Lean in Government 

Starter Kit

A Practical Guide to Implementing Successful Lean 

Initiatives at Environmental Agencies 

Lean in Government Series: Volume 2 

November 2007 

ECOS
Acknowledgments 

This Starter Kit was developed through a collaborative process involving representatives from 

five States—Delaware, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska, the Environmental Council of 

the States (www.ecos.org), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov). 

EPA’s National Center for Environmental Innovation (NCEI) provided advisory and contractor 

support to this state-led effort. Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting, Ltd. (www.rossassoc.com) prepared this Starter Kit under subcontract to Industrial Economics, Inc. (EPA 

Contract # EP-W-04-023). 

The state workgroup coordinating the development of this Starter Kit included the following 

agencies: 

 Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control 

(www.dnrec.delaware.gov) 

 Iowa Department of Management (www.dom.state.ia.us) 

 Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (www.michigan.gov/deq) 

 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (www.pca.state.mn.us) 

 Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (www.deq.state.ne.us) 

Special recognition should be given to the Iowa Department of Management. Many of the 

resources in this Starter Kit are based on resources that have been prepared for agency managers 

in Iowa (these resources are available at http://lean.iowa.gov). 

Lean in Government Starter Kit 
Table of Contents 

Chapter 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................1 

Chapter 2. Getting Started with Lean..........................................................................................3 

What is Lean? .....................................................................................................3 

Why do Lean?......................................................................................................................5 

How to Select a Lean Project?.............................................................................................7 

How to Find Technical Assistance for Lean Efforts? .........................................................8 

Chapter 3. Implementing Lean Events ........................................................................................9 

Lean Event Planning............................................................................................................9 

Lean Event Implementation...............................................................................................20 

Lean Event Follow-up........................................................................................................26 

Chapter 4: Sustaining and Diffusing Lean Activity..................................................................29 

Sustaining Lean Improvements .........................................................................................29 

Understanding the Lean Journey.......................................................................................30 

Getting Started with Lean Diffusion .................................................................................31 

Four Deployment Models for Lean Diffusion...................................................................34 

Future Directions—Building a Lean Continual Improvement Agency ............................36 

Appendix A. Bibliography of Lean References.........................................................................39 

Appendix B. Resources................................................................................................................41 

Lean in Government Starter Kit
Guide to Resources in the 

Lean in Government Starter Kit

This Starter Kit contains three types of resources: 

Ö Practical guidance and background information on how to use Lean 

methods to improve agency processes (Chapters 1–4) 

o Look for “Resources” textboxes throughout the document for 

links to supporting tools in the Appendices 

Ö Bibliography of Lean References (Appendix A) 

Ö Resources, tools, and templates to support agency Lean 

implementation efforts (Appendix B), covering the following topics: 

o Getting started with Lean 

o Event planning 

o Lean event implementation 

o Lean event follow-up 

o Sustaining and diffusing Lean activity 

This website version of the Lean in Government Starter Kit contains 

downloadable versions of all the resources in Appendix B. You may access 

the Starter Kit webpage through EPA’s Lean and Environment website 

(www.epa.gov/lean) and ECOS’s website (www.ecos.org). 

Lean in Government Starter Kit 
Chapter 1. Introduction 

Since 2003, several state environmental agencies have achieved impressive results improving 

their administrative and permitting processes using Lean production methods. This Lean in 

Government Starter Kit is designed to assist interested agencies in effectively and efficiently 

planning and implementing successful Lean improvement events. The Starter Kit builds on ideas 

presented in Working Smart for Environmental Protection: Improving State Agency Processes 

with Lean and Six Sigma, Volume 1 in the ECOS-EPA Lean in Government Series. 

The Starter Kit contains practical tools, resources, and tips for: 

 How to get started with Lean; 

 How to implement and manage the phases of a Lean event; and 

 How to sustain and diffuse Lean activity within an organization. 

The Starter Kit answers questions to help agency managers determine whether Lean is right for 

their agency, and presents ideas for agencies interested to expand their Lean initiatives. Each 

section includes a set of resources for download that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of 

an agency. 

Conducting a Lean improvement event is an eye-opening experience—for agencies just getting 

started as well as agencies with significant experience implementing Lean. The rapid, dramatic, 

and transformative improvements that several public environmental agencies have achieved in 

recent years using Lean has piqued the interest of many agency managers—even in a large 

governmental agency. At the same time, this excitement raises important questions:

Ö What does Lean mean for our agency? 

Ö How can we get started with Lean? 

Ö How can we sustain and diffuse the successes of our initial Lean activity? 

Oriented around three topics—getting started with Lean, implementing and managing Lean event 

phases, and sustaining and diffusing Lean activity within an agency—this Starter Kit provides 

practical answers to questions that are likely on the minds of agency managers. The Starter Kit 

focuses on ways to ensure that initial time and resource investments in Lean are highly 

successful. As some agencies are painfully aware, one or two poorly planned and executed Lean 

events can sour the organization on Lean and undo past progress. Conversely, a few wellexecuted Lean events can transform how agency personnel think about what is possible to 

achieve in terms of excellence in government. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 1
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 2

Getting Started with Lean 

Chapter 2 introduces Lean methods, explains how Lean is different from other initiatives, and 

helps agency decision makers consider whether Lean is right for their agencies. Key topics 

include: 

 What is Lean?: Lean is a process improvement approach and set of methods that seek to 

eliminate non-valued added activities or waste. Kaizen events are a key to Lean’s 

effectiveness making rapid, breakthrough improvements while creating an employeeempowered continual improvement culture. In Japanese, kaizen means “to change for the 

good of all.” 

 Why Do Lean?: Lean can dramatically improve the performance and effectiveness of 

agency processes in a relatively rapid time frame. 

 How to Select a Lean Project: Focus Lean improvement efforts on processes with the 

most “pain” or the greatest perceived problems. 

 How to Find Technical Assistance for Lean Efforts: There are a variety of technical 

assistance providers that exist to assist agencies through Lean implementation. 

Implementing Lean Events 

Lean event implementation consists of three phases: event planning, event implementation, and 

event follow-up. Chapter 3 provides guidance, resources, and tips for conducting a Lean event 

from start to finish, including: 

 Event Planning: This phase ensures that a Lean event is well scoped and planned. From 

team selection to logistics to communication, preparation is essential for a productive 

Lean event. 

 Event Implementation: Each Lean event is a journey that requires skilled facilitation and 

guidance as well as hard work from a committed team. 

 Event Follow-up: Once the event has ended, effective follow-up is essential to complete 

remaining action items and to prevent backsliding on progress. 

Sustaining and Diffusing Lean Activity 

Once your agency has completed a Lean event, it is important to think strategically about how to 

sustain the improvements and, if desired, diffuse Lean throughout your agency. Chapter 4 

discusses four models for deploying Lean in an organization, along with specific steps to 

sustaining and diffusing Lean activity. The chapter also discusses key strategies for getting more 

value out of Lean and for building a strong continual improvement culture across an agency. 

The possibilities are exciting, whether you plan to use Lean for targeted problem-solving or to 

transform the culture of your agency. Whatever your path, this Starter Kit will help you get the 

most out of your Lean events and activities. 
Chapter 2. Getting Started with Lean 

As your agency considers getting started with Lean or begins its Lean journey, you will likely 

encounter questions from managers and staff. This chapter discusses some of these common 

questions and topics, including: 

 

Ö What is Lean? 

Ö Why do Lean? 

Ö How to select a Lean project? 

Ö How to find technical assistance for Lean efforts? 

What Is Lean? 

Lean refers to a collection of principles and methods that focus on the identification and 

elimination of non-value added activity (waste) involved in producing a product or delivering a 

service to customers.1

 While Lean process improvement approaches were developed originally 

for use in the private sector to target manufacturing processes, there has been steady progress 

towards adapting these approaches for use on 

service and administrative processes. Public 

sector interest in Lean is increasing rapidly, fueled 

by strong improvement results. Common Lean 

methods include value stream mapping, kaizen 

events, and Six Sigma. 

Value Stream Mapping (VSM). Value stream 

mapping refers to the activity of developing a 

high-level visual representation, from start to 

finish, of the process flow involved in delivering a 

desired outcome, service, or product (a “value 

stream”) to customers. In the context of 

environmental agencies, a value stream could be the process of enabling redevelopment of 

brownfield sites or attracting and hiring new agency staff. The typical products of a 2–5 day 

VSM event are two maps—a “current state” map of the targeted processes and a “future state” 

map of the desired process flow—and an implementation plan for future process-improvement 

activities. Because value stream maps help you see not only waste but the source of the waste, 

they enable an agency to target future kaizen improvement events on specific processes or 

SEVEN “DEADLY” PROCESS WASTES 

1. Production of defects 

2. Overproduction ahead of demand 

3. Unnecessary transport of materials 

4. Waiting for the next process step 

5. Inventories (excess material and 

information) 

6. Unnecessary movement by employees 

7. Over-processing 

 

1

 James Womack, Daniel Jones, and Daniel Roos coined the term “lean” in their 1990 book The Machine that Changed the World

to describe the manufacturing paradigm (often referred to as the Toyota Production System) developed by the Toyota Motor 

Company based on principles pioneered by Henry Ford. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 3
process steps in the value stream to help move the agency towards its desired “future state” value 

stream map. 

Kaizen Events. Kaizen is a combination of two Japanese words: kai meaning “to change” and 

zen meaning “for the good of all.” Kaizen is founded on the belief that small, incremental 

changes routinely applied and sustained over a long period result in significant performance 

improvements. Kaizen events—also called breakthrough rapid process improvement events or 

kaizen blitz events—focus on eliminating waste in a 

targeted system or process, improving productivity, 

and achieving sustained improvement. Whereas VSM 

events focus on the big picture and future directions, 

kaizen events dig deep into the specific steps of a 

process to identify and implement improvements. 

Kaizen events bring together a cross-functional team 

for two to five days to dissect a process and implement process changes. 

Resources

| Lean Overview Presentation 

Six Sigma. Six Sigma is often used in conjunction with Lean, but is a separate processimprovement methodology that uses a collection of statistical tools to analyze causes of variation 

in a process and to identify and test improvements. Trained Six Sigma experts, “black belts” and 

“green belts,” typically support teams in using Six Sigma tools in a project context. While this 

Starter Kit does not focus much on this method, Lean and Six Sigma methods can be effectively 

combined (often called “Lean Six Sigma”)—Lean eliminates unnecessary time and process 

wastes, while Six Sigma targets quality improvements and variation. 

What Other Tools Are in the Lean Toolbox? 

Along with VSM and kaizen events, and Six Sigma, agencies are using other Lean tools, such as: 

 5S: 5S is an improvement process involving five steps (Sort, Set in order, Shine, 

Standardize, and Sustain) to create and maintain a clean, neat, and high-performance 

workplace. 5S is often used to ready the workplace for future kaizen events and 

continual improvement. Some organizations add a sixth “S” for Safety. 

 Standard Work: Standard work is a documentation of the best (“least-waste”) way to 

perform a given operation. Improvements made during kaizen events are immediately 

documented as standard work to ensure that all employees understand and consistently 

implement the new process. 

 Visual Controls: Visual controls are used to reinforce standardized procedures and to 

display the status of an activity so every employee can see it and take appropriate action. 

Visual controls are frequently implemented during kaizen events to simplify the 

workplace and provide visual feedback on process performance. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 4
HOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LEAN 

 Read the first volume in EPA and ECOS’ Lean in Government Series, Working Smart for 

Environmental Protection, which provides additional information on Lean methods, describes the 

activities and lessons learned from several state Lean efforts, and includes contact information for 

staff involved in those efforts. You can find this publication and additional information on public 

agencies and companies implementing Lean at EPA’s Lean and Environment website 

(www.epa.gov/lean) and on ECOS’s website (www.ecos.org).

 Consult the bibliography (Appendix A) of this Starter Kit for a list of resources and websites geared 

towards agencies interested in learning more about Lean principles and methods. 

 Talk to other agencies implementing Lean. Agencies are generally excited to share their 

experiences and can be helpful resources for agencies considering Lean. 

Why Do Lean? 

Lean can dramatically improve the performance 

and effectiveness of agency processes in a 

relatively short timeframe (see textbox for a list 

of typical benefits from Lean). The impressive 

results from environmental agency Lean efforts 

also speak for themselves. Here are a few 

examples: 

 Delaware Department of Natural 

Resources and Environmental Control

lowered a backlog of air construction 

permits from 199 to 25, while reducing 

the average permit processing time to 

less than 76 days. 

 Iowa Department of Natural 

Resources streamlined the corrective action process activities in the Leaking 

Underground Storage Tank program, reducing the number of decisions by 80 percent and 

the total number of process steps from 43 to 26 (a 40 percent reduction). This dropped 

the average decision-making timeframe in the program from 38 months to 3 months. 

BENEFITS OF LEAN 

By using Lean tools, an agency can expect to: 

 Eliminate or dramatically reduce backlogs 

 Reduce lead times by more than 50% 

 Decrease the complexity of processes and 

eliminate unneeded process steps 

 Improve the quality of applications and the 

consistency of reviews or inspections 

 Allocate more staff time to “mission 

critical” work 

 Improve staff morale and process 

transparency 

 Michigan Department of Environmental Quality decreased the time needed to process 

major air construction permits from 422 days to 98 days. Quality also improved, with 

initial application administrative completeness rising from 82 to 95 percent. 

