Lean and Responsive Government Act

To require government-wide application of continuous process improvement methods to reduce waste and improve the effectiveness of the Federal Government, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Lean and Responsive Government Act 2. Findings; policy (a) Findings The Congress finds the following: (1) Nearly 100 major United States corporations, countless small businesses, and many government entities around the world have reduced waste in their operations and improved the quality of the goods and services they provide by implementing continuous process improvement methodologies, most commonly lean six sigma. (2) Use of this methodology has resulted in average cost reductions greater than 25 percent while also improving the quality of goods and services. (3) The use of continuous process improvement lean six sigma within the Department of Defense and several other departments and agencies has demonstrated that it can successfully be applied across the Federal Government. (4) Continuous process improvement is essential for Federal agencies to be successful in setting and meeting performance goals and is a key component that is missing from current statutory requirements for performance improvement efforts. (5) Clear direction and authority from Congress is needed to ensure this innovative management process from the private sector is applied across the Federal Government to achieve waste reduction and optimal efficiency. (b) Congressional statement of policy It shall be the policy of the United States— (1) to reduce waste and improve the effectiveness of the Federal Government through the use of continuous process improvement methods; (2) to require each Federal agency to implement the necessary capabilities to fully institutionalize such methods within such agency to reduce waste while maintaining or improving the level of services provided by the Federal Government; and (3) that the savings from such methods may be used to justify agency funding requests. 3. Continuous process improvement (a) Continuous process improvement defined Section 1101 (3) continuous process improvement . (b) Agency performance reporting Subsection (c) of section 1116 of such title is amended— (1) in paragraph (6)(E), by striking ; and (2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period and inserting ; and (3) by inserting at the end the following new paragraph: (8) describe the implementation of continuous process improvement, including information on each of the following: (A) The extent to which employees have received continuous process improvement training appropriate to the position of such employee, and its relation to the deployment goals in a typical application of continuous process improvement. (B) A description of the application of continuous process improvement in cost-reduction projects, including any performance or quality improvements and cost savings realized as a result of such application. . (c) Implementation results Subsection (c) of section 1122 of such title is amended— (1) in paragraph (8), by striking ; and (2) in paragraph (9), by striking the period and inserting ; and (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (10) a description of the results of the government-wide implementation of continuous process improvement. . (d) Chief Operating Officer requirement Subsection (b) of section 1123 of such title is amended— (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ; and (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and inserting ; and (3) by inserting at the end the following new paragraph: (5) implement continuous process improvement within the agency. . (e) Performance Improvement Officer requirement Paragraph (2) of section 1124(a) of such title is amended— (1) in subparagraph (E), by striking ; and (2) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period and inserting ; and (3) by inserting at the end the following new subparagraph: (G) advise and assist the head of the agency and the Chief Operating Officer on implementing the continuous process improvement within the agency. . (f) Performance Improvement Council Subsection (b) of section 1124 of such title is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)— (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as (D) and (E), respectively; and (B) by inserting after subparagraph (B), the following new subparagraph: (C) an appropriate expert designated by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget pursuant to paragraph (4); ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (4) Designation of expert on continuous process improvement The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall appoint a highly-qualified expert on continuous process improvement to serve as a member of the Performance Improvement Council to advise on the implementation of continuous process improvement across agencies. . 4. Center of excellence for continuous process improvement (a) In general Chapter 11 1126. Center of excellence for continuous process improvement (a) In general The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall designate a center of excellence for continuous process improvement training, from within the Department of Defense. (b) Functions The Director shall ensure that the center designated under subsection (a) provides agencies with a common set of approaches to training and deployment of continuous process improvement. . (b) Designation The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall designate the center of excellence required under section 1126(a) (c) Technical and conforming amendment The table of contents for chapter 11 1126. Center of excellence for continuous process improvement. . 5. Preparation and submission of appropriations requests to the President Paragraph (1) of section 1108(b) The head of each agency shall include information on the results of continuous process improvement projects in each relevant appropriation request for the agency. The head of an agency may submit a proposal on alternate uses of the funds that have not been used as a result of continuous process improvement projects. 6. Effective date Except as otherwise expressly provided under this Act, this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Summary: Lean and Responsive Government Act - Requires the head of each federal agency to describe the implementation of continuous process improvement in the agency's periodic update on agency performance. Defines "continuous process improvement" as a management methodology (commonly referred to as lean six sigma) that combines tools to improve process speed, reduce waste, and incorporate requirements with data driven project analysis to provide products and services with improved quality at lower cost. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to: (1) make available on the OMB website a description of the results of the government-wide implementation of continuous process improvement, and (2) appoint an expert on such process as a member of the Performance Improvement Council to advise on its implementation across agencies. Requires: (1) each agency's Chief Operating Officer to implement continuous process improvement, (2) each agency's Performance Improvement Officer to advise and assist the agency head and Chief Operating Officer in implementing such process, and (3) the head of each agency to include information on the results of continuous process improvement projects in each relevant appropriation request for the agency. Requires the Director to designate a center of excellence for continuous process improvement training from within the Department of Defense (DOD).