Quality Standards for Highly Effective Government, 2nd Edition

Quality Standards for Highly Effective Government, Second Edition establishes a "new normal" in government that will ultimately reinvent the practice of democratic government. The principal catalyst for this change will be the adoption of auditable quality standards within every government entity—based on efficiency, effectiveness, and delivered value. Conventional wisdom says that government is not efficient and not effective – but, we are still unsure what works and what is broken in government, where to find some common sense, and where to start to fix it.

The problem sounds huge, but the solution is not all that difficult. Quality science can provide a structure for efficiency and effectiveness, democratic institutions can create consensus goals, and auditable standards can show where these issues exist and to what degree. In addition, it can drive change where it must happen, because if you can measure it, you can manage it.

Auditable quality standards can make these unknowns highly visible and offer a clear scorecard that anyone can follow. They can provide holistic and thorough measurements because they will align with the unique roles and responsibilities at three fundamental levels of leadership in government: (1) Work unit supervisors and managers at the "front line" of government service; (2) chief executives, department directors, and their deputies as "Executive Management" of government agencies, and (3) elected top leadership, as those key officials must define the priorities, outcomes, programs, and budgets.

This book proposes that a focus on efficiency and effectiveness, combined with its defined value, provides the foundation of effective government, and of its audit standard.

In this book, you will learn four necessary strategies that will support the use of these standards including:

• Creating an imperative for consensus
• Ending incentives for building bureaucracy
• Building a safety net for champions of efficiency
• Making elected representatives accountable for results

This book presents the methods necessary to measure and improve the quality of organizational systems in government, across the board, and on a sustained basis to achieve value, efficiency, and effectiveness -- It is the manifesto and map for government’s future.

• Sets a new performance expectation for government leaders and managers at all levels, re-igniting new levels of efficiency and effectiveness
• Reveals why efficiency and effectiveness initiatives in government fail, and what can be done about it
• Shows the role everyone has in developing sustainable quality frameworks in government – from front line supervisors, to mid-level managers, to senior executives and elected leaders
• Demonstrates how a quality scorecard for government can be developed and sustained
• Shows how periodic, objective audits can ensures the continuing use of quality and continuous quality improvement – throughout government

Introduction

Chapter 1 : The Problem and Auditable Quality Standards as Solution
Chapter 2 : Quality Science as a Backbone
Chapter 3 : The Process Management Standard
Chapter 4 : Scoring the Process Management Standard
Chapter 5 : The System Management Standard
Chapter 6 : Scoring the Systems Management Standard
Chapter 7 : The Aligned Leadership Objectives Standard
Chapter 8 : Auditable Standards as a Catalyst for the Future
Chapter 9 : Three Necessary Strategies
Chapter 10 : Necessary Culture and Values

Index