Frequently Asked Questions about Lean

1.  **Are we compromising environmental protection?\
    **This is not about loosening environmental regulations or our
    agency's commitment to environmental protection. We are looking for
    efficiencies in workflow, paper processing, number of steps in our
    process, etc. In fact, our goals are to enhance our ability to
    protect the environment by being able shift more time and resources
    on environmental protection activities.

2.  **Will anyone lose his or her job by making this process so
    efficient?\
    **Our people are very important and will continue to be part of this
    agency. Some people's job duties may change and some may have
    different office locations or configurations. But all staff will
    remain part of this agency.

3.  **Municipalities, consulting engineers, and other external entities
    slow down the permitting process. How are they involved, and who
    will make them more efficient?\
    **Outside stakeholders will take part in the event to help identify
    opportunities and concerns. However, this is not about how other
    organizations conduct processes, which we cannot control. Rather, we
    are focusing on what we can control, and that is how we move a
    permit through the approval process.

4.  **What guarantees do we have that this will actually help the
    process?\
    **Lean is a proven methodology used to break through barriers and
    cut through bureaucracy, helping teams reach their goals.

5.  **Why are we doing this on \[Event Name\]? Why not another issue?\
    **First, \[Event Name\] meets the three criteria for undertaking a
    Lean event: it should be a large-volume process; it should use the
    same steps every time; and it should be a core business activity.
    Second, we see this issue as an integral step to improving the water
    quality in the State.

6.  **Have we messed up? Have we done something wrong?\
    **The \[Agency\] is proud of the professionalism and performance of
    this staff. Conducting a Lean event is a way to enhance that
    performance. The goal is to give people the tools to do their jobs
    better. Each of us, in our own work areas, could benefit from that
    type of assistance.

7.  **Is this a test of my job performance? Will I get in trouble for
    not doing well in my job?\
    **These events are performed under the assumption that everyone
    involved is already doing their best---but that with some
    assistance, efforts can be altered to lessen steps, delays, and
    time, with no loss of performance or quality. Improvements will
    focus on reducing the time that no one is working on a project. The
    time it sits in someone's in-box or is waiting for a reply is waste
    that can be reduced.

8.  **How can you expect to get meaningful change in one week?\
    **These events are specifically engineered to achieve results in an
    intense, one-week work session. Additionally, preparation has taken
    place prior to the actual event.

9.  **How can they understand something as complex as \[Event Name or
    Process\] in a week?\
    **The participants will learn the steps in the process, not how to
    conduct the process. The process will be laid out in graphical form
    to make it easier to understand the sequence and how steps are
    interrelated.

10. **Who is involved and why?\
    **The team that will be designing the new process is composed of
    \[Team Members\], other Agency employees involved in the \[Event
    Name\], and some of the people who are impacted by the process or
    who impact the process. All of these different viewpoints are
    important in designing a better process.

11. **Even if I'm not directly involved on the team, what will I need to
    do during that week?\
    **You may be asked questions by the team members to clarify your
    part in the process. Please take the time to answer their questions
    completely. Team members may also ask to observe and time you while
    you complete a step in the process or discuss the time necessary to
    complete a step.

12. **Will people be in my office? Will they observe us talking about
    confidential issues, sensitive operations, controversial issues,
    sensitive policy issue debates, and phone calls that all occur each
    week?\
    **The team is not interested in specific projects, but how the
    process works in general.

13. **What happens if I have to leave during the week?\
    **If you are a member of the team, please coordinate your absence
    with the team leader, \[team leader name\]. If you are not on the
    team, you only need to coordinate your absence with your supervisor,
    as usual.

14. **Will the recommendations be rigid or able to change in the future
    if they fail or cause unintended consequences?\
    **The team will not be making recommendation---they will design an
    improved process that will be implemented immediately. The new
    process will be tested during the event, but if adjustments need to
    be made later, they will be made.

15. **How is this process to be judged a success or failure?\
    **Data are being gathered on how well the process performs before
    the event and data will be collected after the event for comparison.