Public Sector Optimizing its Processes

Work can be thought of as a series of steps that flow through traditional departmental boundaries, intertwining with the lives of customers and service users. These flows are called business processes and their design, management and improvement are leaders’ main responsibilities. To introduce a leaner and more efficient public sector it is essential to optimize the work and introduce quality processes. This led us to run a new workshop on Improving the Quality and Cost-Effectiveness of Public Sector Business Processes.

Workshop was attended by fifteen participants from seven countries and was delivered by Brendan McCarron, an experienced, internationally renowned management consultant. Its aim was to give participants sufficient knowledge of process management and improvement concepts so that they can assess and improve the main business processes in their organizations.

During the event the participant worked on real-life case studies. They also visited the Slovene Ministry of Agriculture and Environment where Andreja Jerina, State Secretary, and Tina Vončina, Undersecretary, twinned by their colleagues gave the participants an overview and a good insight into their institution’s processes regarding the infrastructure projects supported by the European funds. After the visit participants worked in teams and offered their views and ideas to deal with some of the challenges colleagues at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment face. They all regarded such approach to learning as highly useful. On one hand participants were familiarized by first-hand experience with the challenges the Ministry is facing in its everyday practice, while staff from the Ministry received fresh ideas which will help them look outside its usual way of doing business.

The event took place on January 28-30, 2014 at the CEF in Ljubljana.

Within the frame of People and Process Management we are planning the following workshops for this year: Project Cycle Management, Planning and Leading Organizational Change, and Writing Strategic Documents.