Lean Government
Lean Government Initiatives at EPA
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Recent Updates
EPA Office of Pesticide Programs Holds Lean Event
In July 2010, EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) conducted a Lean value stream mapping (VSM) event to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its Antimicrobial Testing Program (ATP). The goals of the Lean event were to design a process that flows without interruption, to improve the quality of the process by reducing rework to cut lead time by 50 percent, and to improve employee satisfaction with the process. As a result of the event, participants identified ways to reduce lead time by 75 percent and reduced the backlog of products in need of testing from 365 to approximately 250.
Lean Government is a proven approach to fostering excellence and continuous improvement in government processes and services. EPA headquarters and regional offices are using Lean methods to dramatically improve process speed, effectiveness, transparency, and efficiency. Results from EPA Lean process improvement events have been compelling and are featured in the following case studies.
EPA Lean Government Case Studies
EPA Office of Pesticide Programs—Antimicrobial Testing Program
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lean Government: EPA Office of Pesticide Programs Antimicrobial Testing Program Lean Event Case Study. February 2011. Fact Sheet (PDF) (4 pp, 1.1MB)
EPA Region 7 and Four States—Clean Air Act Implementation Plan
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lean Government: Region 7 and Four States Clean Air Act Implementation Plan (SIP) Kaizen Event Case Study. July 2010. Fact Sheet (PDF) (5 pp, 1.5MB)
EPA Region 6—Pesticides Enforcement
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lean Government: EPA Region 6 Pesticides Enforcement Kaizen Events Case Study. June 2010. Fact Sheet (PDF) (5 pp, 1.5MB)
EPA Office of the Chief Financial Officer—Superfund State Contract (SSC) Accrual Process
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lean Government: EPA Office of the Chief Financial Officer — Superfund State Contract (SSC) Accrual Process Case Study. December 2010. Fact Sheet. (PDF) (4 pp, 101K)
EPA Office of the Chief Financial Officer—Corrective Action Tracking
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lean Government: EPA Office of the Chief Financial Officer—Corrective Action Tracking Kaizen Event Case Study. June 2009. Fact Sheet (PDF) (3 pp, 745K)
EPA Region 7 and 4 States—National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lean Government: Region 7 and 4 States—National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) - Kaizen Event Case Study. August 2009. Fact Sheet (PDF) (3 pp, 436K)
EPA Region 7 and 4 States—Water Quality Standards Review Process
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lean Government: Region 7 and 4 States—Water Quality Standards Review Process - Kaizen Event Case Study. August 2009. Fact Sheet (PDF) (3 pp, 482K)
Interest in lean process improvement continues to grow throughout EPA—including headquarters’ offices, regional offices, and laboratories.
For more information about EPA’s Lean Government initiative, contact Kimberly Green-Goldsborough (green-goldsborough.kimberly@epa.gov) at (202) 566-2355.