Lean Process for Position Changes
Dennis Van Patter, CDOT Office of Communications
March 14, 2014
Importance of Change Management
A Lean process that will get underway on Monday, March 17, will bring employees together from numerous Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) workgroups to tackle the issue of position changes – that is, the budgeting problems, uncertainties, and inefficiencies that can occur, and have occurred, as a result of transfers, reallocations, moving positions from one workgroup or region to another, and creation of new positions.
“Historically, CDOT has transferred budget with all positions, vacant or full,” noted CDOT Chief Financial Officer Scott Richrath, the primary sponsor for this Lean process. “In an environment of restricted salary cap growth for the entire department matched with significant changes to the structure of the organization, moving positions requires a more thoughtful approach.”
Project sponsors hope that the outcome of this Lean process will be a recommended system, as automated as possible, that includes considerations for salary cap and cap exemptions, checklists, and approvals required for future position changes. The considerations will go beyond the obvious question of how positions are funded, and whether or not funding for moved positions will move with them, but also to workload, sustainability, and consistency with efforts to achieve CDOT’s mission and goals.
“This will be a significant change in process,” noted Richrath. “We have asked a group of thoughtful, serious-minded folks from across the Department to come together to tackle this issue. I expect that the discussion about this situation will be frank and sometimes difficult. But we’ve had outstanding results from Lean processes in other areas and I am hopeful we can bring consistency, equity, and efficiency using Lean for this important issue.”
The project team will meet for three days for its first rapid improvement event, then will meet for three more days in April before presenting final recommendations.
Project Personnel
Primary Sponsor
Scott Richrath, CDOT Chief Financial Officer
Process Steward
Pat Girten, Division of Accounting & Finance (DAF)
Steering Committee
Scott Richrath
Heidi Humphreys, CDOT Director of Human Resources & Administration
Tony DeVito, Region 1 Transportation Director
Maria Sobota, Director of the Office of Financial Management & Budget
First Project Leader
Gloria Hice-Idler, Region 4
Second Project Leader
Leah Ware, Transportation Development
Project Team
Pat Girten
Dee Perry, DAF
Matt Bjorge, DAF
John Collins, DAF
Amanda Parkhurst-Strout, Center for Workforce Staffing
Piper Frode, DAF
Rocky Baker, Region 3 Business Manager
Fresh Eyes/Process Experts
Dee Perry
John Collins
Amy Huang, DAF
Mariusz Dewicki, DAF
Scott Young, DAF