Local Authorities
Lean Local Government
Whereas a Value Stream in the commercial sector is usually short, a key feature of Value Streams in local government is that they can be very long. In the private sector the time between order and product or service delivery is typically a few days to a few weeks. While there are "short" Value Streams in the public sector – such as a visit to a sports centre or library; ordering a special uplift of rubbish; or issuing a taxi licence; – many public sector Value Streams may take months, or even years, to run through – the planning process for major developments; social care interventions; care of chronic conditions in the NHS; not to mention the development of strategies for refuse and recycling, roads maintenance, or the provision of bus services. At the same time it is sometimes not clear what the boundaries of the Value Stream are.
Each Value Stream needs to be studied individually, but one solution to this problem of very large Value Streams might be to split the Value Stream into sub Value Streams (or Value Chains). For example in the local authority planning Value Stream, we may actually have a Value Chain for simple domestic changes; a Value Chain for larger domestic and small commercial changes; and a Value Chain for large or sensitive, projects.
Achieving Flow in Local Government Processes
There are no easy solutions to the implementation of lean for local authorities. The engagement of the team and managers leading by example of are prerequisites to success. It is also important to understand and map the "flow" through the process and identify which activities support the process and which impede it. It is not unusual for 25% or less of the total process time for a service to be actual active time working on the service. The key to lean improvement in local authorities is to understand and reduce that waste. We use five main steps to do this:
- Define the purpose and parameters of the service. Set strategic objectives;
- Identify and map the Value Streams that make up the services. Link Value Stream measure to the strategic objectives;
- Analyse the variations in customer demand and in service performance;
- Measure the flow through the Value Streams, and identify the waste. Simulate the service process if necessary;
- Work with the Value Stream team to remove the waste, eliminate rework, create pull, and improve the process.
Please contact us to discuss how we can help your local authority service improve.