States achieved these results by using value stream mapping, kaizen events, and other Lean 

methods. Because of their initial success with Lean, these agencies have also conducted Lean 

events on a range of other processes. 

Using Lean to achieve process excellence is a growing trend among state environmental 

agencies. The 2006 Working Smart for Environmental Protection primer looked in depth at the 

Lean experiences of five state environmental agencies, all of which have continued with Lean 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 5
Resources

| State Lean Inventory 

implementation efforts. In addition, as of September 

2007, there are about fifteen state environmental 

agencies that have conducted Lean events or are 

planning Lean events in the near future. 

Distinguishing Lean from Other Improvement 

Initiatives 

Lean is different from past improvement efforts in several key ways; Lean: 

 Takes a “customer service” perspective that seeks to optimize value delivered to the 

environment, the public, and the regulated community; 

 Involves employees and external stakeholders in continual improvements and problemsolving activities; 

 Deploys a rapid continual improvement framework that emphasizes implementation 

rather than prolonged planning; 

 Seeks to reduce the complexity of processes; and 

 Uses metrics and visual controls to provide rapid feedback to improve real-time decisionmaking and problem-solving. 

By eliminating non-value added activities, environmental agencies can redirect staff time to 

higher-priority activities related to their core mission of environmental protection. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 6
ISN’T LEAN JUST THE LATEST “FLAVOR OF THE MONTH”? 

If your agency is typical, every management trend that has come around in the last fifteen years has 

been tried. Total Quality Management? Continuous Quality Improvement? What makes Lean any 

different? Isn’t this just the latest way for consultants to line their pockets? There are some key 

differences. 

Remember TQM? After several days of training on what seemed like obtuse principles, staff were 

sent back to their regular duties and told to improve the quality of their work process. No one 

typically thought their process was broken so there wasn’t a lot of incentive to change anything and 

besides, they were already behind from all those days in training. Once a TQM team was formed, they 

likely met once a week for six months or until they forgot why they were meeting. If the team ran into 

conflict about what the “problem” was or how it might be solved, there was a good chance team 

members started dropping out and the team dissolved. Kaizen teams receive a half-day of just-in-time 

training and learn how to improve their process by actually making changes directly to the process. 

Events never last for more than five days (including the training time) and kaizen events can be as 

short as one or two days. Kaizen team leaders push the team through the cycle of change, and conflict 

if it arises, to ensure a successful conclusion. 

TQM teams developed a list of recommendations and sent them up the chain of command. If they 

were lucky, they heard back from the powers that be and some of their recommendations might be 

implemented – eventually. Kaizen teams are empowered and actually change the process during the 

course of the event. Management is kept abreast of what is happening in the event but the team has 

the authority, and the expectation, to change the process. (Sound scary? Letting a team change things 

on their own? Remember, the team is changing process, not policy.) 

Another significant difference is that TQM focused exclusively on quality while Lean addresses 

quality, cost, and delivery simultaneously and all in the context of time. All of these components play 

a crucial role in the success of our work and are inextricably linked. Additional distinctions include 

kaizen team composition (ensuring that the customer is part of the team), standardized follow-up to 

the event at 30, 60 and 90 day intervals, and gathering data as pre-work rather than during the 

improvement process. 

TQM wasn’t bad in theory but it lacked in execution. Lean – be it kaizen events, value stream 

mapping, or other Lean Six Sigma methods – has been proven to work in government time and again, 

no matter what the process. 

How to Select a Lean Project 

Most agencies begin their Lean implementation efforts with a pilot project (a kaizen event or 

value stream mapping event) to improve an existing agency process. If this is your agency’s first 

event, it may be useful to start with a relatively simple permitting process (e.g., air construction 

permitting for minor sources or a permit modification process) to get a feel for Lean methods. 

The selected process should be sufficiently important to capture organizational attention. It is 

critical to start with a process area where there is a high level of management support and 

commitment to ensuring a successful Lean event. However, other circumstances may dictate 

which process is the best candidate for a Lean event. For example, it may make sense to hold the 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 7
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 8

Lean event in conjunction with another major change within the agency during the 

implementation of a new rule or major staffing changes. 

Although each agency weighs its own criteria to select a target process for a Lean event, 

agencies often focus initial Lean events on processes that have the most “pain,” that is, the 

greatest perceived problems. Problems could include backlogs, bottlenecks, complaints, funding 

constraints, and quality and performance concerns. It is also important to consider improvement 

projects that could free staff capacity to address mission-critical work, address stakeholder 

concerns, or alleviate budget or fiscal pressures. Once an agency has conducted several events, it 

often makes sense to take a more strategic approach to selecting events that is linked to the 

agency’s strategic plan and workforce development goals. 

Potential criteria for project and process selection include: 

 Funding concerns 

 High volume and/or criticality 

 Number of customer and staff 

complaints 

 Productivity problems 

 Backlogs and amount of work in 

progress (WIP) 

 Administrative bottlenecks and 

delays 

 Existence of a project “champion” 

 Staff willingness and energy 

How to Find Technical Assistance for Lean Efforts 

There are a range of technical assistance providers that facilitate Lean events, including private 

consultants, non-profit National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing 

Extension Partnership (MEP) centers, and university-based training programs.2

 In addition, 

private sector companies who are using Lean have also provided technical support to state 

agencies by allowing agency staff to attend industry trainings and providing Lean facilitators for 

agency events. Most agencies have sought outside technical assistance for their initial Lean 

implementation efforts; even agencies that have developed in-house capacity for lean training 

and facilitation occasionally seek additional Lean implementation assistance. 

All Lean events are led by a Lean facilitator who organizes and manages the discussions. Some 

agencies have internal staff members that are certified to fill this role; however, most agencies 

hire an external party—a Lean consultant—at least when beginning to use Lean. When 

evaluating a potential Lean facilitator, it is important to consider the facilitator’s past experience, 

areas of expertise (e.g., administrative Lean or Lean office), price, and availability. The next 

chapter provides additional guidance on how to select a Lean facilitator. 

 

2

 A directory of NIST MEP centers is available at: www.mep.nist.gov/about-mep/center-info.html. 
Chapter 3. Implementing Lean Events 

This chapter assumes that your agency has chosen a Lean project focus and outlines the three 

main phases for conducting a successful Lean event: event planning, event implementation, and 

event follow-up. A Lean event is a highly structured, 2-5 day facilitated event involving a team 

of agency staff and stakeholders that is designed to rapidly make progress in identifying and 

implementing improvements to a process. 

STARTER KIT RESOURCES SUPPORT KAIZEN AND OTHER LEAN EVENTS 

While most guidance and resources in this Starter Kit were developed to support kaizen events, the 

information and resources are also useful for planning and implementing other types of Lean events, 

including value stream mapping (VSM) events and 5S events. 

other types of Lean events, 

Lean Event Planning 

Once you have decided to conduct a Lean event, effective planning and scoping are essential for 

success. There are three major phases of activity prior to conducting a successful Lean event. 

These phases are outlined below, along with key activities associated with each phase. It is 

important to note that some activities in each phase should occur concurrently, rather than in 

sequence. For example, it may be necessary to address some logistics, such as setting event 

dates or securing a conference room, well in advance of the pre-event meeting. 

Phases in Planning for a Lean Event

Phase 1: Initial Planning and Scoping 

Ö Secure a Lean facilitator 

Ö Scope the event 

Ö Identify the Lean method to use 

Ö Identify the Lean event sponsor and team leader 

Phase 2: Pre-event Meeting 

Ö Refine the event scope and objectives 

Ö Set clear boundaries for the event 

Ö Identify performance metrics and pre-work needed 

Ö Select participants and determine roles 

Phase 3: Event Preparation and Logistics 

Ö Prepare the event agenda 

Ö Arrange logistics 

Ö Collect needed data and information 

Ö Communicate about the event 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 9
Phase 1: Initial Planning and Scoping 

Secure a Lean Facilitator 

The importance of securing an experienced Lean facilitator cannot be overstated. The Lean 

facilitator serves as a team’s guide throughout the Lean process, helping to scope the Lean event, 

facilitate the event, and advise on follow-up activities. Sometimes the Lean facilitator is referred 

to by the Japanese term sensei (SEN-SAY), meaning teacher or “one who has gone before.” 

While it is possible to cultivate experienced Lean facilitators within an organization, most 

organizations seek the external consulting services of a Lean facilitator, at least for the first 

several years of Lean implementation. It should be noted, however, that even experienced Lean 

organizations retain outside senseis to bring fresh perspectives to their Lean implementation 

efforts and to push them to make more progress than they otherwise would. 

Several helpful tips for securing a Lean facilitator 

include: 

 Talk with representatives from other 

environmental agencies to ask for 

recommendations for potential Lean 

facilitators. 

 Consider issuing a request for proposal to help 

with the selection of an experienced Lean 

facilitator. The sample Lean Facilitator Request for Proposal resource document in this 

Starter Kit should give you some ideas of the types of information to request. 

Resources

| Event Preparation Checklist 

| Lean Facilitator Request for 

Proposal 

 When evaluating potential Lean facilitators, take into consideration the facilitator’s past 

experience, areas of expertise (e.g., administrative Lean or Lean office), references, price, 

and availability. 

 Remember that securing a talented facilitator is not the same as getting a talented 

facilitator who has experience running Lean events. 

Scope the Event 

Early on in the planning process, it is important to answer three key questions: 

 What is the purpose of the event? 

 What value stream or process will be targeted in the Lean event? 

 What are the desired outcomes? 

The answers to these questions will guide initial planning activities, such as making sure the 

right people participate in the pre-event meeting (Phase 2). During the pre-event meeting, the 

scope, goals, objectives, and boundaries for the event will be further refined and documented. 

Key planning and scoping tips include: 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 10
 Make sure the scale and scope of the Lean 

project is manageable and will allow for a 

successful event. In particular, managers 

should consider the breadth and complexity of 

the process and be realistic about how much of 

the process can be tackled in a 5-day event. 

Resources

| Pre-Screening Application for 

Value Stream Mapping Events 

Identify the Lean Method to Use 

Once the initial scope of the event has been determined, consider which Lean methods to use. 

As discussed in Chapter 2, there are a variety of methods to choose from for your event. Two 

common Lean methods are value stream mapping and kaizen events. Six Sigma is also used by 

some agencies to drive improvement projects, but organizations are increasingly viewing Six 

Sigma as a powerful collection of statistical analysis tools and methods that can be used during 

or in conjunction with a kaizen event. Your Lean facilitator can guide you in choosing the 

methods that are right for your agency and process. 

Agencies just starting out with Lean often use kaizen events to quickly achieve the results that 

have interested many in Lean. Conducting one or a few kaizen events can help build momentum 

for a Lean initiative. Some agencies choose value stream mapping (or simplified process 

mapping) for their first event, since this method can help an agency clearly understand its 

process and identify areas of waste that can be targeted through future kaizen events. Other 

agencies have integrated value stream mapping and kaizen rapid implementation techniques in 

the same event. 

Identify the Lean Event Sponsor and Team Leader 

Event Sponsor 

Identifying a Lean event sponsor is critical to success. Ideally, the sponsor is a director or leader 

of a division within which the Lean event is taking place. Having a sponsor for an event can also 

increase buy-in within the agency and among upper management, and assist with removing any 

obstacles in getting the event planned and implemented. This role is especially useful when 

trying to ensure that team members can get 3-5 days worth of time away from their regular duties 

and responsibilities to participate in the event. The sponsor participates at key times during the 

event and helps with follow up. 

The sponsor should be enthusiastic, committed to the process, willing to take risks, and be openminded and communicate this spirit to the team members. At times it can be difficult to sustain 

creative thinking and risk taking. The sponsor’s role is to help infuse the team with energy and 

direction, and to encourage openness to out of the box thinking. Specific responsibilities of the 

Lean event sponsor include: 

 At the event kick off, communicate expectations to the team and set the direction of the 

Lean event. 

 Clearly state that the process that the Lean team develops during the event will be the 

new process—the team is not making recommendations. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 11
 State that the sponsor will do everything possible to support the new process developed 

by the team. 

 Challenge the team to develop innovative solutions and ideas without introducing preconceived ideas. 

Resources

| Lean Event Sponsor Contract 

 Be visible during the event and provide 

enthusiastic support of the participants. 

 Attend team leader meetings and daily 

management briefings and provide redirection 

if needed. 

 Assist in removing obstacles. 

 Be strategic: use the event to advance agency objectives by improving the performance of 

the targeted process while being aware of the impact to the total system. 

 Attend the report-out session for the event to show support and congratulate team 

members on a job well done. 

 Track the status of implementation efforts following the event to make sure the team 

continues to make progress and does not backtrack. 

A Lean event sponsor contract document can be used to affirm a sponsor’s responsibilities and to 

demonstrate their commitment of support. 

Team Leader 

The team leader is usually determined after the event focus and scope have been decided. In 

general, the team leader and should not work in the area of the event’s focus. This ensures 

impartiality, thereby creating a more open and transparent environment for team members to be 

creative. It is also common for the team leader to have participated previously in one or more 

Lean events. The role can vary some, as some team leaders also facilitate the event and thus, are 

more involved in the early planning phases. Specific roles and expectations of the team leader 

include: 

 Support the team members in finding 

solutions. 

 Facilitate an open exchange of ideas. 

 Encourage creative thinking and 

problem-solving. 

 Lead the team during event 

implementation. 

 Ensure that all event objectives are 

met. 

 Help prepare for the event. 

 Assist in selecting team members. 

 Prepare the schedule and agenda. 

