government opera-
influence on government effective-
tions. NPR also changed the
ness and efficiency.
relationship between the federal
government and many state and
Given these successes and short-
local governments by implementing
comings, the eight-year effort
flexible performance agreements in
yielded some important lessons for
state and local governments that
place of restrictive-grant programs.'
And finallyin the case of many
seek to reinvent their own public
agencies and departments of
agencies. Just as NPR looked to
governmentNPR profoundly
state reinvention initiatives for
changed both the way government
inspiration and cautionary tales,
workers view their jobs and the way
states and communities can look
citizens view their government.
to NPR's example for guidance on
what to doand what not to
It is important to say what NPR
doas they seek to make their
did not accomplish. It did not
own governments more efficient
build a strong rapport with
and responsive to citizens.
Congress. Results in the federal
agencies were uneven: Some
GETTING STARTED
ensure that agencies could not
Billy Hamilton is the deputy
In this chapter:
dump unwanted employees. NPR
comptroller of Texas. He also runs
Creating a reinvention team
veterans, including John Kamensky
the Texas Performance Review, and
Building relationships with the
and former Deputy Director
he worked on NPR. Hamilton
central budget and management
Beverly Godwin, suggest that
says Gore's decision to eschew
agency
using workers on loan from their
outside experts was the right one:
Reaching for low-hanging fruit
agenciesand not being required
"Consultants have a role, but they
Starting with the high readies
to pay their salariesworked to
don't have intimate knowledge of
Creating reinvention labs
NPR's benefit. To begin with, it
how the agencies work. They just
Using stories and measurements
meant that NPR did not have a
come in with a bag of tricks and
to build support
try to make them fit." large operating budget that oppo-
Focusing on customers
nents of reinvention could seek to
Learning from the private sector
The original NPR staff consisted of
undermine. And the notion that
Creating a sense of urgency
an interagency task force of 250
NPR was staffed by an elite corps
Pushing for legislative support
career civil servants, a few state and
of volunteerssome of the
local government employees who
brightest in governmentgave
Creating a Reinvention Team
were experts on reinvention in
credibility to the effort.
The NPR model was straight-
their own jurisdictions, and some
forward. Rather than bringing in
An immediate question arises about
consultants. The staff was divided
outside experts, Vice President Gore
into teamssome focused on
recruiting: How could agency and
insisted on using federal workers
department heads be convinced to
reviewing individual federal agen-
themselves, saying that the problem
part with talented workers, even for
cies, others focused on government
was the system, not the people in it,
a short time? One way, suggest the
systems such as procurement and
and that he trusted people in gov-
NPR veterans, was to include
personnel.
ernment to lead the reinvention
supervisors in meetings to keep
Recruiting the right people was
effort and fix the system. The idea
them apprised of ideas coming
crucial. The effort was staffed by
was based in part on the success of
from the reinvention effort and to
volunteers from federal agencies
the Texas Performance Review,
remind them constantly that their
who remained on their own
which had produced a reported
loaned employees would return to
agencies' payrolls. But NPR staffers
$2.4 billion in savings using
the agencies full of new ideas.
were chosen by NPR's leaders to
suggestions from state workers.6
4
How could agency and department heads be CONVINCED TO PART
WITH TALENTED WORKERS, even for a short time?
It was also important that the invi- folks on the brink of retirement.
additional point. He agrees that it
Interns saw everything in a new
was important to keep the effort
tation came from the vice president.
