February 9, 2005

Bend the Curve is gearing up for a second round of projects! The Steering Committee is reviewing the list of projects that were created last fall, and those suggestions that have come in from you all since then. The criteria being used to select the projects has changed slightly from last fall. The criteria were: (1) number of customers/people impacted; (2) potential to improve intradepartmental coordination; (3) potential to improve service; (4) potential to improve efficiency; and, (5) potential to save money. In this phase, the (A) potential to save money has been weighted more than in the previous round of project selection. As federal and state budgets unfold and a new fiscal year draws closer, our need to proactively implement savings becomes more essential. The (B) potential for improving services and the (C) impact on customers and people involved remains. The potential to improve intradepartmental coordination remains, and was broken down in to the (D) potential to create a departmental service and the (E) potential to more effectively utilize existing staff (both across silos that currently exist). The group felt that the original criterion of improving efficiency was inherent in all the other criteria, and was not carried forward.

Using the updated criteria, the projects for the next round will be identified by the first of March. On March 3, the Steering Committee, along with Sponsors and Managers of the current teams and the new teams will get together to work on the new team charters. One of the things I and the other Steering Committee members learned is that a well-written and well-understood charter is crucial to getting a team up and running.

Following this, the new teams will officially kick-off at a two-day conference on March 24 and 25. The location will be in the Augusta area, and more detailed information will be sent out as it develops. I, along with the rest of the Steering Committee, am asking that you keep these two dates open so that as many people as possible can participate. The projects for this next round will be identified by the first of March, with teams being developed soon after.

In addition to the chartering, another learning we had concerns the metrics. Time and dollar savings and improved services are both measured through the Value Stream Mapping process. Metrics such as number of staff and staff time involved lead us to dollar savings; first pass yield (getting it right the first time) and lead time (how long a process takes to serve a customer) get at improving services. Each team was calculating these measures, and we found that we needed a way to capture those measures collectively. John Rioux joined the BTC Project Team as Data Manager to work on both the capturing of that data, and on refining what data we are collecting.

Also making this next round go smoother will be the nine DOL people who will be facilitating BTC teams as we go forward. Along with 12 DHHS staff, they spent a week in January beginning the process of becoming Department-certified Continuous Improvement Practitioners. These folks will get together on a monthly basis for clinical supervision and for continuing education. I’d also like to announce that Michaela Loisel has joined the BTC Project Team as Practitioner Coordinator. She’ll be working with the Practitioners on their continuing education and on scheduling their work with teams. The skills the Practitioners learn will be a great boost for BTC going forward, and, I hope, a meaningful addition to their repertoire. Those who are participating are Sheryl Smith, Mike Johnson, Mike Brooker, Michele Grant, Merle Davis, Lyndon Hamm, Peaches Bass, Karen Fraser and Blaine Richardson. Thank you all!