 Gather needed materials and tools. 

 Keep up to date on all aspects of the 

event. 

 Assist with documentation and 

reporting.

Because the team leader is from outside the specific content area in which the event is occurring, 

good communication is crucial. Team leaders will need to know the goals and objectives of the 

event, any process requirements, and the expectations of the team members. Any contextual 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 12
information, such as past problems encountered and gains achieved should be shared with the 

team leader. 

Phase 2: Pre-event Meeting 

The pre-event meeting occurs between three and six weeks prior to the Lean event. It is 

probably the most crucial step in planning and preparing for a successful Lean event. The preevent meeting is commonly held in the venue in which the Lean event training will take place. 

The pre-event meeting should involve the Lean facilitator, the event sponsor, the team leader, 

and key managers and staff who oversee or are involved in the process to be targeted by the Lean 

event. Pre-event meetings typically last between two and four hours, depending on the 

complexity of the process and event and the Lean experience of the participants. The following 

topics should be addressed and finalized during the pre-event meeting: 

 Refine the event scope and objectives 

 Set clear boundaries for the event. 

 Identify performance metrics and pre-work. 

 Select participants and determine roles. 

Document decisions made at the pre-event meeting in 

a team charter. The team charter sets out the scope of 

the process that will be addressed in the event, 

establishes the goals and objectives of the event, identifies any work that must be completed 

prior to the event, and identifies the team members. 

Resources

| Pre-event Meeting Agenda 

| Team Charter 

| Example Team Charter 

Refine the Event Scope and Objectives 

The sample team charter referenced above includes examples of how the event scope and key 

goals and objectives can be clearly and concisely documented. Key tips include: 

 Once a production process, administrative process, or area is selected, choose the specific 

“waste elimination” problem within that area to focus the Lean event. 

 It is important to select an event scale (breadth and complexity) that can be accomplished 

within the timeframe allotted for the event. 

 Ask for help with the event scoping. Your Lean event facilitator will be able to assist you 

with appropriately scoping your Lean event. Another strategy is to talk with other 

environmental agencies that have targeted similar processes using Lean. Staff at these 

agencies may be able to offer suggestions for scoping and planning your Lean event. 

Set Clear Boundaries for the Event 

During the event scoping discussions, it is crucial that the event sponsor, possibly in coordination 

with other key agency managers, set clear boundaries for the Lean event. There are two key 

types of boundaries: 

 Process-scope boundaries. It is important to clearly identify where the process starts and 

ends, at least insofar as which parts of the process will be discussed during the Lean 

event. It may also be necessary to draw clear lines where hand-offs are made to other 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 13
processes. For example, it may be appropriate for a state Lean event to set an external 

review process (e.g., EPA review, public comment process) as a part of the broader value 

stream or process that is “out of bounds” during the Lean event. 

 Solution-scope boundaries. It may also be important to set limits on the types of changes 

that are allowed as part of the Lean event. For example, it is typically appropriate to say 

that policy changes are off-limits. 

Establishing clear boundary conditions for the Lean event can address potential concerns that 

some agency staff or stakeholders may have while also clarifying team expectations about 

aspects that are fair game for improvement. Key tips include: 

 Clear boundary conditions ensure that agency objectives—such as environmental 

protection and public participation—are not undermined. For example, changes that 

would require rulemaking action are generally considered out of bounds during a Lean 

event, although these ideas could be held in a “parking lot” for future consideration. 

 Boundary conditions can be helpful in addressing key stakeholder concerns up front. For 

example, when conducting a Lean event on a permitting process it may be necessary to 

clearly state that public comment and participation opportunities will not be lessened, or 

that the time for substantive analysis and review by permit engineers will not be lessened. 

 Boundary conditions can help set clear expectations about the availability of resources. 

Lean events are designed to strongly encourage creativity over capital expenditures. 

 Boundary conditions also may be identified during the course of the event. While it is 

okay to allow teams to set some boundary conditions during the event, it is important to 

identify which boundary conditions must be set in advance. 

EXAMPLE BOUNDARY CONDITIONS FOR AN AIR PERMITTING EVENT3

In Scope Out of Scope 

 Interpretation of agency rules, policies, and 

guidance documents 

 EPA regulations 

 Interpretation of EPA rules, policies, and 

 Internal organizational structure guidance documents 

 Internal permit process and timing  Modifying existing agency rules 

 Applicant interaction and timing  Additional resources 

 Electronic submittals  Permit appeal process 

 Application content and format  Mandated public participation requirements 

 Permit and technical memo format  Permit involving enforcement action 

 Special condition content 

 Communication (internal/external)

 Public hearing process/officer

 

3

 Example “In Scope, Out of Scope” list based on a presentation of the Delaware DNREC. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 14
Identify Performance Metrics and Pre-Work Needed 

Collecting data on the current state of a process enables a Lean team to understand the process, 

to identify areas for improvement, and to assess the effectiveness of potential changes to the 

process. Often, pulling together information at the sub-process level can help inform the team’s 

understanding of the current state of the targeted process. It is not enough to know the overall 

process performance, it is also necessary to understand how things work at the process step level. 

Sometimes it can also be helpful to have information 

on how key “customers” or stakeholders perceive the 

targeted process and its outputs. Getting a sense of 

the “customer’s voice” prior to the Lean event can be 

helpful, particularly if key customer groups will not 

be represented on the Lean event team. It may take 

some lead time to get customer input, through 

interviews or surveys, so it can be helpful to plan for 

and collect this information in advance of the Lean 

event. It is useful to collect data in the metrics 

categories listed below, including measures of time, 

quality, and cost. 

Performance Metrics 

Current state performance metrics establish the 

baseline by which to measure the outcome of a Lean 

event. While the specific metrics will differ from process to process, key metrics are typically 

identified in each of the following categories: 

 Time metrics. What is the total lead time for the process (e.g., start-to-finish time for a 

permit application review)? How much of that time is value-added time? How long does 

it take to complete a full cycle or transaction within the process? What backlogs exist in 

the process? 

 Quality metrics. How much rework is 

necessary? How often does the process lead 

to mistakes (e.g., incomplete forms) or 

compliance violations? How well are key 

parties able to understand and act on the 

information coming out of the process? 

 Cost metrics. How much does the process 

cost to operate? What costs does the process incur to clients or stakeholder groups? 

 Rework percentage (e.g., percent of 

permits needing rework) 

 Voice of Customer or Voice of 

Employee survey results 

Resources

| Pre-event Data Collection 

Guide 

COMMON LEAN METRICS 

 Number of process steps 

 Number of handoffs 

 Amount of backlog 

 Total lead time 

 Cycle time 

 Percent value-added time 

 Transaction volume in process (e.g., 

number of applications) 

 Customer perception metrics. How do key stakeholders view the effectiveness and 

efficiency of the process? How frequently do customers complain about process? Metrics 

should be quantified both before and after a Lean event. 

Consider these points when identifying key performance metrics: 

 Do not choose too many performance metrics. One or two per category should suffice. 

Having too many metrics dilutes the focus of the event and can create unnecessary work. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 15
 Metrics may not be appropriate in all of the categories above. Ask whether there is 

something important about the targeted process related to each category, and do not 

worry if the answer is “no.”

 MEASURING ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES 

In most cases, administrative processes targeted by Lean are well removed from having direct impacts 

on environmental outcomes. While it may be possible to claim that a Lean process enables an agency 

to more efficiently and effectively influence environmental outcomes, measuring the contributions 

from Lean events to environmental outcomes is often tenuous. Occasionally, however, the process 

targeted by a Lean event can have a more direct impact on environmental outcomes. In such cases, 

the team should consider whether it is appropriate to set a baseline environmental outcome measure. 

Ask the question: How does the targeted process affect environmental outcomes?

Pre-work 

In many cases, it may be helpful to assign responsibility for some “pre-work” before the Lean 

event. Pre-work can also include collecting data prior to the event that is needed to establish 

baseline metrics, and gathering background documents that are likely to be useful during the 

Lean event, such as existing process maps, procedures, or examples of process outputs (e.g., 

recurring reports). Also, if it is not possible or appropriate to collect sufficient data to establish 

baseline metrics prior to the event, this can be done during the Lean event. 

Select Participants and Determine Roles 

Thoughtful participant selection can ensure a successful and productive event, making it 

important to carefully select external stakeholders and agency staff participants. Team members 

are expected to attend the entire event and fully participate by providing input and ideas. Team 

members are also expected to complete assignments identified during the meeting or tasks that 

may be defined after the event. Here are some things to consider when selecting participants and 

determining roles: 

 1/3 of participants who have no 

knowledge of the process (e.g., 

external stakeholders, customers) 

The “thirds rule” provides a guide for 

structuring the Lean Team. Include: 

 1/3 of participants who work directly 

in the process 

 1/3 of participants who manage or 

supervise the process 

 Ensure the team has cross-functional THE “THIRDS RULE” 

representation. The “thirds rule” provides a 

good guide for structuring the Lean team 

composition (see textbox). 

 It is often helpful to have a representative 

from the agency’s information technology 

group, since most processes have some 

important relationship to agency databases or 

information systems. It may also be useful to 

consider whether representatives from other 

support functions, such as accounting, legal, 

or human resources would be helpful to 

involve. 

 Participant selection can help secure buy-in from all levels of an agency for the process 

improvement efforts. Most importantly, you should include staff and managers on the 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 16
team that can continue implementation beyond the event itself. Consider involving 

informal as well as formal leaders on your Lean event team. 

 Lean event teams are typically comprised of 12-18 members. However, some processes 

are extremely complex and it may take additional participants to get all the right players 

at the table. If additional participants are 

required, the largest size recommended is 20. 

Once the group size gets beyond the midtwenties, it can become very challenging to 

manage, especially for the facilitator. 

 If you cannot pare down your list of critical 

participants for an event below 20, another 

option to consider is to convene off-site meetings on specific topics, such as holding a 

meeting that deals exclusively with a specific aspect of the process that some participants 

may care most about, such as legal review. This approach is suggested for highly 

complex processes or issues. 

Resources

| Kaizen Event Agenda 

 One strategy for getting more people into the room during a Lean event is to distinguish 

between observers and participants. Observers should be limited in number and should 

not outnumber team members as too many observers may cause team members to be 

uncomfortable or hesitant to express their viewpoints. While observers are welcome, it is 

critical to communicate that they are observers only. 

 Team members are expected to shed all of their operational responsibilities during the 

course of the event, thereby allowing them to completely focus on the event. It is highly 

disruptive and disrespectful to the team if a senior manager is routinely taking calls, 

checking email, or leaving the room for other meetings. Ensure that each team member’s 

responsibilities are delegated to other staff during the event and communicate the 

expectation that team members should not be doing other work during the event. 

 If you are having trouble selecting team members, it may be useful to hold a pre-event 

meeting with a small group of staff to identify all the activities included in the event 

scope and which staff members are connected to these activities. In addition, the Lean 

facilitator can provide advice on how to select participants (e.g., qualities/characteristics 

to look for). 

Phase 3: Event Preparation and Logistics 

Prepare the Event Agenda 

Prior to the Lean event, prepare an event agenda that clearly articulates the objectives and timing 

for the event. An effective agenda ensures that the objectives and goals of the event match the 

given timeframe. The Lean facilitator is typically responsible for preparing the agenda, or at 

least reviewing it prior to sharing it with participants. It is important to distribute the agenda to 

participants before the event. 

Arrange Logistics 

All events require a certain amount of logistical planning, such as selecting a date, reserving 

meeting space, re-distributing staff workloads, and securing meals during the event. Addressing 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 17
these logistical questions before the event helps to ensure smooth implementation and create a 

comfortable, stress-free environment for participants. 

 Schedule the event. The typical duration for a kaizen or value stream mapping event is 3-

5 days. Thus, it is important to consider these timeframes when scheduling a Lean event, 

as holidays or staff vacations could interfere with event timing. If you have opted to hire 

a Lean facilitator, keep the same scheduling considerations in mind. 

 Reserve sufficient meeting space. During some Lean events, participants may need to 

break out into smaller groups for part of the event, so it is important to ensure that there is 

space and materials available for breakout sessions and the group as a whole. 

Furthermore, it may be helpful to reserve additional space for the initial training session 

and/or final report-out presentation. 

Resources

| Lean Event Supplies List 

| Lean Event Meal Coordinator 

Roles and Responsibilities 

 Designate an event coordinator who will not 

be participating in the event. When arranging 

the logistics, it can be useful to designate 

someone to coordinate event logistics, 

including securing the event space, arranging 

for meals, and purchasing supplies. It is often 

helpful to have someone tracking and 

managing these logistics who will not need to 

be actively involved as a participant. 

 Finalize logistics and schedules. Logistical preparations such as setting aside space for 

the event team or meal orders and the finalization of the agenda should be addressed or 

completed prior to the event. 

 Send reminder e-mail. It is helpful to send a reminder e-mail or calendar invitation to 

ensure that team members have the correct dates and times blocked on their calendars. 

Collect needed data and information 

Prior to the event, collect background materials and data about the current state of the process, 

based on the performance metrics and pre-work identified during the pre-event meeting. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 18
Communicate About the Event 

Communicating proactively is critical to building organizational buy-in to process improvement 

efforts. Transparent communications, particularly with employees whose work may be affected 

by the Lean event is vital to ensuring success. 

