Archive

NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR REINVENTING GOVERNMENT
(formerly NATIONAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW)


REINVENTION ROUNDTABLE
HELPING FEDERAL WORKERS
CREATE A GOVERNMENT
THAT WORKS BETTER AND COSTS LESS

ISSUE NO. 3, AUGUST 22, 1994

INSIDE THIS ISSUE....

CUSTOMER SERVICE: ONE AMERICAN AT A TIME

"The dramatic changes we'll have to make must be designed to convince our customers -- one American at a time -- that government can work better, that it is working better, that they might once again believe that we can solve national problems," said Vice President Gore at his July 28 meeting with employees of members of the Small Agency Council.

Paul O'Neill, Chairman and CEO of ALCOA and former Deputy Director of OMB, has said that leaders must continually affirm their goals, explaining, "Eighty percent of the leader's job is communication and half the time I'm misunderstood." Vice President Gore wants no one to misunderstand the Administration's commitment to customer service. He has visited eleven agencies since March to explain and reward customer service. He has given Hammer Awards to thirty-three federal employee teams and praised hundreds more employees with words and letters, most for customer service. On July 13 the Vice President presented the Presidential Award for Quality and the Quality Improvement Prototype Awards at the National Conference on Federal Quality.

Agencies will set customer service standards as part of the customer service plans they will publish in September. In addition, customer service is covered in agency heads' performance agreements, and OMB's guidance on 1996 budget preparations asks agencies to link resources to customer service.

To help agencies gear up, NPR has hosted thirteen customer service conferences and workshops covering the basics of customer service: define and survey customers, set service standards and measure performance, set standards equal to the best of business, get employee input on how to improve performance, and provide a customer complaint process.

Those who have worked at customer service have told the Vice President that a customer-driven government is good for federal workers as well as for the public. "It's much more enjoyable. It's actually fun now. One year ago I couldn't say that," Mark Koehler told the Vice President. Koehler's Rocky Mountain Properties Team received a Hammer Award during the Vice President's visit to the General Services Administration June 17.

PRESIDENT HANDS FEDS MORE PRINTING CHOICES

President Clinton recently told agencies they are free to go outside the GPO 1) for printing not intended for the general public and 2) for all photocopying. He defined GPO's purview narrowly in the signing statement accompanying the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 1994.

The President said, "The concerns raised by this Act reinforce my eagerness and resolve to accomplish a comprehensive reform of Federal printing in accordance with constitutional principles, an effort that began last year with the Vice President's National Performance Review." NPR recommended more competition in government printing in order to reduce costs and improve printing services.

REINVENTION HEROES HONORED NATIONWIDE

Federal Executive Boards and Federal Executive Associations will honor local heroes of reinvention during September. Ceremonies throughout the country will celebrate the first year of reinvention progress and feature NPR's new training video. Contact local FEB/FEAs to get times and dates and to nominate teams of federal employees who have made extraordinary progress in transforming government.

FEDS USE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO REINVENT COMMUNICATION

"NPR's electronic town meeting (see back page) exemplifies the coming era of collaborative communication that information technology makes possible," said Jock Gill, of the White House Office of Media Affairs and co-founder of Americans Communicating Electronically, an organization that works for widespread access to electronic information. "Information technology at its best amplifies human capabilities."

NPR advocates electronic communication in government and champions the electronic information systems and forums, often Internet- based, that are reinventing the way government workers get information and communicate. Three useful starting points for federal workers are ACE, OPM Mainstreet, and FedWorld.

ACE Gopher Server is an Internet-based government information server supported by Americans Communicating Electronically and the USDA Cooperative Extension Service. ACE is the host of the National Performance Review Information System and is the best source of reinvention information.

OPM Mainstreet is an electronic bulletin board system that features human resources management information and forums for discussing federal personnel issues. OPM Mainstreet Forums include "Quality Management," "Performance Management" and "Employee and Labor Relations."

FedWorld, operated by the National Technical Information Service of the Department of Commerce, provides access to more than a hundred and thirty federally-operated data bases. The President's Health Care Proposal, the text of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT), a list of federal job openings (also on OPM Mainstreet), and White House releases are all available through FedWorld.

A computer, communications software, a modem, and phone line give access to OPM Mainstreet and FedWorld. ACE documents are accessible by Internet and, in many instances, by Internet e-mail. For those without equipment, there are an increasing number of access points such as libraries.

