Article 102 Government Reform of California Agencies and Commissions
The following is a suggestion for managing the hundreds of agencies, boards and commissions in California’s state government. Currently the California Online Agency Directory aides the public in finding the particular organization they are looking for to provide a specific service such as: answering a question, making a request or filling out an application. Now all public queries can be handled through a centralized state 311 telephone number. The 24 hour State Services Call Center can provide almost instant service to the public. This portal eliminates the need for the public to search for a specific government organization. This allows for the complete reorganization of the California services system. No longer requiring public interface, commissions and agencies can be consolidated into a much more responsive and efficient organizations resulting in the elimination of many management and public interface employees positions.
An online record of the customer’s call history documents the request and the resolution of each query by the Call Taker. Each Call Taker is trained for a specific group of agencies and boards and is supported by several databases one being a Frequently Asked Question FAQ database. Call Takers answer questions, respond to requests and fill out online applications. The State Services Call Center is staffed based on the number of calls received. Call Takers are members of Work Improvement Teams (WIT) for continuous improvement and is the Functional Management. Steering Management is the significantly reduced former agency or Board management.
This is the solution for getting rid of bureaucratic red tape by providing instant information to the government employee interfacing with the public. Expanding the concept of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) we can eliminate the bulk of the constraining rules and red tape found in all bureaucracies. This is accomplished through the use of a “Google like” query system; a modern Relational Database Management system (RDBM) using SQL (Structured Query Language). It allows the employee to query the information he needs from the database providing instant service to the public thus eliminating the constraining rules and paperwork which we identify as red tape.
From: Article 101. The Hampton Virginia Innovation Story
“Much has been written about Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and call center technologies. Web self-service, call centers, 311, kiosks and similar customer-service-oriented systems continue to build momentum. Fueled by demand for improved service, governments around the globe have accomplished a great deal in a short time.
No longer bound by the service counter, Web sites and call centers create new and improved ways for government to conduct business with citizens.
We have made it easier for citizens to interact with government, made processes more efficient, saved money, and created added value by extending access and hours of operation. But much more than that, technology-enabled customer service systems of today challenge the organizational structure of yesterday.”
“More Than a Portal, staff must maintain the knowledge management and work order components as the information changes. Assuming these changes can also be maintained through a Web browser, anyone in any valid organization anywhere can manage services provided by the systems.
It follows then, that one government can bring in participants from other levels of government or other political subdivisions that share a common interest in the community served, saving taxpayers the trouble of navigating a bureaucracy that extends beyond the boundaries of geography, political subdivision or level of government.”
Se the following articles for updates to this article:
Article 154. Streamlining Iowa Boards and Commissions Using Lean and More
Article 156. Getting the most out of Lean as used in Government
Article 157. Using Lean to Balance Agency work Loads