 Schedule a briefing with senior management once the scope and objectives of the Lean 

event has been set. Top management support is crucial for a successful Lean event, in 

part because it can affect budget and staff availability. It is also important for senior 

management to approve many of the aspects of a Lean event, including: 

o The process that will be addressed; 

o The decision to hire an external Lean facilitator; 

o The anticipated timeframe, products, and results; and 

o How the event will affect staff availability and workload. 

 Inform staff about the Lean event. Notifying internal staff that a Lean event will occur 

provides transparency to the process and is a 

great opportunity to solicit feedback and ideas 

on event scope or “areas of pain” in the 

targeted process. Communications with staff 

should include information on the Lean event 

as well as background information on Lean 

methods and how the Lean event could affect 

staff. It may be helpful to directly address 

potential concerns that some employees may 

have about Lean or the focus of a particular event. For example, it may be helpful to 

clearly indicate that no staff will lose their jobs as a result of improvements made from 

the Lean effort. The Frequently Asked Questions about Lean resource referenced in the 

box above contains information that is often helpful to communicate to others in the 

organization. 

Resources

| Frequently Asked Questions 

About Lean 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 19
Lean Event Implementation 

This section addresses key activities and steps involved in conducting a successful Lean event, 

including the following: 

Lean Event Implementation Steps 

Ö Lean Event Overview 

Ö Kick off a Lean Event 

Ö Manage the Phases of a Lean Event 

Ö Manage Change During a Lean Event 

Ö Identify Follow-Up Action Items from the Event 

Ö Report Out at the End of the Event 

Ö Celebrate a Successful Event 

Lean Event Overview 

The diagrams below lay out the main phases of a kaizen event and VSM event. Kaizen and 

VSM events often take place over a 5 day period. They can be shorter, however, if the scope of 

the process being addressed is more limited. Some organizations conduct one-day “point 

kaizen” events that focus on a very specific area for improvement. All events follow the steps 

outlined below. Lean leaders highly discourage efforts to short cut the kaizen or VSM process, 

since much of the power of Lean lies in following the methods closely. 

Kaizen Event Overview 

Lean training; 

begin mapping 

and measuring 

current work 

process 

Day 1

Training Day 

Day 2 Day 3

Discovery Day 

Measure and 

analyze current 

work process 

Do Day 

Create and map 

new process 

 Do, Re-Do, 

 Document Day 

Evaluate 

improvements, 

 operate using new 

process, finalize 

Day 4

Celebration 

Day 

Present results 

and celebrate 

Day 5

Some Lean facilitators describe the flow of a kaizen event as (1) measure, (2) analyze, (3) 

improve, (4) control, and (5) report and celebrate. While the terminology may vary slightly, the 

steps and flow of a kaizen event tends to vary little whether it is being applied to a manufacturing 

workshop or an office administrative environment. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 20
Value Stream Mapping Event Overview 

Training on 

VSM tools and 

how to draw a 

VSM map 

Day 1

Training Day Current State 

Draw a map of 

the current-state 

and identify 

problems 

Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

Future State

Map the shared 

vision of the 

new process 

 Planning 

Evaluate how to 

implement the 

future state map and 

create a plan 

Celebration 

Day 

Present results 

and celebrate 

Day 5

One of the main differences between a VSM event and a kaizen event is that a VSM event 

typically focuses at a higher level, mapping the entire chain of processes that create and “flow a 

stream of value” to a customer. While the general flow of a VSM event is relatively similar to 

that of a kaizen event, the VSM event is typically designed to develop a roadmap to guide future 

kaizen events that target specific areas where improvement is needed. 

The Detailed Event Agenda 

Resources

| Team Leader Daily Agenda

In addition to the event agenda prepared prior to the 

Lean event (see section under Phase 1 above), it is 

also important to prepare a team leader daily agenda. 

This detailed agenda is essential for identifying the 

team leader’s responsibilities and actions throughout 

the event. This agenda also ensures that the flow 

between the main phases of a Lean event is smooth 

and that all activities are well executed. 

Kick-Off a Lean Event 

Planning for the kick-off of your Lean event is essential for success. The kick-off session is 

typically introduced by the Lean event sponsor and the Lean team leader, and then handed off to 

the Lean facilitator. The kick-off session should include the following activities. 

 Introduce all team members and observers. Ask each team member to briefly address a 

few key questions: 

(1) Who are you and where do you work? 

(2) What are your goals for this event? 

(3) What do you like to do when you are not at work? 

 Capture team members’ goals on a flipchart and post them on the wall. By 

understanding participants’ goals, it is often possible to create improvements in a form 

and manner that meet diverse needs. 

 Have the event sponsor say some opening words. This can be helpful to clearly articulate 

the event scope and boundaries, while encouraging (or even inspiring) team members to 

work towards the desired outcomes and event goals. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 21
 Set ground rules for the event. This helps 

ensure that all participants respect and hear 

all ideas and viewpoints expressed during 

the event. Ground rules also remind 

participants to keep an open mind and to 

“think outside of the box.” Ground rules are 

established during the pre-event meeting and 

are prominently posted for all participants to 

see. It is important to review the ground 

rules during the kick-off session. Sample 

ground rules are included in the adjacent 

resources box. 

 Briefly review key performance data and 

background materials that have been 

assembled. This can help anchor the team 

around desired outcomes and key reasons for working creatively to improve the process. 

EXAMPLE LEAN EVENT GROUND 

RULES 

1. Keep an open mind to change 

2. Maintain a positive attitude 

3. Never leave in silent disagreement 

4. Create a blameless environment 

5. Practice mutual respect everyday 

6. Treat others as you want to be treated 

7. One person–one voice, regardless of 

position or rank 

8. There is no such thing as a dumb 

question 

 Set a tone for having fun! Team engagement is key to success. Make the event fun for 

everyone, including staff and support personnel. If the event facilitator and team leader 

are fully engaged and show enthusiasm, it will be contagious. 

Training 

Lean training is typically a core part of the first day of a Lean event. For many people this may 

be their first event and it is important that all participants be on the same page about how the 

Lean event will work. Think of this as just-in-time training—where participants learn about 

Lean immediately prior to implementation. Most organizations continue to have training as part 

of the kick-off for every Lean event, even if most or all team members have previously 

participated in a Lean event. Most organizations find that the just-in-time training provides 

invaluable reminders, gets everyone on the same page, and serves as a sort of icebreaker to get 

the team warmed up for several days of intensive activity. 

Manage the Phases of a Lean Event 

While much of the success of a Lean event rests on careful planning and preparation, managing 

the event phases is also a significant responsibility. During the Lean event it is easy for the 

process and participants to get off track. While your Lean facilitator will help keep discussions 

on track, it is important for the team leader to maintain the focus on the event’s objectives. A 

few tips include: 

 Develop and adjust the agenda daily and post it in a high traffic area for all participants 

to see. The agenda should be accessible to all participants as a reminder of the day’s 

events. 

 Ensure that the team members understand Lean terms conceptually and in practice. One 

of the underlying goals of an event is to identify waste or non-value added activity in a 

process. While some terminology can sound negative, waste in Lean terminology refers 

to anything that adds cost or time without adding value. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 22
 Promote and encourage creative, problem-solving. It is critical to the success of Lean 

that the event foster creative thinking. Both kaizen and VSM events can be compared to 

navigating a river—the goal of both events is to create a process that is easy to navigate 

without sharp turns and obstacles, and to facilitate “smooth sailing.” 

 End each day at a reasonable hour. Working late into the evening is not necessary and 

can hurt team morale. If the work is complete, don’t hesitate to end early. If longer 

hours are needed, all participants must agree to this schedule. 

 Assign homework during the event to track actions and the work completed. Homework 

often includes ideas that participants did not have the time or resources to complete and 

can be used to track actions for event follow-up. 

A few method-specific tips include: 

 When doing process mapping in a Lean event, don’t assume that the process works as it 

is intended to work. Develop the current state map based on actual data and observations 

about how the process works in practice, even if that makes the map messy. 

 Ask “why” five times to identify the root 

causes of problems in a process or value 

stream. This is a good way to identify waste 

and improvement opportunities. You may find 

that there no longer are good reasons why a 

process is implemented a certain way. 

Resources

| Lean Event Homework 

Manage Change During a Lean Event 

Real change is difficult. There are often a thousand reasons to maintain the status quo. Yet it is 

vital to trust the insights and ideas that emerge during the Lean event. Lean methods are 

specifically designed to help people see processes in a new light, making it painfully clear where 

improvement is needed and opening paths for change that were not previously evident. 

Diverse emotions are often stirred when individuals involved in the targeted process watch the 

Lean team rip into the work they do on a daily basis and highlight large amounts of non-value 

added activity. Be sensitive to this, remembering that the focus is on the process, not on the 

performance or accomplishments of individuals. The team goal is to forge a process that 

increases all participants’ ability to add value and to perform meaningful work. Note that these 

emotions can be magnified for those who are involved in the targeted process but who may not 

be participating on the Lean team. Give some thought to how to best reach out during and after 

the Lean event to others whose jobs may be directly affected by changes made during the event. 

A few tips include: 

 Brainstorm new ways to eliminate waste and/or to re-conceptualize a process or an 

entire value stream. Stay innovative. Don’t be limited by what has been tried before. 

 Be flexible and willing to try new things. Keep testing new ideas during kaizen events 

but avoid the paralysis of over-analysis. Create value stream maps using sticky notes on 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 23
white boards or butcher paper, so that they can 

be easily adjusted during the event. Expect to 

revisit and revise “future state” 

implementation plans. 

 Test improvement ideas as much as possible in 

an event before changing the layout or order 

of a process. Afterwards, implement the new 

plan. Lean encourages testing new 

improvement ideas and utilizing creative 

thinking. In VSM events, it is common to develop several iterations of your future 

process map before settling on one that the team agrees on. 

| Event Report-Out Presentation 

| Event Evaluation Form 

Resources

| Report-Out Summary 

 Communicate with management. Immediate supervisors should to be kept informed 

about changes to the process. One way to do this is to hold a 15 to 20 minute daily 

briefing for the event sponsor and other key managers and supervisors each afternoon of 

the event. These brief meetings can help ensure management buy-in and tap help in 

removing any obstacles the team may be facing. 

 Hold trainings for staff about process changes and future plans. Explain to workers not 

involved in the event how the new process will make their jobs easier and more 

rewarding. Let them know how to get involved in future process improvement efforts. 

Identify Follow-up Action Items from the Event 

While conducting your Lean event, you may discover other areas or processes that would benefit 

from Lean. While common, it is important to maintain the group’s concentration on the focus of 

the current Lean event. For tracking purposes, make note of these opportunity areas for future 

projects. On the final day of the event document action items your team was not able to 

complete in the event and assign responsibilities and due dates. 

Report Out at the End of the Event 

Participants give a report-out presentation at the end of the Lean event. The event sponsor and 

other senior managers who did not participate in the Lean event often attend the report-out 

presentation. The report-out serves as a forum for exchanging ideas and informing others of the 

team’s accomplishments. Generally, the presentation includes an overview of the event 

objectives, activities, and results. A few tips include: 

 Assign individual team members with presenting part of the presentation. It is helpful to 

involve all team members if possible. 

 Conduct a “dry run” presentation so team members are comfortable with their roles. 

 Focus on the highlights of participants’ experience rather than presenting a verbatim 

recap of the entire event. 

 Keep the presentation to less than 45 minutes, leaving approximately 10 minutes for 

questions and comments by the audience. 

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 Hand-out an event evaluation form prior to the presentation. This allows participants to 

share their experiences confidentially and can be used to identify possible process 

candidates for future Lean events. 

Celebrate a Successful Event 

Upon completing the Lean event, it is important to celebrate the achievements and hard work of 

the event. An event celebration is a great way to extend thanks to participants, planners, and 

managers, and to recognize the team’s contributions. 

 Coordinate with the event sponsor or staff support to plan the celebration. 

 Consider providing each team member with a certificate or a small token of appreciation 

to commemorate the event. 

 Take a team photo and make copies for all team members. 

 Consider sharing the results of the event through an agency newsletter, a posting on a 

bulletin board, or in a press release. (See additional ideas in the next section). 

 Give credit to support personnel, other staff in the area, and the team members for 

making the gains possible.
Lean Event Follow Up 

Now that you have completed your Lean event, there are a number of follow-up actions that 

should be considered in the days and months following implementation. 

Ö Track Event Actions 

Ö Evaluate Performance 

Ö Communicate Internally and Externally 

Track Event Actions 

Follow-up is necessary to reap the full benefit of your Lean event. One of the most important 

products of a value stream mapping event is the future state implementation plan, yet that only 

delivers value to the extent it results in future process improvements. In addition, while kaizen 

events encourage implementation of many process changes during the event, there is often a list 

of follow-up actions that the team was not able to make during the event. 

 

Resources

| 30-Day Lean Event Follow Up 

Action items should be clearly documented and 

tracked carefully to ensure completion by target dates. 

In particular, make sure there is a person and deadline 

associated with each action item. Lean’s continual 

improvement focus means that process changes are 

never really done—continue to monitor the 

performance of the process over time, and be on the 

lookout for countermeasures needed to address 

problems as well as additional process improvement 

opportunities. 

Resources

When tracking actions and results, keep in mind the | 60-Day Lean Event Follow-up 

following tips: 

 Track follow-up actions in a centralized place. Consider using 30- and 60-day lean event 

follow up templates provided in the Starter Kit. 

 Dedicate staff time and assign clear responsibility for each action. The team leader or 

event sponsor should be assigned responsibility for periodically checking to ensure that 

open actions are being addressed and closed. 