Says Hamilton, "If you can get a
light and networked tirelessly.
separate from OMB, but he says it's
commitment from someone of equally important to maintain a
A number of the people who were
high enough stature, the frontline harmonious relationship with the
about to leave government were
workers will rally around the budget agency. "I would advise
fearless. They had years of experi-
flagand they know the prob-
ence, they knew the problems, and governors to make sure that their
lems." There is another strategic
had nothing to lose by proposing
budget office is supportive. They
advantage. When such a reform
know where money is available."
change."
effort is spearheaded by an elected
One innovation that built strong
Building Relationships,with
official, says Hamilton, "agency
the Central Budget and
relations between NPR and OMB
heads can implement needed
Management Agency
was the President's Management
reforms and then blame it on the
When states and communities
Council (PMC), the creation of
elected official."
begin reinvention, Kamensky
which was among the first NPR
recommends that they keep their
recommendations to be adopted by
Robert Knisely, another NPR
efforts separate from their tradi-
the president. It brought together
veteran, suggests a slight variation
tional management agencies.
in the formula for staffing a state high-ranking political appointees,
"Management," he notes, "needs
or local government reinvention
designated as "chief operating offi-
to create order out of chaos ...
cers," from each federal department
effort. Knisely suggests adding
[Management needs] people who
people with "different rhythms"
and from selected major agencies
say no." A reinvention effort, he
to promote fresh discussions about
for regular-discussions about
suggests, "needs people who say
management and reinvention
'improving the public sector. He
go." In NPR's case, the initiative
efforts. The head of NPR sat on
suggests a mix of current employees,
was independent of the federal
the council, but it was chaired by
retirees with long years of govern-
Office of Management and Budget
OMB's deputy director for
ment experience, and university-
(OMB), the executive branch's
management. This arrangement
sponsored researchers.
management agency.
gave OMB a stake in reinvention,
Adds Pamela Johnson, former NPR
and it ensured that the top leaders
Bob Stone, a Pentagon veteran who
deputy director: "Two groups were
of the executive branch were focus-
was NPR's first director, makes an
invaluable to NPRinterns and
ing on management reform.
5
9
Because of the importance
of reinventing all of the
federal government, NPR
ATTEMPTED TO FOCUS
ON ALL AGENCIES
both internally and in the public
from
PMC became a critical force in
planning and implementing view. For NPR, this meant
the start. The vice president
mandated workforce reductions making government cost less by
obtained promises from
coming up with recommenda-
and in using balanced measures,
cabinet members to MAK E
harnessing information technology tions for savings that added up
REINVENTION A PRIORITY
to $108 billion and a plan to
to create an electronic government,
and coordinating the federal eliminate 252,000 federal jobs
and to assign top department
through attrition.'
response to the Y2K computer bug.'
officials to guide the project.
Some cabinet members and
These sizable recommendations
Reaching for Low-Hanging Fruit
did two things. First, they
One serious problem reinventors
agency heads were receptive;
grabbed headlines, which helped
face is skepticismfrom the
others were less so.
generate public attention for the
public, from politicians, and from
effort. Second, Texas's Billy
government workers themselves.
Hamilton says, the cuts were
The public and politicians have
necessary to build credibility
seen many reform efforts come and
"You can't just do a regular
go with little effect. Government
president obtained promises from
review and cut 5 percent from each
workers have outlasted many more.
cabinet members to make reinven-
department; you have to put some
Although it took NPR nearly eight
tion a priority and to assign top
blood on the sidewalk and make
years to achieve some of its more
department officials to guide the
them afraid of you," he asserts.
important reforms, NPR staff
project. Some cabinet members and
Making government cost less was
members were keenly aware that
agency heads were receptive; others
the achievement that allowed the
they needed to build credibility
reinventors the time to make
were less so. Kamensky advises state
quickly. As Godwin puts it,
and local reinventors to start with
government work better, which
"Acknowledging that [reinvention]
what he calls the "high readies"
was the more important goal.
is a long-term change is important,
the leaders who are eager to
but you still need short-term wins
Starting with the High Readies
beginand then lavish attention
Because of the importance of rein-
to make sure people play.
on their agencies. He suggests that
venting all of the federal govern-
when the high readies start produc-
By achieving the easily achievable, a
ment, NPR attempted to focus on
ing results, other agencies will be
reinvention team gains momentum,
all agencies from the start. The vice
encouraged to become involved.
6