In addition to these sources, NPR's NetResults staff are developing a multimedia Mosaic home page for September release. For more information on the coming interactive ToolKit, send a blank message to netresults@ace.esusda.gov

ELECTRONIC INFORMATION FOR FEDS

Source Internet Access Dial-Up Access Personal Assistance
ACE ace.esusda.gov n/a 202/720-8176
OPM Mainstreet n/a202/606-4800 202/606-1396
FedWorld fedworld.gov (telnet) 703/321-8020 703/487-4608

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY READING SUGGESTIONS:

SPANNING BOUNDARIES IMPROVES CUSTOMER SERVICE

COLLABORATION SOLVES RURAL PROBLEMS

"Just having the chance to talk together about rural problems often leads to new solutions," noted Bob Lovan, Director of the National Rural Development Partnership. The NRDP works through State Rural Development Councils and a National Council to improve the vitality of rural communities. State councils are headed by an Executive Director who brings public and private resources together and builds a turf-free sense of shared gains and/or losses among Council members. The councils break down boundaries between federal, state, and local organizations. Successes include elimination of a costly USDA audit requirement in South Dakota, combining several federal planning requirements in Washington State, and creating a single loan application for small businesses seeking federal and state assistance in Kansas.

"The councils promote government that works for the customer, not the bureaucracy," said Lovan. Begun in 1990, 40 federal agencies now participate in the National Council and 39 states have formed councils. Contact NRDP at 202/690-2394.

GEORGIA COMMON ACCESS SHRINKS SIX FORMS TO ONE

Noting the paperwork barrier to services, former President Jimmy Carter challenged Atlanta to make applying for social programs more customer-friendly. Led by Gordon Sherman, Regional Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, the Atlanta Federal Executive Board worked with state and local partners to create the Georgia Common Access Application. Helped by community-based workers and volunteers, residents of pilot areas now use one form to apply for six programs: Food Stamps, WIC, Medicaid, housing assistance, AFDC, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Eight pages replace sixty-four pages of forms.

Mary Ivory, counselor for the Family Connection in Atlanta, told the Vice President, "We...are able to move on with other concerns and issues of the family, in our effort to help them reach self sufficiency and just improve the quality of their lives." President Carter has called the federal and state collaboration behind the new form "a miracle."

As of August 1, 1994, 84 people had used the new form. Project backers expect to see the project grow and hope to automate the current paper form for electronic processing. For information contact Joe Juska at the Atlanta FEB, 404/331-4400.

AGENCIES GET SET FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

DEFINE YOUR CUSTOMERS: DIRECT & INDIRECT CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS SERVED BY HHS

An HHS work group has developed a model of customer service which has circulated among other agencies who are also defining their customers. (See diagram at right.) "Distinguishing among direct and indirect customers and partners sharpens our thinking about customer service strategies," said Allan Rivlin of the HHS team. In the HHS model, direct customers receive services or benefits from the federal government, while indirect customers receive federal benefits and services through nonfederal partners.

HHS notes that it alone is responsible for serving its direct customers and has service initiatives underway in two large direct service agencies, the Social Security Administration and the Indian Health Service. The HHS Customer Service Team has found two complementary approaches to improving services to indirect customers. "First, we improve service to our partners (listening to their views, giving them timely, accurate information, etc.)," said Rivlin. "Second, we work with our partners to get input from the indirect customers we serve jointly, so that, together, we can deliver the quality service they deserve."

BENCHMARK TO BEST IN BUSINESS: PRIVATE SECTOR HELPS MINT

To fill customer orders faster, the US Mint is studying T. Rowe Price, Vanguard, Black and Decker, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. After looking at their telephone sales systems, the Mint is designing its own new phone structure. The Mint is considering a phone system that would allow callers to either speak to an operator or conduct business through an automated attendant. Those studied use 800-numbers but advised the Mint to judge the effects of an increase in call volume and length. For more information, contact US Mint Quality Manager Bernie Girouard at 202/874-6160.

SURVEY CUSTOMERS: VISITORS' VIEWS SHAPE PARKS

Children find lower signs and more interesting information at the White House as the result of surveys of visitors sponsored by the National Park Service. Lives may have been saved because the NPS translated directions for handling car breakdowns into German, Italian, and French after discovering that 75 percent of visitors to Death Valley are foreign.