 Create a schedule for reviewing follow-through. Most organizations conduct 30-, 60-, 

and 90-day and 6-month and 12-month event follow-up meetings. These meetings ensure 

that actions are effectively tracked and serve as an opportunity to evaluate the event’s 

success, identify countermeasures to adjust aspects of the new process that may not be 

working as desired, and remove barriers that may be preventing individuals from 

completing their follow-up actions. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 26
Evaluate Performance 

Regularly evaluating performance and analyzing results is a critical component of Lean. It is 

important to both evaluate performance based on the key metrics identified during the pre-event 

meeting and to track the extent to which the event achieved the goals and objectives set for the 

event. 

 Use the event objectives as targets for monitoring the performance of the process.. 

Referring back to the team charter and other early documents can help ground the results. 

It also may be useful to identify milestones that represent interim steps to reaching the 

final performance objectives. 

 Consider using visual displays or dashboards to show progress towards the performance 

objectives and to motivate additional improvement efforts. Visual displays can be 

powerful communication and motivational tools. 

 Consider adjusting key performance metrics to ensure that you have a clear dashboard to 

monitor the future performance of the process. For example, in VSM events, you should 

rely on the initial metrics identified in the current-map and future-maps as indicators of 

success. Having a few good measures can help identify potential backsliding and spur 

action to sustain momentum for improvement. This information can also help identify 

appropriate timing for a follow-up Lean event, if warranted. 

Communicate Internally and Externally 

Broadly communicating your agency’s results and experiences implementing Lean is often 

important for both securing internal agency and external stakeholder buy-in and for promoting 

broader diffusion of Lean within your agency. Establishing a communication plan related to the 

Lean event can help ensure that your agency proactively addresses any potential public and 

private-sector concerns that may arise around process changes. Common communication 

activities include: 

 Send thank-you letters to all internal and external participants. 

 Present event results at a department or division meeting or retreat. 

 Post results on bulletin boards or “exhibit areas” in the agency lobby or common spaces. 

 Acknowledge Lean event results or activity at an agency award ceremony. 

 Write an article in your agency’s internal or public newsletter that outlines your Lean 

implementation experience. 

 Post the results on the agency’s intranet or internet website. 

 Reach out to your customers and key stakeholders to identify any changes to the process 

that affects their involvement. 

Communication materials should include the following information: 

 Brief description of the process and the problem (what was not working well) 

 Basic information on the event (what, when, who) 

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 Key performance results related to time, quality/effectiveness, cost, customer satisfaction, 

and other outcomes 

 Key differences between the old process and the new process (what has changed or will 

change? What types of improvements were made?) 

 Brief statements on the significance of the improvements 

 Outline of future improvement plans 
Chapter 4. Sustaining and Diffusing Lean Activity 

Doing one (or a few) Lean improvement events at an environmental agency can be an eyeopening and exciting experience. Observing rapid and dramatic improvements in an agency 

process can offer glimpses into what is possible to accomplish—even in a large government 

bureaucracy. Yet after the first few Lean events, the inevitable questions arise:

Ö What does Lean mean for our agency for the long term? 

Ö How can we sustain and diffuse the successes of our initial Lean activity? 

Responses to these questions can range significantly, from “we are done with Lean” to “let each 

part of the agency pursue use of Lean on its own” to “we are going to incorporate Lean into how 

our agency does its business.” Each agency must decide whether it sees sufficient value to 

continue using Lean. If the agency decides to continue with Lean, then it must decide how. 

There is no right answer to this question, but failure to strategically consider it can be disastrous. 

At best, failure to think strategically about sustaining and diffusing Lean activity will increase 

the cost of capacity building, Lean training and facilitation, and Lean tool development. Far 

worse, one or two poorly planned and executed Lean events can sour the agency on Lean and 

undo past progress. Furthermore, given the frequency of changes in agency leadership, 

initiatives that are not well-planned or entrenched in the agency can be vulnerable to elimination. 

This chapter is designed to help you think strategically about how your agency can sustain and 

diffuse Lean continual improvement activity. The topics covered in this chapter include: 

 Sustaining Lean Improvements 

 Understanding the Lean Journey 

 Getting Started with Lean Diffusion 

 Four Deployment Models for Lean Diffusion 

 Future Directions—Building a Lean Continual Improvement Agency 

Sustaining Lean Improvements 

While Lean methods can be used for one-time, one-shot improvement efforts, the real value of 

Lean lies in its focus on continual improvement. Follow-up from Lean events is critical to 

sustaining success and preventing back-sliding in process execution and performance. Three 

activities are vital for sustaining Lean improvements: champion event follow-up, revisit 

processes with future Lean events, and cultivate employee ownership of process improvement. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 29
Champion Event Follow-up

The event follow-up activities discussed in Chapter 3 directly prevent back-sliding by focusing 

attention on open action items and challenges that may have arisen after the Lean event. 

Someone with sufficient authority must champion the event follow-up and hold team members 

accountable for closing out action items. The brief 30-, 60-, and 90-day follow-up meetings, 

coupled with check-ins after 6 and 12 months, are worthwhile investments to ensure that the 

results from the Lean event are sustained and enhanced.

Revisit Processes with Future Lean Events

Lean is not a one-time event. Significant improvements can result from conducting periodic 

improvement events on a process every one to five years or more frequently. World-class Lean 

organizations are often amazed at the magnitude of process improvement results that can be 

achieved when targeted by multiple times over a few years. Fresh thinking and perspectives 

often unleash time, quality, and cost improvement ideas that could not have been imagined 

during the first Lean event. 

Cultivate Employee Ownership of Process Improvement 

Empower employees involved in a process to become active stewards of the process. By 

actively engaging those involved in a process to “own” its activities and performance, it is 

possible to identify and address improvement opportunities “on the fly.” Managers should 

routinely ask employees for their improvement ideas and process “malfunctions” should be 

examined for lessons and improvement options. Consider developing formal or informal 

systems for collecting improvement suggestions from employees (such as idea boards) and 

recognizing employees for their suggestions and initiatives. 

Understanding the Lean Journey 

Achieving the desired deployment model does not happen overnight. Lean organizations 

describe their efforts as a “journey,” consisting of various phases of Lean activity and culture 

change. The figure below describes three key stages that typically occur as an organization 

matures in its use of Lean: improving, optimizing and transforming. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 30
The Lean Journey

Transforming Optimizing Improving

• Lean teams drive deployment

• Ad hoc projects focused on financial benefits

• Learning the Lean and Six Sigma tools

• Result: identify and eliminate waste and 

process variation

• Management team leads process improvement

• Opportunity-focused clusters

• Managers applying the Lean methodology

• Result: better strategy execution and expertise 

established 

• Continuous improvement is everyone’s job

• Improvement is driven by strategy and 

scoreboard

• Lean is “the way we work”

• Result: value delivered to taxpayers and 

customers

Two to Five Years to a Lean Culture

The road is not always smooth and many organizations implementing Lean report an elevated 

risk of failure between 6 and 18 months into their Lean journey. This often occurs due to a lack 

strategic focus to the Lean activities, a lack of management passion and commitment to 

successful Lean implementation, and a lack of staff time and money devoted to support the 

journey. During this period, initial excitement and momentum from the first few Lean events 

can subside, especially without active leadership or a clear plan for continuing and diffusing 

Lean activity. 

Getting Started with Lean Diffusion 

While a hands-off, grassroots approach to Lean may be appealing in some agencies, some crossagency coordination and planning is invaluable for effective Lean implementation. Lean leaders 

in the public and private sectors have found ways to expand Lean activity at a lower cost and 

with better consistency and results. There are six important steps for diffusing Lean within an 

agency. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 31
Lean Diffusion Steps 

1. Implement Lean in several areas and share results 

2. Send clear and consistent supportive messages from agency leadership 

3. Establish an agency Lean coordinator 

4. Build a core Lean team and expand staff capacity through cross-training 

5. Develop a consistent approach and tools for implementing Lean 

6. Keep at Lean to sustain momentum, but do not push too hard too fast 

1. Implement Lean in several areas and share results 

The best way to sustain and expand Lean activity is to achieve results and to share them 

throughout the agency. Identify several departments or programs in the larger agency that may 

be good places to conduct Lean events and to build staff experience with Lean. Conducting 

“one-off” events throughout an agency can yield good improvement results and expose many 

personnel to Lean, but this approach will not necessarily build centers of Lean experience that 

are sufficient to sustain organizational interest and attention and to champion Lean activity. 

After your first Lean event, consider these four factors when selecting areas for Lean activity: 

 One or more processes in the area have significant improvement needs and/or 

opportunities for impressive results 

 Managers and/or key personnel in the area are highly receptive to using Lean 

 Managers and/or key personnel in the area are well respected throughout the agency and 

could become an effective champion and/or advocate for Lean within the agency 

 Personnel in the area have previous experience using Lean methods 

Share the results of these events and let them speak for themselves. Prepare a brief, attractive 

presentation that shares key information on Lean events conducted throughout the agency. 

Involve key personnel from other departments and divisions in pilot Lean events to help 

introduce key personnel and “idea leaders” within the agency to Lean. Chapter 3 discusses 

additional information sharing ideas. 

2. Send clear and consistent supportive messages from agency leadership 

Strong support from agency leaders is critical to effective diffusion of Lean. Without the 

personal and visible support of senior managers, the effectiveness of Lean efforts can be 

undermined. Effective Lean implementation requires sustained attention and resources, along 

with an openness to change. Leadership commitment is crucial to ensuring that the agency will 

back and support the work of Lean practitioners. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 32
3. Establish an agency Lean coordinator 

Once your agency has committed to implementing multiple Lean events, it is critical to identify 

an agency Lean coordinator to keep track of Lean 

activity throughout the agency. An agency Lean 

coordinator can help prevent unnecessary rework by 

linking those interested in using Lean with potential 

consultants or event facilitators, training resources, 

and helpful information. An agency Lean coordinator 

can also track the use of Lean across other 

environmental agencies. 

4. Build a core Lean team and expand staff capacity through cross-training 

Begin to build Lean expertise in your organization by having a few employees who participate in 

multiple Lean events across your agency (or at other public agencies). The best way to learn 

about Lean and become skilled as a Lean practitioner is by participating in Lean events. While 

training courses can be interesting, they are no substitute for time spent in Lean events, even if 

the events are focused on processes different than those an individual works on. 

5. Develop a consistent approach and tools for implementing Lean 

Avoid having each office or department reinventing its own Lean tools and resources. This 

Starter Kit provides numerous templates that can be adapted to meet your agency’s needs. Be 

consistent and adapt them to work for your agency. Also consider employing a common 

approach for selecting and contracting with a Lean facilitator. This can be an important way to 

ensure that every project uses a common approach to Lean, and that the transaction costs of 

retaining a Lean consultant are minimized. 

SUCCESS FACTORS FOR LEAN LEADERSHIP 

Create a clear and compelling case for change. 

 Communicate continually with internal and external constituents 

 Address employees’ questions about “what’s in it for me?” 

 Define success – and celebrate success when it occurs 

Build the infrastructure for change. 

 Align rewards and compensation 

 Clear obstacles to change and improvement as they arise 

 Identify and nurture leaders who emerge during Lean implementation 

Establish metrics and reinforce accountability. 

 Expect follow-through and track open actions 

 Encourage the use of visual management approaches to share results 

Resources

| Lean Coordinator Job 

Description 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 33
6. Keep at it to sustain momentum, but do not push too hard too fast 

Successful Lean implementation requires a lot of hard work, but the results are often well worth 

the effort. Consider holding at least three to four Lean events per year at your agency to sustain 

interest and momentum. As an agency gains experience with Lean, a good rule of thumb is to 

hold at least one kaizen event per month per 100 employees. While it is not uncommon for 

leading Lean organizations in the public and private sector to run numerous Lean events each 

year, remember to pace yourself. Moving too aggressively with Lean implementation when the 

agency is not ready can quickly turn people off and make it seem like too much attention has 

shifted to improvement efforts, at the expense of the agency’s core mission. 

Four Deployment Models for Lean Diffusion 

Once an agency decides to expand its use of Lean, 

the challenge shifts to how to do this most 

effectively and efficiently. There are four main 

models for deploying Lean in an organization: 

 Agency-wide (traditional model) 

 Department/Division level (scalable model) 

 Targeted (problem-solving model) 

 Grass roots (bottom-up model) 

LEAN DEPLOYMENT MODELS 

Agency-Wide Model Characteristics: Deployment Considerations: 

Ö Top down driven Ö Solid leadership from the top management is 

essential (traditional Lean model) 

Ö Comprehensive 

Ö Major culture change Ö Large infrastructure and full-time staff 

Ö Rapid, highly visible Ö Significant planning and management 

deployment Ö Integration with other management systems 

Ö Need for common language and problem-solving 

methodology 

Ö Need to address cross-functional processes 

Ö 5+ years to achieve lasting culture change

Department/ Characteristics: Deployment Considerations: 

Division Model Ö Department leadership 

but agency management 

support 

Ö Easier to start due to smaller scale 

Ö Slower pace is possible; scale up after initial 

success 

(scalable model) 

Ö Department pilot for 

agency 

Ö Greater use of consultants and outside training 

Ö Less integration with management systems Ö Comprehensive at the 

department level Ö Similar to agency-wide model but on a smaller 

scale 

Ö Culture change Ö Risk of not getting beyond the department level

Resources

| Lean Deployment Presentation 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 34
LEAN DEPLOYMENT MODELS 

Targeted Model Characteristics: Deployment Considerations: 

Ö Top management 

leadership 

Ö Easy to get started (problem-solving 

model) Ö Can work in smaller agencies 

Ö Focused on a few 

specific agency problems 

Ö Quick results because problems are identified 

ahead of time 

Ö Driven by a desire for 

strategic impact 

Ö Infrastructure needs are small; use contracted 

resources 

Ö Culture change is not a 

deployment objective 

Ö Risk of not sustaining the gains

Grass Roots Model Characteristics: Deployment Considerations: 

Ö Originates at the bottom 

of the agency 

Ö Easy to do (bottom-up model) 

Ö Track record for sustainable improvement is not 

Ö Highly motivated good 

individuals lead the 

effort 

Ö Few if any infrastructure needs 

Ö Big success can lead to using other deployment Ö models Project or problem 

specific 

Ö Culture change is not an 

objective 

Most world-class organizations in the public and private sectors have found that having a guiding 

vision and clear goals is critical for effective change management. Long-term agency goals 

should drive which model is selected. Key goals to consider include: organizational culture and 

transformation, strategic improvement, problem-solving, cost reduction, and image. When 

selecting a model for diffusion, careful thought should be given to three factors: desired impact, 

implementation scale, and organizational readiness (see table below). 

