• Conducting a two-day planning retreat including customers, staff and advisory group members, but excluding managers.

• Reducing the number of supervisors and managers within the organization.

• Considering how jobs will be structured and processes changed for consistency with the new vision.

CONTACT: Diane Dalmasse, 241-2190

In 1992, at the request of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DISC), the Department of Human Resources conducted an organizational assessment of DEC addressing strengths and opportunities for improvement. DEC considered the assessment report and formed multiple focus groups from all levels of the organization to examine issues such as:

communication, career ladders, and organizational structure. That process resulted in many changes including a new structure that emphasizes coordination across divisional lines. The department is currently undergoing a planning process which will further refine department goals with input from staff, the general public, and interest groups. Some points of interest:

• The department created a matrix organizational structure to facilitate communication across divisional lines. Four external coordinators lead teams which focus on: policy and planning; permitting; compliance, inspection, enforcement; and information systems. Each division has a representative on all four teams.

• The Department has developed a guidance document to assist in identifying positions for reduction.

CONTACT: Winslow Ladue, 241-3404

The Department of Fish and Wildlife has begun a Comprehensive Planning Process which involves four phases: 1) Inventory - surveying customer and constituent groups to answer the question "Where are we?", 2) Strategic Planning which addresses "Where do we want to go?", 3) Operational Planning to answer "How do we get there?", and 4) Evaluation - "Did it really work?".

• In the inventory phase the department has sought extensive customer input. Each customer survey essentially addressed the same three areas: what are the strengths of the department, what areas could be improved, and what should be the priorities of the department. Thus far the Department has surveyed:

• The department has also established four ongoing program teams to: 1) develop measurable objectives, 2) develop strategies for accomplishing these objectives and 3) identify problems meeting them. These program teams are organized around types of ecosystems (standing water, flowing water, forest, and non-forest) and each team includes representation from all sections of the department.

CONTACT: Tom Wiggins, 241-3710

The Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) set out in 1993 to emphasize coordination and communication across departmental lines. The ANR Executive Committee, which consists of divisional directors from all three departments, began a comprehensive planning process to develop agency outcome statements and outcome indicators or measurements. Some elements of the process have included:

• Use of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) process to develop 25 outcome statements representing all the work the Agency does (see Appendix C).

• Development of an Agency Comprehensive Planning Team to oversee the planning process and advise the Executive Committee.

• Telephone survey to 500 Vermonters for feedback on their priorities (relative to the 25 outcome statements). Employees were also surveyed.

• Use of outcome statements to set priorities and focus on opportunities for improvement; to educate the public; to develop the budget; and to use as an internal management tool.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation started to examine its role and mission in 1993.

This examination has included examining operations from both an external and internal point of view. The external view is captured in the Long Range Transportation Plan - a document and process which includes comprehensive input from the external stakeholders of the Agency. The internal perspective is represented in the Strategic Plan. See Appendix C for a copy of the strategy plan.

The Strategic Plan was developed by a comprehensive process of employee involvement. Five work groups, using primarily staff volunteers, developed 29 strategies designed to help the Agency realize its goals and vision. Some of the strategies which are currently being developed or are underway include:

• Creation of Quality Improvement Teams - Essentially a group of internal consultants trained in problem solving and assessment strategies and facilitation who are available to help units.

• Partnering with the private sector and other public entities at the beginning of large projects to agree upon project goals and outcomes, possible pitfalls to success, and how any conflicts might be resolved. Similar projects in other states have greatly reduced the number of projects under litigation.

• Creation of a project manager system, which identifies a single individual within the Agency who can be contacted for information.

• Clarifying the project development processes with graphic techniques so participants can understand how, where, and when they may influence decision-making.

• Creation of an Idea Development Team which would research new ideas and innovative practices. Establishing a Customer Relations Office.

• Implementing computer software standardization and hardware compatibility for enhancing systems integration.

In the late 1980’s the Department of Education began the school restructuring initiative. To model their request to Vermont schools that they examine their individual operations, the Department had a broad-based group of its employees examine their own department. The group determined that the Department of Education needed a greater focus on customer service, including external customers and internal customers (staff). The department began working on the premise that excellent service to external customers was closely linked to how well the department staff were treated and served. Since the early 90’s the Department has proceeded with:

• Embracing the Total Quality Management philosophy and providing TQM training to all staff in the Summer of 1992.

• Realigning the department structure to be consistent with the TQM philosophy by placing equal emphasis on internal and external customers. The restructuring created "home teams" instead of divisions, eliminated the Chief position, and instituted "internal" and "external" managers for each home team.

• Measuring their progress by conducting an annual staff survey which examines:
whether the department is living up to its vision, organizational style and culture, and team effectiveness

• Conducting customer focus groups and public hearings.

In 1991 the management of the General Services Department, which consisted of six division directors and the Commissioner, agreed that the single theme which bound everything together in the department was customer service. When they looked at how to improve customer service they selected the Total Quality Management (TQM) methodology. The departmental themes are: commitment to the customer, belief in continual improvement, and total staff involvement in the improvement effort. Some of the efforts undertaken by the Department are highlighted below. As this guide is being written, the Department is undergoing a major reorganization and merger with the Department of State Buildings.

• Staff members have taken team development training with particular emphasis on running and facilitating meetings.

• Extensive contact with customers to determine needs and expectations and communicate department performance via focus groups, customer surveys (see Appendix A), advisory groups, and distribution of an annual report.

• Researching best practices from other organizations providing similar services in order to create challenging goals for their own department and compare GSD’s level of service with other organizations.

• Development of key performance indicators which help the staff and customers answer the question "How are we doing?".

CONTACT: John Yacavoni, 828-3700