Innovation is difficult to harness for organizations of all sizes (Government and private sector alike). Replicating a process to encourage and produce innovation is even more challenging. Innovating in a structured space and time seems counter-intuitive, and begs the question: can thinking outside the box be a structured activity? Arc Aspicio recently held an Innovation Day to answer this question.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), created in 2003, undertook the most significant reorganization of federal agencies since the Cold War. It brought together federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies with a focus on securing the U.S. from threats in a collaborative way. DHS pulls together five complex mission areas: preventing terrorism and enhancing security; managing our borders; administering immigration laws; securing cyberspace; and ensuring disaster resilience.
Anyone who has purchased a new phone, vehicle, or tool at some point asks themselves why certain functions exists. Why does it work this way, why did they change this, and exactly who did they obtain requirements from? End users are usually left pondering “if only they had asked me.”
Forward-looking organizations across the country are migrating to the Cloud. Following this trend, many Federal agencies are exploring migrating systems to increase resiliency, drive cost saving, and achieve fast deployment.
Today’s organizations face significant challenges and increased competition in recruiting, developing, and engaging talent. As employees search for meaningful and fulfilling work, traditional benefits are no longer a differentiator among employers.
At Arc Aspicio, our clients face some of the most challenging problems there are. They respond to natural and man-made disasters, protect the country from terrorism, protect U.S. borders, and that’s just on a regular Monday!
When working as part of a group, team members often shy away from experimentation. They tend to follow traditional problem-solving approaches that focus on predictability and control. While these techniques might help avoid risk, they also stifle innovation. They no longer work in our changeable, fast-paced environment.
Without internal trust, organizations cannot build external trust with clients, customers, and stakeholders. Trust drives growth, expansion, innovation, and success.
Shrinking budgets. Rising expectations from citizens and customers of the Government. Aging legacy systems. Increasing complexity and regulations. The need to provide ‘on demand’ services to a new generation.
Technology can help get something done. This has been a common theme in my 29-year consulting career, whether it be preventing terrorist attacks, mitigating flood risk, making it easier for students to apply for loans, or combating human trafficking.
Grit and determination. This is what the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workforce is known for. After what is arguably the most challenging year in its history, the FEMA leadership called on the agency to enable the workforce through four elements: build, empower, sustain, and train. A key factor in creating a scalable, sustainable disaster response workforce is to foster a proactive culture, one focused on preparedness. A proactive mindset can create an environment that asks the “what if” questions that lead to more prepared response efforts.
Are you developing a strategy but are unsure where to start, what to rely on, and who to engage when driving a business, organization, or agency forward? Start by enabling the operational workforce. The workforce includes those who are executing daily tasks and operations of the many programs within an organization. Enabling the workforce gives them authority, allowing them to access their full potential to achieve desired results, and helps the Government develop, communicate, and implement strategy.
Across the Federal government, agencies and programs have been tasked with building, training, and retaining the workforce needed to serve the American people. Public-sector leaders have been struggling with the right approach to this challenge, but we are now seeing more and more agencies turn to implementing private industry ’lean’ methods as a potential solution. Lean strategies aim to identify and improve an organization’s pain-points by following a set of principles and techniques focused on minimizing risk, optimizing cost and quality of processes, and engaging employees to deliver value-added benefits and improvements aligned to the organization’s mission and goals.