DIFFUSION MODEL SELECTION FACTORS 

Desired Impact Implementation Scale Organizational 

Readiness Ö Business Transformation Ö Entire agency 

Ö Culture  Agency-wide deployment Ö Department/division 

Ö Past process 

experience  Major culture change Ö Project/Section/Team

Ö Strategic Improvement Ö Management team  Targeted deployment on 

critical problems Ö Stability

 Projects necessary for success 

or survival 

Ö Problem-solving 

 Specific operational problems 

 Incremental improvements in 

agency performance

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 35
There is no one “right” Lean deployment model. Select a deployment model and adapt it to best 

fit your agency’s situation. 

Future Directions—Building a Lean Continual Improvement Agency 

The experiences of world-class companies show us that Lean can be much more than a process 

improvement tool to be occasionally used when a process seems broken. There are several 

exciting directions that environmental agencies implementing Lean may want to consider to get 

even more value from Lean. 

Develop New Programs, Regulations, and Initiatives Using Lean 

While improving existing processes is important, environmental agencies can realize significant 

value by designing new programs and processes to be efficient and effective from the start. 

Methods such as Design for Lean Six Sigma and Production Preparation Process (3P) offer 

powerful approaches and tools for designing new processes to be highly effective and efficient. 

These methods can also be used to design or redesign products and “service products.” 

Improve and Manage Agency Value Streams 

Most world-class Lean organizations are working to identify and manage their key value 

streams—the full chain of processes and activities that deliver value to customers or 

stakeholders. For an environmental agency, this means looking at the key services the agency 

provides to society and to key constituents and working to optimize these flows of value. This 

may open opportunities for considering more holistic approaches to environmental management 

that get around traditional air, water, and waste silos. For example, an agency could look 

collectively at how it delivers all environmental protection services (permitting for air, 

wastewater, and hazardous waste impacts, as well as technical assistance with pollution 

prevention and sustainability initiatives) to businesses seeking to locate in the state, rather than 

focusing on optimizing just air permitting or another specific part of that value stream. 

Lean approaches offer some useful lessons in how to effectively plan, organize, and manage 

enterprises to optimize their chosen value streams. Such lessons may open up exciting 

possibilities for environmental agencies. 

Link Lean Improvement Events to Agency Mission and Strategy 

World-class Lean organizations are increasingly linking their improvement activities to their 

organization’s strategic visioning, planning, and goal-setting processes. A powerful method 

known as “policy deployment” (also known as hoshin kanri, hoshin planning, and strategy 

deployment) elegantly links the strategic goals of an organization with a cascade of increasingly 

specific programs and activities that support those goals. Policy deployment has a 12-18 month 

focus, taking longer-term strategic planning goals and objectives and honing in on what needs to 

be accomplished in the coming year. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 36
The visual presentation of this highly interactive planning process incorporates key performance 

measures and assigns specific responsibilities for achieving the goals to individuals at all levels 

of the organization. This creates a powerful means for connecting Lean initiatives with an 

organization’s mission and strategy. The end result is a living, dynamic strategic planning 

process that is intrinsically linked to the activities and improvement efforts that are planned and 

executed in the organization. 

Concluding Thoughts 

While the Lean journey takes hard work and perseverance, the power of harnessing the hearts 

and minds of employees for achieving excellence can be transformative. World-class Lean 

organizations find that freeing employees to focus more time on value-added mission-critical 

work dramatically improves performance outcomes, customer and stakeholder satisfaction, and 

employee morale. The Lean journey can lead to satisfied constituents, empowered and engaged 

employees, passionate leaders, and better environmental quality. Best wishes for a productive 

and successful Lean effort. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 37
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 38
Appendix A. Bibliography of Lean References 

Resources on Lean for Office and Administrative Processes 

Articles, Reports, and Presentations 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS). 

Working Smart for Environmental Protection: Improving State Agency Processes with Lean 

and Six Sigma. Lean in Government Series, Volume I. September 2006. 

www.epa.gov/lean/primer.pdf. 

---. “Working Smart for Environmental Protection: State Efforts to Improve Permitting 

Processes Using Lean and Six Sigma.” Presentations from the ECOS Annual Meeting on 27 

August 2006 in Portland, Oregon, www.ecos.org/content/project/detail/2292. (Presentations 

include an overview of the Working Smart for Environmental Protection primer and case 

studies of agency process improvement efforts in Iowa, Delaware, Michigan, and Virginia.) 

Maleyeff, John. Improving Service Delivery in Government with Lean and Six Sigma. 

 Strategy and Transformation Series, IBM Center for the Business of Government. 

 www.businessofgovernment.org/pdfs/MaleyeffReport.pdf. 

Books 

Association for Manufacturing Excellence. Lean Administration: Case Studies in Leadership 

 and Improvement. New York: Productivity Press, 2007. 

George, Michael L. Lean Six Sigma for Service: How to Use Lean Speed & Six Sigma Quality to 

Improve Services and Transactions. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 

Keyte, Beau and Drew Locher. The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping for 

 Administrative and Office Processes. New York: Productivity Press, 2004. 

Martin, Karen. Kaizen Event Planner: Achieving Rapid Improvement in Office, Service, and 

Technical Environments. New York: Productivity Press, 2007. 

Miller, Ken. We Don’t Make Widgets: Overcoming the Barriers that Keep Government from 

Radically Improving. Washington DC: Governing, 2006. 

Productivity Press Development Team. Kaizen for the Shopfloor. Portland: Productivity Press, 

2002. 

Productivity Press Development Team. Standard Work for the Shopfloor. New York: 

Productivity Press, 2002. 

Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 39
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 40

Tapping, Donand Tom Shuker. Value Stream Management for the Lean Office: Eight Steps 

 to Planning, Mapping, and Sustaining Lean Improvements in Administrative Areas. New 

 York: Productivity Press, 2003. 

Venegas, Carlos. Flow in the Office: Implementing and Sustaining Lean Improvements. New 

York: Productivity Press, 2007. 

Womack, James P. and Daniel T. Jones. Lean Solutions: How Companies and Customers Can 

Create Value and Wealth Together. New York: Free Press, 2005. 

---. Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation. New York: Simon & 

Schuster, 1996. 

Websites 

Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), www.ecos.org. (ECOS is an organization that 

supports strategic initiatives for state environmental agencies.) 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lean and Environment website, www.epa.gov/lean. 

(This is an EPA website providing resources and information on Lean and the environment 

for the private and public sector.) 

State of Iowa, Office of Lean Enterprise website, http://lean.iowa.gov. (This website provides 

background information on Lean concepts and tools, a series of downloadable resources for 

Lean events, and information about Iowa agency Lean efforts.) 

Lean Enterprise Institute, www.lean.org. (LEI is a non-profit research and training 

 organization focused on value stream mapping and Lean principles.) 

National Institute of Standards and Technology, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, 

www.mep.nist.gov. (NIST MEP centers are non-profit Lean technical assistance providers.) 

Productivity Press, www.productivitypress.com. (Productivity Press is a private Lean 

 publishing company.) 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 41

RESOURCES

Appendix B. Resources 

This appendix includes practical tools and resources for (1) how to get started with Lean, 

(2) how to implement and manage the phases of a Lean event, and (3) how to sustain and 

diffuse Lean activity across an agency. A summary description of each resource is 

below. The resources are organized according to the chapter and section in which the 

Starter Kit references them. All of the resources are available for download from EPA’s 

Lean and Environment website, www.epa.gov/lean. 

Starter Kit Resources 

Chapter 2: Tools and Resources for Getting Started with Lean 

Lean Overview Presentation 

State Lean Inventory 

Chapter 3: Tools and Resources for Lean Event Planning 

Event Preparation Checklist 

Lean Facilitator Request for Proposal 

Pre-Screening Application for Value Stream Mapping Events 

Lean Event Sponsor Contract 

Pre-event Meeting Agenda 

Team Charter 

Example Team Charter 

Pre-event Data Collection Guide 

Kaizen Event Agenda 

Lean Event Supplies List 

Lean Event Meal Coordinator Roles and Responsibilities 

Frequently Asked Questions about Lean 

Chapter 3: Tools and Resources for Lean Event Implementation 

Team Leader Daily Agenda 

Lean Event Homework 

Report-out Summary 

Event Report-out Presentation 

Event Evaluation Form 

Chapter 3: Tools and Resources for Event Follow-up 

30-Day Lean Event Follow-up 

60-Day Lean Event Follow-up 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 42

RESOURCES

Chapter 4: Tools and Resources for Sustaining and Diffusing Lean Activity 

Lean Coordinator Job Description 

Lean Deployment Presentation 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 43

RESOURCES

Chapter 2: Tools and Resources for Getting Started with Lean 

1. Lean Overview Presentation. This presentation introduces senior agency 

management to Lean principles, methods, and key success criteria, and offers 

example results from past agency improvement efforts. 

2. State Lean Inventory. This inventory summarizes Lean implementation efforts at 

state environmental agencies. It can be used with managers and staff to provide 

context for your agency’s Lean initiative. 

Chapter 3: Tools and Resources for Lean Event Planning 

1. Event Preparation Checklist. This event preparation checklist provides a summary 

of key actions needed across the phases of Lean event planning and implementation.

2. Lean Facilitator Request for Proposal. This sample request for proposal describes 

potential qualifications to look for in a Lean facilitator and how to rank candidates. 

3. Pre-Screening Application for Value Stream Mapping Events. Once an agency 

has conducted its first Lean event, it is helpful to have a standard form for evaluating 

and prioritizing potential future events. This application outlines questions for 

agency managers and staff to answer about potential value stream mapping projects.

4. Lean Event Sponsor Contract. This contract is signed by the team sponsor and 

team leader to ensure that the sponsor understands the event’s focus and the critical 

role that the sponsor plays. 

5. Pre-event Meeting Agenda. This agenda includes a set of objectives and guiding 

questions to discuss with the event team during the pre-event meeting. 

6. Team Charter. This team charter allows an agency to articulate the scope, goals, 

and objectives of the event, along with follow-up dates to ensure that the process will 

move forward after the event. 

7. Example Team Charter. This is an example of a completed team charter. 

8. Pre-event Data Collection Guide. This guide outlines critical steps and questions 

associated with gathering baseline or “current state” data before a Lean event. 

9. Kaizen Event Agenda. This kaizen event agenda provides an example of time 

allocation over a five-day kaizen event. The agenda is a high-level guide and can be 

easily modified to be more event-specific. 

10. Lean Event Supplies List. This supplies list includes materials frequently used at 

Lean events. To help ensure smooth event functioning, come prepared with the right 

supplies on hand. 

11. Lean Event Meal Coordinator Roles and Responsibilities. This checklist provides 

a chronological guide for making food and logistical arrangements for a Lean event. 

While food and logistics preparation may seem like minor roles, they ensure that an 

event functions smoothly and allows participants to focus on the process.
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 44

RESOURCES

12. Frequently Asked Questions about Lean. This sample Question and Answer 

document answers many of the key questions that get raised about Lean events. The 

document can be distributed to agency staff prior to an event.

Chapter 3: Tools and Resources for Lean Event Implementation 

1. Team Leader Daily Agenda. This detailed agenda outlines specific roles and 

responsibilities of a team leader over a five-day Lean event.

2. Lean Event Homework. This homework sheet is a useful way to track action items 

and assignments identified during a Lean event. 

3. Report-Out Summary. The event report-out summary is a one-page “snapshot” of 

the event results. The summary includes the event scope, objectives, goals, a tabular 

representation of improvements, and a list of actions implemented. 

4. Event Report-Out Presentation. This presentation provides an example of the type 

of information shared in a Lean event report-out presentation. 

5. Event Evaluation Form. This form is used to evaluate and solicit feedback from 

event participants. It is important to listen to participant’s perspectives since their 

responses can inform the success of future events.

Chapter 3: Tools and Resources for Event Follow-up 

1. 30-Day Lean Event Follow-up. This tracking sheet is a useful way to track action 

items assigned during the event report-out. The sheet identifies who is responsible 

for completing an action item and when the item is due. 

2. 60-Day Lean Event Follow-up. This tracking sheet is a useful way to track action 

items assigned during the event and subsequent check-ins. The sheet identifies who is 

responsible for completing an action item and when the item is due. 

