UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
OFFICE OF PREVENTION, PESTICIDES, AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES
OFFICE OF POLLUTION PREVENTION AND TOXICS
Improving Internal Communications
and Staff Training and Development
in the Office of Pollution Prevention and
Toxics (OPPT)
PHASE 2 ACTION PLAN
March 1992
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We are in a new economic age. We can no longer live with
commonly accepted levels of mistakes, defects, material not suited
for the job, people on the job that do not know what the job is and
are afraid to ask... failure of management to understand their jobs,
antiquated methods of training on the job, inadequate and
ineffective supervision. We have learned to live in a world of
mistakes and defective products as if they were necessary to life. It
is time to adopt a new philosophy in America.
W. Edwards Demihg, as quoted in Quality Management: Scoping
Study. U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO/ACG-Ops-91-1),
December 1990
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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Background 1
Scope and Definitions 5
Findings 7
Recommendations 15
Closing Concepts, Concerns, and Constraints 32
Schedule Summary — Events and Timetables 37
APPENDICES
A-l Duties of the OPME 3-Person Staff 39
A-2 Summary of Stonnell Problems and Staff Suggestions 41
for Improvements
A-3 Acknowledgements 45
ATTACHMENT - REPORTS OF THE QAT SUBGROUPS
Staff Training and Development QAT Subgroups
Career Development/Professional Development 1
New Employee Orientation 5
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Ill
Skills Enhancement for Administrative and Support Staff 11
Internal Communications OAT Subgroups
Obstacles to Interdivisional Communications 13
Informing OPPT Staff 15
Internal Communications Systems 17
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Introduction
The prevailing system of management is destroying our people — killing their
intrinsic motivation, self-esteem, and curiosity to learn. Our recovery
requires optimization of the whole system.
W. Edwards Deming, quoted in Andrea Gabor, The Man Who
Discovered Quality (Penguin, 1990)
"Leader as teacher" is not about "teaching" people how to achieve their
vision. It is about fostering learning, for everyone. Such leaders help people
throughout the organization develop systemic understandings. Accepting
this responsibility is the antidote to one of the most common downfalls of
otherwise gifted leaders — losing their commitment to the truth.
Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of
the Learning Organization (Doubleday, 1990)
The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) is five hundred people
who span a great range of specialties, grades, and experience levels. Like most
organizations, OPPT has weaknesses — areas where there is "room for
improvement." Unlike most organizations, OPPT has launched an effort to assess
itself with honesty and make continuous improvements in its operations. This
effort will be challenging and time-consuming. If we all strive and overcome
obstacles an resistance, the culture of the office will be improved, bit by bit. The
ultimate rewards will be great, and there should be many satisfying experiences
along the way as we make visible improvements and a spirit of teamwork and
respect for diversity takes hold.
Background
Stonnell Report
In the spring of 1991, Mark Greenwood, the recently-appointed director of the
Office of Toxic Substances (OTS), asked Stonnell Associates, Inc. to conduct a
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functional study of the office. His goal was to obtain a "baseline" view of how the
office was doing, to lay the foundation for improvements. He decided to base the
effort on the perceptions and views of the OTS staff, rather than those of outsiders.
Stonnell interviewed more than 150 members of the OTS staff and developed
a report which summarized the results. Per the office director's request, the report
did not make recommendations for addressing problems identified - recommended
improvements were to be developed later from within OTS.
In the meantime, the Pollution Prevention Division joined OTS, and the
office was renamed the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics in December 1991.
Now-OPPT director Mark Greenwood released the report, by then nicknamed the
"Stonnell Report," to all OPPT staff on January 29,1992 in an all-hands meeting.
The OPPT Action Plan
At the all-hands meeting, the office director announced a 12-point action plan
(the "OPPT Action Plan") to begin the improvement process for OPPT. The eighth
point of the plan called for the development, within 60 days, of an overall training
and communication plan.
