Last week Governor Inslee announced the preview of a new accountability framework for state government in Washington. The new approach “Results Washington” is based in the Lean method pioneered by Toyota car factories and used by Boeing.
The mission statement in progress states that the intention of the new framework is “To build a thriving Washington by fostering the spirit of continuous improvement, enhancing the conditions for job creation, preparing students for the future and valuing our environment, our health and our people.”
Results Washington is still a month away from a formal roll out, but a preview of the framework was provided by Inslee’s Chief of Staff Mary Alice Heuschel at an event on government management and efficiency.
Though similar to Governor Gregoire’s Government Management Accountability Program (GMAP) which also was based on the Lean method, Results Washington is expected to be broader encompassing all of state government.
The framework will focus on five goals:
- A world class education system from preschool through college
- A prosperous economy
- Making Washington a national leader in sustainable energy and a clean environment
- Health and safe communities
- Efficient, effective and accountable government. This is an overarching goal over the four goals previously listed.
Each goal will be organized as SMART- Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
In the next month the Governor’s Office will be working to finalize the main goals and develop targets that agencies will aim to reach. There is expected to be three phases and a system of “leading indicators” to show progress. The indicators will cut across agency boundaries and results will be made public on a single website.