"After 20,000 interviews I am convinced there is no way to know what park visitors want except to ask them," said Gary Machlis, director of the National Park Service Visitor Service Project. "Relying on complaints alone can lead to mistaken service changes. Those who complain and those who respond to our systematic inquiries say very different things."

The National Park Service has systematically surveyed park visitors since 1989. Today's program, which surveys about 10 parks each year, grew out of a 1979 cooperative agreement with the University of Idaho. Surveying has increased as park officials have realized the importance of customer feedback to their management.

SET STANDARDS/MEASURE RESULTS: STATS SPARK USPS ACTION

One day delivery for local mail; two day delivery within 600 miles; three day delivery for the rest. The US Postal Service adopted these standards in 1971 and began augmenting internal performance measures with independent verification in 1990. They tell customers what to expect and point USPS at what to fix when numbers drop. When this spring's statistics showed big problems in Chicago, the Post Office changed managers, created a service improvement team, and put more people on the front line. On time delivery is up by 10 percentage points so far.

GET EMPLOYEE INPUT: SSA SURVEYS 65,000

The Social Security Administration has mailed questionnaires to all 65,000 employees and involved 2,500 in focus groups to get their ideas: What do SSA customers want? How can SSA provide the desired level of service? Employee input is being used to develop SSA's Customer Service Plan.

STATUS REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION

THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

PRESIDENT CLINTON CALLS FOR FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKPLACES

On July 11, the President signed a Memorandum on Expanding Family- Friendly Work Arrangements in the Executive Branch. The Memorandum directs heads of agencies to develop more flexible work arrangements through policies such as job sharing, career part- time employment, alternative work schedules, telecommuting, and satellite work locations. President Clinton has signed a total of 22 directives on reinventing government.

PERFORMANCE AGREEMENTS CASCADE TO SUBCABINET OFFICERS

As the President continues signing performance agreements with agency heads (the Department of Transportation being the latest), agency heads are, in turn, cascading the performance agreements through their organizations. Taking the lead are the Small Business Administration and the Departments of Labor, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.

PMC AND NPC HELP LABOR-MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIPS

A new union-management agreement: "Partnerships for Effective Government" resulted from discussions between the President's Management Council and federal employee union leaders. PMC members and union leaders plan to use the Agreement in their efforts to establish partnerships. The National Partnership Council has created the Labor-Management Partnership Clearinghouse as a convenient source of speakers, information on partnership agreements including the PMC agreement, case studies, and training resources. Contact the Clearinghouse at 202/606-2940.

OMB ISSUES BUDGET GUIDANCE

Customer service, electronic government, and performance measures are listed as Administration priorities in OMB's guidance for the 1996 budget. OMB's revised circular No. A-11, "Preparation and Submission of Budget Estimates," also asks agencies to show how restructuring or process reengineering improves program management and service delivery. Resource requests should be linked with Administration and agency goals. For the first time, the A-11 is available electronically and contains a comment form on which to submit suggestions to OMB. For information contact OMB's Budget Review and Concepts Division at 202/395-3172.

FQI TRAINS FOR REINVENTION

The Federal Quality Institute has developed a full range of courses to support the transformation of government. FQI offers both basic training: Creating a Customer-Driven Government and special topic workshops: Business Process Reengineering, Benchmarking, Putting Customers First, Labor-Management Partnerships, Human Side of Downsizing and Restructuring, Culture Change and Valuing Diversity, the Change Role of Leaders, and Managing Organizational Change Successfully. FQI will also help agencies plan training strategies. Contact FQI at 202/376-3747.

THE CONGRESS

PROCUREMENT CHANGES LIKELY

Among approximately 70 pending bills that contain NPR recommendations, procurement reform would have the most far- reaching impacts. Both houses passed bills earlier this summer, and conferees agreed to final legislative language on August 19. The legislation will simplify procedures for contracts under $100,000 and increase commercial goods purchases. This legislation combined with administrative action (On June 29 Defense Secretary William Perry signed an order to eliminate military specifications for many items.) is expected to produce great savings in unit costs and purchase processing.

OTHER INITIATIVES MOVING

The Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government Appropriations bill awaits conference committee action. Versions passed by the House and Senate allow agencies to keep funds earned through recycling and give agencies more control over contracting for building maintenance and repair. The House version provides for a 50% carryover of unobligated operating funds.

The Local Flexibility Act which will provide program waivers for states and localities is in conference.