The Stonnell report had found major weaknesses in OPPT's internal
communications and activities to train and develop staff. The office director
believes that internal communications and staff training and development fall on a
continuum of potential improvements in the office's investment in its human
resources. Therefore, he asked for a consolidated plan to address the two areas
together and to address, "at a minimum, the following topics:
(1) Keeping all staff informed of major Office activities;
(2) Requiring routine staff meetings;
(3) Reviewing obstacles to cross-divisional communications;
(4) Providing in-depth updates on major Office programs;
(5) Providing new employee orientation;
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(6) Providing for professional development opportunities;
(7) Providing for project management training;
(8) Providing for supervisor training;
(9) Providing for skill enhancement for administrative and support
staff; and
(10) Providing for team building."
Phase 2 Action Plan
The OPPT Action Plan can be thought of as the first phase of the
improvement effort responding to the Stonnell Report. This document, then, is the
"Phase 2" action plan to improve internal communications and staff training and
development in OPPT. This is one of a number of Phase 2 efforts as OPPT moves
forward to implement improvements.
We applied total quality management (TQM) methods to this effort, although
"pure" TQM was adapted somewhat in order to meet the short time provided and
the specific points dictated by the OPPT Action Plan. Also, the thrust of this effort
was not the traditional process improvement, but rather cultural improvement
which will support future process improvement efforts.
Two quality action teams (QATs) were established, following previous
recommendations of the OPPT branch chiefs, to support this effort:
• the Internal Communications QAT; and
• the Staff Training and Development QAT.
For the most part, the QATs were staffed with interested volunteers from OPPT.
Each QAT established three subgroups to address priority areas derived from the
OPPT Action Plan, but defined and selected by the QAT. In QAT and subgroup
meetings, a spirit of honesty and amnesty was encouraged so that everyone could
speak frankly about their concerns and ideas.
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The QATs met once a week throughout February and March; the subgroups
met on a variable schedule as needed to develop proposed actions in their areas of
responsibility. The subgroups' products are provided in the attachment. QAT
members are identified in the Appendix.
Both Teams agreed that it is important to accomplish some early, "quick
strike" improvement actions to build a sense of momentum and confidence in
continuing improvement. At the same time, it is equally important to establish the
long-term direction for improving OPPT's internal communications and staff
training and development, so that continuing improvement efforts can be focused
on the vision of where OPPT should be going. Therefore, this plan identifies both
recommended quick strikes and long-term initiatives. Some quick strike efforts,
where the resource requirements are minor and the potential payoff seems
worthwhile, are already underway.
The Stonnell Report is the general problem statement for OPPT. This
document is part of the solution stage of the effort, beginning to define what we
need to do about some of the problems identified.
An effort was made to network with other interested organizations during
development of this plan. Valuable ideas and assistance were received from the
Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM), the OPPT Human Resources
Panel (HRP), and Women in Science and Engineering (WISE). More information
on these and other sources is listed in Appendix A-3, Acknowledgements.
Continuing Functions for the QATs
The QATs recommend that their efforts be continued. Their work now
should shift, from their completed efforts providing input and reviewing this plan,
to new functions in which they (1) implement selected "quick strikes," (2) monitor
the Office's improvement efforts, (3) develop further proposals for specific
improvements, and (4) modify this Phase 2 Action Plan in light of experience gained
and new ideas and initiatives.
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Scope and Definitions
Staff
In this document, "staff means every employee in the office, from the office
director through secretaries and support staff, scientists, engineers, economists, and
supervisors/managers. At times, this document refers to "management;" while
management is singled out for certain responsibilities and accountabilities,
managers are part of the overall office staff, too. The Senior Environmental
Employees (SEEs) in OPPT are absolutely included for internal communications
concerns, although the provisions of our SEE mechanism limit the applicability to
SEEs of staff training and development. Contractor employees are excluded from
the scope of this document, although their need to know should be considered in
internal communications activities.
Internal Communications
In this document, "internal communications" refers to the movement of
general information, primarily within the OPPT organization. The Regions and
selected other close partners (for example, the Office of Compliance Monitoring)
should also be considered part of the family for appropriate internal
communications.
In the future, communications with other EPA offices should be given a great
deal of attention for improvement efforts. OPPT should harness the experience of
the Pollution Prevention Division and the Environmental Assistance Division to
make office-wide improvements in its inter-office communications. The role of the
Internal Communications QAT could be expanded to include a focus on inter-office
communications improvement.