Chapter 4: Tools and Resources for Sustaining and Diffusing Lean 

Activity 

1. Lean Coordinator Job Description. This job description outlines the roles and 

responsibilities of an agency Lean coordinator; it can be used by agencies interested 

in expanding their Lean efforts.

2. Lean Deployment Presentation. This presentation outlines several options as well 

as key considerations for broader agency Lean deployment. 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 45

RESOURCES

Event Preparation Checklist 

Planning 

 Scope of event 

 High level process steps 

 Data available (time, quantity, frequency) 

 Budget (cost center) 

 Potential internal and external team members 

 Identify support staff (refer to support staff role) 

 Identify communication staff (prints team certificate, communicates with other 

employees) 

 Identify staff with Microsoft Visio software (installed on laptop) 

 Reserve room for pre-event, event, and report-out presentation 

 Reserve laptop, projector and speakers 

 Send invitation/email to team members about pre-event and event date, time, and 

location 

Pre-event Meeting 

 Setup room 

 Setup projector and laptop (for Lean overview) 

 Setup 1 easel stand and pad, provide easel markers 

 Develop scope, goals, and objectives for event 

 Identify pre-work 

 Finalize team member selection 

 Identify sub-team leader 

 Finalize team members meal selection 

Before Event 

 Order meals, snacks and drinks 

 Order supplies (refer to supplies List) 

 Print/order training manuals 

 Prepare folder and nametag (include training manual, agenda, scope, goals, and 

objective) 

 Invite management to daily report (e.g., Tuesday and Wednesday from 4:00 to 

4:30 p.m.) 

 Invite interested parties and employees to report-out (e.g., Friday from 10:00 to 

11:00 a.m.) 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 46

RESOURCES

Event 

 Setup room and layout folders and nametag 

 Setup projector, laptop and speakers 

 Setup 2 easel stands and pads, provide easel markers 

 Event supplies available in the room 

 Provide meals, snacks, and drinks 

 Take team picture on Tuesday morning (for team certificate) 

 Setup room with 2-3 computer/laptop on Wednesday and Thursday (connected to 

network for accessing files if possible) 

 Print and distribute team certificate on Friday 

 Communicate with other staff via website or email on progress of team 

After Event 

 Email team member report-out presentation and other relevant files to event 

participants 

 Fill out travel payment form 

 Send thank-you letters to team members 

 Setup 30-day follow-up date, time, and location 

 Develop communication plan (e.g. update website with event results, inform 

stakeholder groups) 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 47

RESOURCES

Lean Facilitator Request for Proposal 

Please describe in detail how you will meet each requirement. The successful Vendor 

will work the [insert Agency name] (the Agency) to facilitate the expansion of lean 

process improvement methodology in executive branch agencies. Such services shall 

include, but are not limited to, the following: 

A. Lead department Kaizen events, Design for Lean Six Sigma events, value stream 

mapping events, conduct 5S training and audits, and consult with the Agency on other 

relevant Lean tools and methodologies. While serving as the lead consultant, the 

service provider will also coach and mentor state employees, serving in the capacity 

of team lead, to build the Agency’s capacity to successfully lead Lean events. 

B. Meet with Agency leadership to identify potential Lean projects. Conduct pre-work 

events that result in the identification of project scope, objectives, goals and data 

compilation. The consultant will also guide the Agency in team member selection for 

participation in Lean events. 

C. Provide follow-up services, on an as needed basis, to ensure sustainability of Lean 

process improvement efforts. 

D. Work with department leadership to implement policy deployment so that Agency 

improvement efforts are linked to strategic goals. 

If a Vendor’s proposal does not meet the required services, the proposal will be rejected. 

3.2 QUALIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION 

Vendors should offer detailed answers to the questions in this section. 

A. Please describe your experience facilitating and consulting on Lean in a public 

sector organization. 

B. Please describe the methodology used to implement Lean in an organization. 

Please outline basic methodology as well as tools. 

C. Please describe in detail any additional services that you believe would assist 

the Agency in this project. The benefit that is provided to the Agency should 

be specifically addressed. 

3.5 VENDOR INFORMATION 

The following information is required of prospective Vendors and will be used to 

evaluate their qualifications: 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 48

RESOURCES

A. Name of Vendor 

B. Form of business entity (e.g. corporation, partnership, etc.). 

C. State of incorporation (if a corporation). 

D. Home office address and telephone number. 

E. List of branch locations. 

F. Provide a description of your background, organizational history, size and 

years in business. 

G. Specialized services, if any, and years of experience in each such area.

H. Minimum of three (3) business references from companies or government 

agencies that use services within the scope of this RFP. 

4.4 SELECTION PROCESS 

B. Evaluation criteria and assigned point values:

• Credentials and Qualifications 35 points 

 Demonstration of vendor’s qualifications and expertise 

 Number of years experience in providing service sought 

 by RFP 

 Level of experience providing types of services sought 

 in RFP in a public sector organization 

 List of services similar to those sought by RFP that vendor 

 has provided to other organizations. 

• Proposal Meets Mandatory Requirements 35 points

• References 10 points

• Completeness and Organization of Bid 10 points

• Costs 10 points

Total 100 points 

The cost will be used in the cost formula below to compute the relative number of 

cost points awarded to each proposal. The lowest cost will receive the maximum 

number of cost points. 

Lowest Cost 

_______________________ X Available Points = Points 

Vendor X Cost 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 49

RESOURCES

Pre-Screening for Application for 

Value Stream Mapping Events 

Identify the area of study: 

Is the anticipated field of view manageable? 

What are the current problems with the “value stream” for this area of study (from the 

organization’s perspective and from the customer’s perspective)? 

What is the extent of variation in the area of study? 

What data is currently collected to measure activities in/about the area of study? 

Who touches the “value stream”? 

What is in and out of scope for the proposed VSM workshop? 

Who is directing the process? 

What do your customers want that you are currently not able to supply? 

Is there senior executive leadership support for this area of study? 

Is there sufficient funding available to support the VSM for this area of study? 

What is the anticipated schedule for the workshop(s)? 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 50

RESOURCES

Lean Event Sponsor Contract 

The purpose of this contract is to help you and your team achieve successful event 

outcomes. Critical behaviors to help ensure your team’s success include: 

 Passionate—Enthusiastic support of the team to ensure team success. 

 Strategic—Using the event activity to advance a business objective by improving 

the performance of the targeted process while being aware of the impact to the 

total system. 

 Committed—Engaged from pre-event planning through sustainment. 

 Risk Taking—Encourage creative thinking to drive paradigm-breaking results. 

 Open Minded—Influence the team to develop the best solution without 

introducing pre-conceived ideas. 

It is the responsibility of the team sponsor to ensure clarity regarding the coverage 

of event expenses including team members coming in from other locations. It is 

suggested that the team sponsor review with the team leader, as well as parties who 

may be covering the event expenses, early in the planning stages of the event 

activity. 

I have read and support the position paper for this event and understand the critical role 

that I play within the event process. As a team sponsor, I will follow the event-planning 

checklist to ensure my role to support the overall success of the team. 

 

Event Sponsor Signature: 

Team Leader Signature: 

Date: 

Team leader is to retain the signed contract with all other event documentation. 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 51

RESOURCES

Pre-event Meeting Agenda 

[Date, Time] 

[Location] 

I. Understand critical issues 

o What is the purpose of this event? 

o Why is it taking place? 

o What is the desired outcome? 

o What are the boundaries of the activity? 

II. Understand and discuss high-level process steps 

III. Develop scope statement based upon agreement of critical issue focus 

IV. Define goals and objectives for the event 

V. Identify pre-work for event: what, who to complete, etc. 

VI. Which resources must/can be utilized? 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 52

RESOURCES

 Team Charter 

[Agency] 

[Division/Bureau of event and event name] 

[Event Date] 

SCOPE 

The breadth, or area, of opportunity to change and improve [e.g., this event will address 

the process from / of _________to ____________.] 

OBJECTIVES 

[A narrower version of the scope of the improvement event.]

GOALS 

Specific numbers or percentages 

For example: 

1. Reduce lead-time by XX%, from ___ to ___. 

PARTICIPANTS 

Team leader Team Leader Name, Agency, bureau 

Sub-team leader Sub-team leader Name, Agency, bureau 

Consultant Consultant Name 

Members Name, Agency, bureau 

 Name, Agency, bureau 

 Name, Agency, bureau 

 Name, Company Name 

 

 (No more than 20 people/event) 

PRE-WORK 

1. [e.g., determine average lead time] (name person responsible) 

2.

FOLLOW-UP DATES 

Month, day, year – 30 day 

Month, day, year – 60 day 

Month, day, year – 90 day 

Month, day, year – 6 month 

Month, day, year – 1 year 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 53

RESOURCES

Example Team Charter 

SCOPE 

This event will address the Iowa DNR’s Air Quality Bureau – Construction Permits 

section, and the process for reviewing and issuing Complex Construction Projects. 

Complex construction projects are generally those that involve Prevention of 

Significant Deterioration (PSD) permitting, Air Toxics review under 112g of the 

federal Clean Air Act, Netting evaluations for PSD credit, Non-attainment State 

Implementation Plan (SIP) permitting, and other permitting that involves establishing 

facility-wide or extensive permitting to limit potential emissions to reduce the 

facility’s regulatory burden. 

OBJECTIVES

1. Streamline the process to review and issue Complex Construction Projects and 

reduce variability. 

2. Develop a standard operating procedures guide for project reviewers and project 

applicants. 

GOALS 

1. Issue 100% of Complex PSD permits in a maximum of 180 calendar days (132 

work days) from the application received date. 

2. Reduce lead time for processing projects from 210 days (including 40-day 

comment period) to 125 days (including 40-day comment period). (Reduction of 

50% not including comment period). 

3. Reduce requests for additional information by 50%. 

4. Reduce the number of unanticipated comments in the comment period by 50%. 

Team Daily Briefing Participants: 

Consultant: [Insert name here] 

Team leader: [Insert name here] [Insert name here] 

[Insert name here] [Insert name here] 

 

PRE-WORK: 

 Process Mapping ([Insert name here]) – Completed draft 8/16/04

 Matrix Construction ([Insert name here]) 

 Data Collection ([Insert name here]) 

 Guide Materials ([Insert name here]) 

FOLLOW-UP DATES, TIME, AND LOCATION 

 Monday, Noon to 6:00 PM, Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM, 

Friday, 7:30 AM to Noon 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 54

RESOURCES

 Some additional after hours work may be required during the week. 

 Location: Air Quality Bureau, 7900, Suite 1, Hickman Road, Urbandale 

 Pre Event Meeting will be held at the Air Quality Bureau – October 5, 1:30-3:00 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 55

RESOURCES

Pre-event Data Collection Guide 

Pre-event Data Collection Steps

1) Initial map of the current process developed by the area that is going through the 

kaizen event. 

2) Determine from the map steps that can and cannot be changed, i.e., identify those 

steps that are mandatory by rule. 

3) Outline what items are currently tracked for time. 

4) For those items currently tracked for time, determine longest item, quickest item and 

an average of the items. Do not try to gather data here that you do not already know. 

5) Have the staff write down what they do for a week. This includes the projects, as 

well as meetings, site visits, telephone calls, regular meetings, etc. 

The “Voice of the Customer” Data Considerations 

Some questions to ask as part of the "voice of the customer" are the following: 

1. What do they want? 

2. When do they want it? 

3. Why do they want it? 

4. How do they use the product and how much of it do they use? 

These questions will ultimately help in determining the "value-added" steps in the 

process, as well as provide potential design criteria for the final "product." The best 

approach would be to ask our customers (select a few), or at least think through these 

questions from their perspective. If the process has different customer segments, the 

questions could be asked for each one. As above, this information would be useful for 

goal setting purposes. 

Bench marking would also be helpful in establishing goals for the event. Additionally, it 

could equip the team with example strategies for achieving the goals for the event. 

OTHER POTENTIAL BASELINE METRICS INCLUDE: 

• Number of process steps 

• Total lead time 

• Data on staffing needs 

• Data on staff time 

• Cycle time 

• Data on transaction volume in process (e.g., number of applications) 

• Number of handoffs 

• Amount of backlog 

• Rework percentage (e.g., percent of permits needing rework) 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 56

RESOURCES

Kaizen Event Agenda 

[Date]

[Location] 

Monday: Training Day 

1:30 P.M. Team member introduction. 

1:45 P.M. Training. 

4:30 P.M. Adjourn for the day. 

Tuesday: Day of Discovery

8:00 A.M Work on process mapping, data needs, opportunities for waste 

elimination, and review ideas against scope and objectives. 

12:00 P.M. Working lunch. 

12:30 P.M. Continue with previous work. Create implementation plan. 

5:00 P.M. Draft Wednesday assignment. 

5:30 or later Adjourn for the day. 

Wednesday: Do Day

8:00 A.M. Review Tuesday work. Begin working on selected projects. 

Sub-teams report progress. 

12:00 P.M. Working lunch. 

12:30 P.M. Continue with previous work. Sub-teams report progress. 

5:00 P.M. Sub-teams report-out. Make Thursday assignments. 

5:30 or later Adjourn for the day. 

Thursday: Do, Re-Do, Document Day

8:00 A.M. Review Wednesday work. Continue Wednesday’s work. 

Sub-teams complete specific opportunities for improvement and reportout. Implement new process operation procedures, forms, process map, 

and baseline data. 

12:00 A.M. Working lunch. 

12:30 P.M. Continue with previous work. Document changes and complete the new 

process. Report out from sub-teams and review all work to ensure 

everything is complete. 