Financial management reform has passed the House and awaits Senate floor action. A bill to eliminate or modify more than 250 congressionally-mandated reports is ready for floor action in the Senate. Reorganization of the Department of Agriculture has passed the Senate and awaits House floor action. S.1824, the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1994, reported out by the Senate Rules and Administration Committee on June 9, provides, among other things, a biennial Congressional budget resolution as recommended by NPR.

HAMMER AWARDS (MAY 31 - AUGUST 22, 1994)
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, JUNE 20, 1994

The Employment and Training Administration Region X Dislocated Worker Team for the "One Stop Shopping" Boeing Reemployment Project.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Price Publication Improvement Team for dramatically shortening the time to distribute consumer prices.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, Administrative Efficiency Task Group, for eliminating 14,000 manual time sheets, 2,372 pages of manuals and 700 purchase orders.*

The Occupational Safety and Health Team, Parsippany, New Jersey, for the "Quick Fix" discounts that encourage fast fixes by employers.

The Pension and Welfare Benefits Field Focus Group for an 83 percent reduction in paperwork related to case summary reports.

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, JUNE 17, 1994

The 100% Satisfaction Team at the NY Commodity Center for service to the Department of Justice.

The No-Hassle Customer Team at the Fort Worth Federal Supply Center for fixing customer problems: no forms, no waiting, no wondering about refunds.

The Chicago Customer Supply Team for employee empowerment and customer service that increased the offices buying from the FSC by 44% in one year.

The Quick Computer Support Team at the Philadelphia IRMS Office for reducing ordering time for IT equipment and services from one year to 30 days.

The Public Building Service, Denver, for developing better, quicker, more customer-oriented leased space and building maintenance services.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, MAY 31, 1994

Dan Beard, Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, for an employee-managed restructuring that eliminated several supervisory levels and reduced headquarters staff from 2,000 to 100.

The U.S. Geologic Survey, Information Dissemination System Reinvention Laboratory, for its new delivery system for maps and other spatial data that was designed with customer input and advice from the Hershey Chocolate Company.

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, JUNE 6, 1994

The Disability Reenginering Team for a redesign of the SSA disability claims application system that will shorten by 20 months a process than can currently involve 43 different SSA employees and 739 days.

The Georgia Common Access Team for an 8 page application form and single point of access to replaces 64 pages in separate applications for programs such as food stamps, housing, SSI, and AFDC.*

The Customer Service Team for conducting focus groups of customers and surveying all 65,000 employees for ideas on how to improve SSA service.*

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, JULY 13, 1994

The Federal Personnel Manual Sunset Team for abolishing the 10,000-page FPM one year ahead of schedule.

The Staffing Automation Team for using telephone and other innovative uses of technology to streamline hiring processes, reducing, for example, processing time from eight to two weeks in a recent Immigration and Naturalization Service initiative.

The SF-171 Elimination Team for identifying customer-friendly methods of applying for federal jobs.

The OPM Buy-Out Team for excellent customer service to workers and agencies on buyout issues.

The National Partnership Council for providing groundbreaking leadership in developing partnerships between labor and management throughout the federal government.

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION, JUNE 15, 1994

Mission to Planet Earth - EOSDIS Version 0 Team, for using customer input and innovative techniques to develop its prototype of the largest civil information system in the world.

SMALL AGENCY COUNCIL, JULY 28, 1994

The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation's Missing Participant Team for its program that locates and restores pensions to former employees of firms with unfunded pension plans.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency for reinventing itself to improve customer service through a streamlined "all-hazards" structure.

The Small Business Administration for reducing loan-related paperwork and for its comprehensive business plan that includes performance agreements with all 68 district office heads and SBA's headquarters managers.

ELECTRONIC BENEFITS TRANSFER TASK FORCE, MAY 31, 1994,

for a plan to offer one ATM-type card to deliver all Federal and state government benefits within five years.* *More information elsewhere in newsletter.

STRATEGIES FOR WORKING BETTER AND COSTING LESS

CLEMENTINE REINVENTS SPACE EXPLORATION

Twenty-five years after Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon, a new generation has reinvented space exploration. The multi-color pictures of the entire moon now seen in coffee table books, in galleries and on Internet were taken by the spacecraft Clementine at a fraction of the cost of previous space shots. The Clementine Project took 22 months and $75 million rather than the five years and at least $250 million typical for deep space missions. In a Technology Management article, Clementine Project Manager Pedro Rustan credits ten management techniques for the success of this collaboration among the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, the Naval Research Laboratory, and NASA. Clementine saved money and time by adapting available military and commercial technology, streamlining management controls, improving procurement, and pursuing a focused mission that minimized spacecraft size and weight. For information call NRL's Paul Regeon at 202/767-6637.