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Staff Training and Development
TRAINING
In this document, "training" refers to activities aimed at building the skills
needed for the employee's current job. This can include formal, classroom
instruction (whether at an EPA facility or elsewhere), informal seminars and similar
sessions, and on-the-job training activities such as one-on-one instruction of new
employees. Course attendance at educational institutions may fall within this scope,
when the course is relevant to improving an employee's current job performance.
Training is oriented toward the present responsibilities of the employee and the
short-term needs of the organization.
DEVELOPMENT
"Development" refers to activities aimed at long-term improvement of the
employee's capabilities and qualities; thus, development is future-oriented and
aimed at long-term goals and needs of the employee and the organization.
Developmental activities may or may not be specific to the employee's current job.
Developmental activities may include mentoring programs, rotational
assignments/details/IPAs, shadowing programs, formal development programs
such as EPA's Greater Leadership Opportunities (GLO) and Upward Mobility
programs, certification programs such as the Certified Professional Secretary
program, and attendance at professional conferences.
Many development activities include training components. Attending
courses at educational institutions is a form of development, when the courses are
relevant to achieving the employee's EPA-related career goals. Development is
aimed at benefiting both the employee and the organization, typically by preparing
the employee to accept new responsibilities within OPPT or empowering the
employee to accomplish higher quality work in the future.
Obviously, some activities could be thought of as either training or
development — they fall somewhere in the middle.
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Findings
General Findings
OPPTS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
With few exceptions, the QATs confirmed the Stonnell Report's findings of
the need for improvement in OPPTs internal communications and staff training
and development efforts. The culture of OTS was not supportive of efforts aimed at
empowering staff to do the work, creating the widespread perception that the people
of the organization were a disposable resource, to be consumed and discarded.
Internal communications efforts received little emphasis, with effective
communication often happening more by accident than by design. In general, new
employees did not receive orientation to the office. Training and development
received little systematic planning and low funding. Staff perceived that what
training did occur was unfairly distributed to a favored few. Also, training efforts
did not seem to match up with what the staff wanted and the organization needed.
Nevertheless, within the relatively large and diverse OPPT organization, we
found a number of bright spots, where office components have undertaken
commendable efforts that serve as examples for the entire Office. As but one
example, individual branches in the Economics and Technology Division (ETD) and
the Chemical Control Division (CCD) have employee mentoring and new employee
orientation programs that work well and serve as good models. The Stonnell
Report provides a fairly comprehensive picture of what we are doing wrong as an
office. During the problem-solving phase, we need to continue to find the shining
examples of what parts of the office are doing right, and we need to explore whether
those examples have wider application across the entire office.
The organizational culture of OPPT needs to be improved. In particular, staff
want to feel valued and respected. Without conscious intent, the style of interaction
within OPPT tends to be PARENT-CHILD, wherein the superior interacts with the
subordinate as though the subordinate is a child needing parental direction. OPPT
staff want ADULT-ADULT interactions. The experience within the QATs has
demonstrated the power of adult-to-adult interaction and collaboration. OPPT will
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benefit if we recognize that each of us has skills and knowledge to teach, and that
each of us can learn something from every one of our colleagues.
OPPT has other cultural challenges. For better or worse, many of our
employees work behind locked doors with menacing green signs that warn:
RESTRICTED
AREA
AUTHORIZED
PERSONNEL ONLY
Not exactly a friendly context, and not a problem most EPA offices must face. Also,
our people are scattered over a significant range of physical space. Challenges like
these raise the stakes of communications and mean that we have to work especially
hard to overcome barriers and achieve positive, personal interactions. Long term,
seeking to consolidate our space and reassess confidential business information
security needs may also help.
While the Office has advanced to the stage of "talking the talk" about
teamwork, it isn't "walking the talk" in a consistent manner. Building a sense of
and joy in teamwork is intertwined with improving communications and
employee training and development. Staff need to be encouraged to share their
knowledge, not hoard it, to communicate with and train others, and to push down
decision-making to the best-qualified level whenever and wherever possible.