5:00 P.M. Prepare for Friday’s presentation. 

5:30 or later Adjourn for the day. 

Friday: Day of Celebration

7:30 A.M. Finish work on presentation. 

10:00 A.M. Team presentation. 

11:00 A.M. Adjourn event. Thank you!
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 57

RESOURCES

Lean Event Supplies List

Note: Supplies quantities are for an event with approximately 18 people. 

Description Qty Estimated List 

Price 

Estimated Total 

Cost 

Perforated Note Pads (White) 2 $12.73 DZ $25.46 

Butcher Paper Roll 36” W X 150’ L 1 $13.04 RL $13.04 

Self Stick Easel Pads 2 $25.26 PK $46.52 

Construction Paper (assorted) 4 $1.36 PK $5.44 

Sticky Notes (pastel color) 3”X5” 3 $5.05 PK $15.15 

Sticky Notes (florescent color) 3”X5” 1 $5.91 PK $5.91 

Ballpoint pens (Black or Blue) 20 $.60 EA $12.00 

Permanent Markers (Black) 6 $.75 EA $4.50 

Flip Chart Markers (4 color) 4 $1.95 ST $7.80 

Removable Glue Stick 4 $.84 EA $3.36 

Adhesive Spray 2 $8.12 $16.24 

Masking Tape 1”X 60yards 2 $5.71 RL $11.42 

Scissors 8 $1.45 EA $11.60 

Twin Pocket Portfolios 25 per box 1 $4.21 BX $4.21 

Hang Name Badges 50 per box 1 $10.95 BX $10.95 

Easels for easel pads 4 $14.12 EA $56.48 

GRAND TOTAL $250.08 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 58

RESOURCES

Lean Event Meal Coordinator 

Roles and Responsibilities 

6 weeks before event 

 Aid in finding meeting rooms 

à Monday 1:30 – 4:30 - T-TH 8-5:30 - F 7:30-noon 

à Fridays – Reserve the report-out location 

 Order supplies 

2 weeks before event 

 Order meals (in the Bag) 

 Make nametags (get list from team leader) 

 Prepare team member folder (agenda, charter, nametags) 

1st

 Day of event 

 Help team leader setup room 

 Make coffee, setup all coffee supply (1 hour before start of event) 

 Set out team member folder 

 End of day disconnect coffee pot 

2nd, 3rd, and 4th Day of event 

 Make coffee 

 Bring breakfast into room 

 Fill cooler with pop, juice and water 

 Bring lunch into room 

 Bring snacks into room 

 Order dinner (if necessary) 

 Assist in clean up at the end of the day 

5th Day of event 

 Make coffee 

 Bring breakfast into room 

 Setup snack/coffee/drink to the report-out location (if necessary) 

 Assist in clean up at the end of report 

 Collect and store all extra meal supplies 

After the event 

 Gather all receipts 

 Fill out Travel Payment to pay vendors 

 Summarize event evaluations 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 59

RESOURCES

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. 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 60

RESOURCES

8. How can you expect to get meaningful change in one week? 

These events are specifically engineered to achieve results in an intense, oneweek 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. 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 61

RESOURCES

Team Leader Daily Agenda 

Day 1 

Morning 

 Arrange the room in the picture shown (get someone to help) 

 Get the supplies, easel and easel pad 

 Setup 1 easel and easel pad 

 Setup the laptop, projector and speakers 

 Set out the folder, training manual and nametag 

Afternoon 

 Greet everyone when they arrive 

 Start promptly at 1:30 p.m. 

 Welcome everyone and introduce yourself 

 Go through logistics (parking, building access, cell phones, restrooms, meals, etc.) 

 Go through agenda (warn team of potential late nights on Tuesday, Wednesday, 

and Thursday) 

 Go through ground rules 

 Have everyone introduce themselves 

1. Who are you? Where do you work? 

2. What are your goals this week? 

3. What you like to do when you are not at work? 

 On the easel pad, write “Goals of Team Members” and capture the team member 

goals 

 Post “Goals of Team Members” on the wall 

 Introduction from senior manager 

 Introduce consultant and/or trainer (begin training) 

 Review the goals and objectives 

 Discuss pre-event data collected 

 Let team know they can leave folder in the room 

 Remind team of start time tomorrow 

Evening 

 Disconnect laptop and projector (store in save location overnight) 

 Tape roll paper on the East and West wall (get 1-2 people to help) 

 Spray paper with adhesive glue 

 Setup 2 easels and easel pad 

 Write on easel pad and post on the wall “Parking Lot/Bike Rack” and 

“Homework” 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 62

RESOURCES

 Layout scissors, color pad, and markers for team member to volunteer for flow 

mapping 

 Tidy up the room (unplug the coffee pot, pick up bottles and cups) 

Day 2 

Morning 

 Start on time 

 Ask if anyone have question about yesterday’s training 

 Start training on flow mapping 

 Ask for volunteer for each flow mapping task 

 Review the goals and objectives 

 Start mapping current state (Identify functions, steps, handoffs) 

 Identify value-added activities and delays on map 

 Estimate lead time (best case, worst case, and average) based on data collected 

Afternoon 

 Count the number of steps, handoffs, loops, delay, value add, delay 

 Calculate lead time (best case, worst case, and average) 

 Let meal coordinator/support know by 3 p.m. if dinner is needed 

 Attend 4 p.m. daily report out to management 

 Remind team of start time tomorrow 

Evening 

 Setup 3 easels and easel pad 

 Tidy up the room (unplug the coffee pot, pick up bottles and cups, markers and 

note pads) 

Day 3 

Morning 

 Start on time 

 Communication staff takes team pictures 

 Ask if anyone have questions or comments about the current process 

 Give the team 20 minutes to write down what they think the ideal state should be 

individually 

 Capture the team members ideas on easel pad 

 Break up team into groups (5-6 people per group) 

 Give each group some of the ideas and ask them to apply it to de-selection matrix 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 63

RESOURCES

 Ask group to write down on easel pads 7 ways of implementing the ideas in the 

High Impact and Low Difficulty quadrant 

 Have each group report to the team 

Afternoon 

 Start to map the ideal/future process 

 Capture Parking Lot/Bike Rack and Homework items on easel pad 

 Identify value-added activities and delays on new process map 

 Estimate lead time (best case, worst case, and average) based on data collected 

 Count the number of steps, handoffs, loops, delay, value add, delay 

 Calculate lead time (best case, worst case, and average) 

 Let meal coordinator/support know by 3 p.m. if dinner is needed 

 Attend 4 p.m. daily report out to management 

 Remind team of start time tomorrow 

Evening 

 Setup 3 easels and easel pad 

 Tidy up the room (unplug the coffee pot, pick up bottles and cups, markers and 

note pads) 

Day 4 

Morning 

 Setup laptop and projector 

 Ask if anyone have concerns or comments about the new process map 

 Review the goals and objectives 

 Review the parking lot and homework items 

 Ask team to volunteer to work on homework items 

 Collect the completed homework items from each group 

Afternoon 

 Assign/Volunteer team member to homework items that are incomplete 

 Review “Goals of Team Members” 

 Prepare report-out presentation 

 Inform team about flow of report-out presentation (where to stand, introduce next 

speaker, what to expect, who answer questions from audience) 

 Assign/Volunteer team member to different slides in the presentation 

 Vote on team name 

 Send team name to communication staff 

 Prepare report-out summary 

 Make 50 copies of report-out summary 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 64

RESOURCES

 Attend 4 p.m. daily report out to management 

 Remind team of start time tomorrow 

Evening 

 Disconnect laptop and projector (store in save location overnight) 

 Tidy up the room (unplug the coffee pot, pick up bottles and cups, markers and 

note pads) 

Day 5 

Morning 

 Setup laptop, projector and speaker 

 Show “Staff Motivation” video 

 Invite meal coordinator/support to room for a team thank you 

 Distribute “Kaizen Event Evaluation” to team members 

 Collect filled out “Kaizen Event Evaluation” 

 Setup laptop and projector in the auditorium 

 Practice report-out presentation 

 Collect team participation certificate from communication staff 

 Distribute report-out summary to audience 

 Report-out presentation 

 Return supplies to support/meal coordinator 

 Put the room back in order (get 1-2 people to help) 

Afternoon 

 Give kaizen event evaluation to event coordinator 

 Place all files for event on computer server 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 65

RESOURCES

Lean Event Homework 

As of: 

Event #: 

Event Name: 

Owner: 

 

Item Item Description Person Responsible Due Date 

1 

Hold Meeting to Standardize “Front 

End” Documents With Other 

Funders/Agencies 

Gabe 02/17/06 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Notes: 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 66

RESOURCES

 Report-out Summary 

DATE: 

SCOPE: 

OBJECTIVE: 

GOALS: 

RESULTS: 

Old New % Change 

Steps 1 - (new # / old #) 

Value Added Steps

Decisions

Loop Back

Handoffs

Delays

Functions in Process

IMPLEMENTED 

[List actions implemented] 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 67

RESOURCES

Event Evaluation Form 

Event: ______________________________________ Date: ______________ 

Facilitator: ___________________________________ 

Team Leader: ___________________________

 

You have just completed an event to improve one of your processes. We are interested in 

your opinion on how things went during the event. We are continuously trying to 

improve the effectiveness of the events. Below is a list of questions that will help us 

improve future events. Please be open and honest with your ratings and comments. 

Thank you. 

On a scale of 1 to 5 please rate the questions below. 

1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Neutral 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree 

Rating Questions 

I was given at least 2 weeks notice prior to the event. 

The training on Day 1 was effective and prepared me for the event. 

The consultant was effective teaching and guiding the team through the 

event. 

The consultant listened to my ideas and suggestions. 

The team leader was effective and helpful through the event. 

When my ideas or suggestions were not used, the reasons were explained to 

me. 

Management support and direction was adequate. 

The time spent this week was productive. 

I have increased my understanding of the value of continuous improvement. 

The material provided was useful. 

The food and beverages provided were adequate. 

What did you find most useful during the event? 

What suggestions or comments do you have that could help us improve future events? 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 68

RESOURCES

30-Day Lean Event Follow-up 

As of: 

Event #: 

Event Name: 

Owner: 

 

Item Item Description Person 

Responsible Due Date 

Revised/ 

Completed 

Date 

Expected 

Results 

1 

Hold Meeting to 

Standardize “Front 

End” Documents With 

Other Funders/Agencies 

Gabe 02/17/06 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Notes: 

Parking Lot Issues: 

o [Add outstanding parking lot issues here] 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 69

RESOURCES

60-Day Lean Event Follow-up 

As of: 

Event #: 

Event Name: 

Owner: 

 

Item Item Description Person 

Responsible Due Date

Revised/ 

Completed 

Date 

Expected 

Results 

1 

Hold Meeting to 

Standardize “Front 

End” Documents 

Gabe 2/17/06 6/15/06 

Forms ready 

for joint 

meeting 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Notes: 

Parking Lot Issues: 

o [Add outstanding parking lot issues here] 
Lean in Government Starter Kit | Page 70

RESOURCES

Lean Coordinator Job Description 

This position is located in the Director's Office under the immediate supervision of the 

Deputy Director and functions as a program manager for the Agency’s process 

improvement program. The person in this position is responsible for implementing and 

managing the department's Lean process improvement program, including the 

deployment of training and other duties that will enhance organizational efficiency and 

support a culture of continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.

Lean Deployment and Facilitation: Develop and implement an action plan for the 

deployment of all aspects of the Department's Lean process improvement program, 

including, but not limited to kaizen, 5S and Design for Lean Six Sigma Events. 

Responsible for working with department managers in identifying areas for process 

improvement events, establishing objectives for each project, and selecting crossfunctional team members and leaders. Act in the capacity of the facilitator for each 

event. Coordinate each project/event phase and ensure that participants and stakeholders 

have the tools and resources they need, necessary information, and guidance to enable 

them to fully engage in the process and maximize the potential outcome of each event. 

Tracking Progress: Develop and implement an action plan for tracking, analyzing and 

reporting return on investment of departmental programs that have undergone process 

improvement initiatives. Monitor the progress of projects, including ongoing status 

reviews. Ensure that the database is current relative to process improvement activities. 

Responsible for coordinating and participating in 30 day, 60 day, 90 day, 6 month, and 1 

year follow-up meetings for each event to ensure follow-up activities are completed and 

improvements are realized and maintained. Develop a comprehensive report which 

delineates the status and outcomes of each event, including, but not limited to efficiencies 

gained, increased customer satisfaction and or reduced costs or savings realized. Conduct 

formal reviews with the management team on a quarterly basis to review 

accomplishments, identify areas for improvement, and respond to questions. 

Training: Coordinate the training of Agency staff on Lean process improvement 

techniques, including a plan for deployment of training to all departmental staff. Ensure 

that tools, resources and instructional materials are developed, updated as necessary and 

maintained to meet ongoing needs. Responsible for tracking participation and associated 

costs of time and materials for training deployment. Establish a library of learning 

materials, both electronic and paper that can be made available to interested staff. 

Conduct research focused on benchmarking world-class business process performance 

and utilize findings to assist supervisors in establishing tangible measures of time, cost, 

and quality. 

Communications: Develop and implement an effective strategy for communicating the 

status and results of the Agency improvement efforts to department partners, customers 

and staff. This includes, but is not limited to the development of an Internet presence to 

showcase departmental activities. Keep staff informed of revised procedures and 

methods and related work changes as implemented.