FROM PAPER TO ELECTRONICS:
A NEW BENEFIT DELIVERY SYSTEM

On May 31, 1994, Vice President Al Gore joined Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, and Texas State Comptroller John Sharp to announce a new way to deliver federal and state benefits. Endorsing electronic benefits transfer, the Vice President said, "The plan is elegantly simple, with a dramatic impact. It says we will create one card, like other ATM cards, to deliver all federal and state government benefits. Our system will be built on existing infrastructure, so every recipient of benefits will have electronic access to those benefits within five years."

The plan was developed by a Federal EBT task force created to implement an NPR recommendation (see Reengineering Through Information Technology). OMB's Isabel Sawhill chaired the task force with Ellen Haas of Agriculture and Kenneth Apfel of HHS as Vice Chairs. They were advised by the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Treasury, and Defense; the Railroad Retirement Board; clients; states and state associations; food retailers; and banks and other financial institutions.

Under the recommended strategy, EBT will deliver more than $112 billion a year to 31 million welfare recipients, unemployed workers and military pensioners within five years. The switch to a card used at automated teller machines and retail store registers will save $195 million in administrative costs annually. Similar programs have already achieved success in states such as Texas, Maryland and New Mexico.

VISA CARDS SAVE ON SMALL PURCHASES

Increased use of government purchase cards will save time and money on 11 million small purchases made each year. "The card will permit you to buy the small things you need to do your job without the expensive paperwork and infuriating delays that go with today's procurement system," Vice President Al Gore told federal workers in a July 20 speech.

The card, obtainable through a General Services Administration contract with VISA, saves the $50 in paperwork associated with every small purchase. For information about the purchase card, contact Alan Zaic at GSA at 703/305-7261.

AGENCIES AUTOMATE TIME CARDS

When the General Services Administration finishes automating its time and attendance system, it expects to save $650,000 a year in return for the one time costs of systems changes and installation. Department of Labor supervisors now review 14,000 fewer pieces of paper each pay period because their certifications were consolidated during the first stage of DOL's T&A automation project.

NPR championed such projects in its report Improving Financial Management: "Federal agencies should review their payroll systems for employees with a standard work week, and (1) eliminate sign-in and sign-out sheets, (2) eliminate the use of time cards, (3) move to automated systems that require data to be entered on an exception basis, and (4) use existing technology to enter and approve time and attendance data electronically."

For information on the NPR recommendation call Joe Cook at NPR. For information about the new DOL system and about five other systems including GSA's that were demonstrated at a conference hosted by the National Science Foundation in May, call Fred Danzig, DOL, 202/219-4881; Randy Warner, GSA, 816/926-7755; Al Muhlebauer, NSF, 703/306-1280; Margaret Cross, the Department of Health and Human Services, 202/690-7030; Larry Eisenhart, the Department of State, 703/875-6920; Sheila Fleishall, the Department of Commerce, 202/482-1142.

"THE FIVE PILLARS OF TQM: HOW TO MAKE TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT WORK FOR YOU," BY BILL CREECH (DUTTON) BOOK REVIEW BY BOB STONE

In 1982 I was trying to interest America's military leadership in supporting an initiative to promote excellence on our military bases, which I oversaw from 1981-1993 as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Installations. Every time I made a proposal to a senior Air Force commander, the answer I got was, "What does General Creech think of your plan?"

I soon understood that I needed the answer to that question if I was to enlist the Air Force in my quest for excellence. So I went to visit Langley Air Force Base, headquarters of TAC -- the Tactical Air Command. There I had my first exposure to the leadership miracle created by Bill Creech. America's military was still reeling from the after-effects of Vietnam, and the Pentagon was still in the thrall of McNamara's centralization and bureaucratization of the defense establishment. But TAC was in the middle of a huge quality management revolution -- although the term was unknown at the time.

While all the rest of the Defense Department was shaving costs to be able to afford to maximize the number of military units (hollow as they were), TAC was zeroing units off the books so as to be able to afford paint and building materials to spruce up TAC's bases. In fact, an IG whispered to me that a crazy general was spending the Reagan build-up money on paint. Bill Creech's reason? "Pride is the fuel of human accomplishment." Some crazy!

While all the rest of the Defense Department was managing inputs on the theory that if you got the inputs right, the results would follow (too bad they never did), TAC was posting squadron flying results on billboards along the flight lines and in front of the commissaries, and rewarding units that met their planned flight programs with three-day weekends.

And most important, while all the rest of Defense was centralizing and consolidating its activities to eliminate duplication and achieve "economies of scale" that somehow never materialized, TAC was breaking up its centralized organizations and reorganizing around the human spirit (Bill Creech's term).

The result was the biggest military success story in 30 years: TAC's productivity and combat capability doubled in six years, and showed the way for a new generation of military leaders to lead. Bill Creech's management reforms formed the basis for America's astonishing success in Operation Desert Storm.

When I was named NPR project director, my first passion was to get the Vice President to Langley Air Force Base to see first hand what quality management could do in government. And last September, when the Vice President wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times to describe his goal for NPR, he cited Bill Creech's experience at TAC as evidence of what government employees could accomplish.

Since retiring from the Air Force in 1984, Creech has advised dozens of companies, large and small, and has helped turn around several that were in trouble. In The Five Pillars of TQM, he tells stories about GE, Boeing, Honda, Toyota, GM, and others, in addition to his Air Force experience. His five pillars are product, process, leadership, commitment, and organization. His most important lesson is "organize small." In fact Creech understands the importance of organization better than any of the management writers. He explains why you can't get real TQM unless you organize for it.

Five Pillars of TQM is the best book out on quality management. It should help anyone trying to carry out the reforms of the National Performance Review.

MORE NPR REPORTS AVAILABLE

Most of NPR's 38 systems and agency reports had been published by mid-August.

Systems reports now available are:

Agency reports now available are: Keep up with what's been published by 1) using Internet (for directions on obtaining NPR material electronically, send a blank Internet e-mail message to: npr@ace.esusda.gov) or 2) calling NPR at 202/632-0150 and asking to be faxed a list with instructions for obtaining available reports.

A NATIONWIDE CONVERSATION TO LINK FEDERAL WORKERS: HOW TO JOIN NPR'S ELECTRONIC TOWN MEETING

WHAT IS THE "ELECTRONIC TOWN MEETING"?

The Electronic Town Meeting is an experiment in using the information superhighway to hold large-scale conferences. The audience is the federal workforce, and the subject is reinventing government. Because the technology is experimental, attendance will be limited to five thousand participants.

HOW DOES THE "ELECTRONIC TOWN MEETING" WORK?

The Electronic Town Meeting is being "built" in partnership with the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and MITRE Corporation. Advanced technologies such as Mosaic, the World Wide Web, and artificial intelligence are used to present issues, distribute electronic documents on reinventing government, link people interested in common reinvention issues, and provide the "shop floor" perspective on reinvention directly to the White House.

WHEN IS THE ELECTRONIC TOWN MEETING?

The Electronic Town Hall will begin in late September and last into October.

HOW DO I ATTEND?

Attendance will be by Internet-based electronic mail. If you are unsure whether you have access to the Internet talk to your agency information resources director. You can also participate if you belong to one of the commercial data services such as Compuserve, America On-Line, Prodigy, or Delphi. To receive an invitation with complete information including dates, send a blank e-mail message to the following address: Participation@town-hall.ai.mit.edu

WHAT TOPICS WILL BE DISCUSSED?

Town Meeting conversations will parallel topics in the NPR's From Red Tape to Results; Creating a Government that Works Better and Costs Less. Samples are quality leadership and management, streamlining management control, transforming organizational structures, improving customer service, reinventing support services, and reinventing human resource management.

WHAT IF I CANNOT ATTEND?

Those who cannot participate because of space limitations or because they hear about the Town Hall too late can still learn about what happens from summaries that will be posted on NPR's information system.

SNEAK PREVIEW -- TRAINING VIDEO

What's reinvention? Who's doing it? How can you help? Civil Servants who are transforming the federal government star in our new training video, available in September.

Call 1-800-790-7585 to order. (Payment is by personal credit card or the government's OPAC and IMPAC systems.)

COMING IN SEPTEMBER:

REINVENTION ROUNDTABLE
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Produced by the staff of the National Performance Review Abigail Nichols, Editor
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