Philip Crosby, a noted quality expert, has some interesting ideas about the
culture of an organization that is successful for the long-term:
1. People do things right routinely.
2. Growth is profitable and steady.
3. Customer needs are anticipated.
4. Change is planned and managed.
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5. People are proud to work there.
Philip B. Crosby, The Eternally Successful Organization (Mentor, 1992)
While Crosby was thinking of a corporate context, one might try inserting
"personal" in front of "growth" in the second item; i.e., "personal growth is
profitable and steady (for the person and the organization)."
The desirable OPPT culture of the future will see:
• Compelling vision, a strong sense of mission, action orientation, and
teamwork;
• Striving to learn more, develop, and accomplish more — both
individually and organizationally;
• Commitment to strong, credible science and the search for the best
information to support timely decisions;
• Commitment to knowing and speaking the truth — even when it
hurts;
• Commitment to sharing information;
• Respect for different viewpoints and appreciation that discussion and
dialog build a better product;
• Respect for all members of the team — appreciation of cultural diversity
and job diversity;
• Appreciation of risk-taking and tolerance of mistakes;
• Rewarding those who do the right thing right; and
• A commitment to W. Edward Dealing's concept of "driving out fear"
from the organization.
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Improving the culture of OPPT will be a challenging, long-term effort. But
overwhelmingly, the people of the Office want positive change and are willing to
make an effort to make things better. Ron Brand, a TQM expert and former EPA
executive, suggests that the culture changes when people begin to change their
behavior. Thus, one of the tests for us all is whether we begin to change how we
behave and demonstrate, through improved behavior, a stronger set of people
values — especially, mutual respect and treatment of others as we wish to be treated.
Finally, it should be noted that we found that other offices in EPA are
confronting very similar issues and frustrations. It is a sign of organizational
health, and grounds for a great deal of optimism, that OPPT is confronting its
weaknesses with honesty and seeking to make improvements.
INFRASTRUCTURE
At present, nobody seems to be accountable for quality internal
communications and staff training and development within OPPT. While "the
buck stops" at the office director's desk, there is no infrastructure to help him make
improvements. In the OPPT Action Plan, the office director committed to
establishing a 3-person staff in the Office of Program Management and Evaluation
(OPME) with responsibilities for internal communications, staff training and
development, and total quality management (TQM) implementation. Having such
a staff will go a long way toward establishing accountability for a successful
improvement program. But the infrastructure also needs to extend outward to
other organizations, particularly OHRM, and inwards to the divisions and branches
of OPPT. Within the divisions and branches, someone needs to feel a sense of
ownership and accountability for making the improvements happen.
NEED FOR SUCCESSES
The OPPT staff are hungry for tangible, rapid success stories that show that the
process can work, that the commitment is there, that we can move forward with
increasing momentum. They want an overall vision for the office, but they also
want to see movement toward that vision, soon.
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REWARDS STRUCTURE
Closely related to the concerns about OPPT's culture is the perception that
"doing the right thing" behavior is not rewarded by the organization. For example,
the perception is that managers who go out of their way to foster teamwork, share
information and communicate with their staff, and help their staff get training and
development are not rewarded. In fact, at the extreme, such "touchy-feely" (human
resources-oriented) managers seem to be viewed negatively by the prevailing
management culture. Similarly, the general perception is that staff who go out of
their way to communicate and share information, and actively seek training and
developmental opportunities that will provide long-term benefits to their
organization (as well as their careers) are not rewarded for their initiative.
Until the perception changes that those who say "we're too busy for that
stuff" are the ones who get rewarded, progress will be limited. In reality, OPPT's
new directions are too important to accommodate "business as usual," with
underemphasis on improving internal communications and staff training and
development. Employees need to be empowered to do their jobs better and
rewarded for their efforts. Crisis prevention needs to be rewarded.
"You get what you reward." Following through on that management saying,
performance standards should include weighted criteria for communications and
employee development, and positive recognition should be extended to quality
communicators and self-improvers, so that those who strive for improvement in
those areas will be rewarded. The next performance evaluation cycle will be a key
opportunity to send a message to those who do the right thing right.
POLICY VACUUMS
OPPT does not have simple, clear, universally-understood policy statements
on human resources subjects like internal communications and staff training and
development. Managers and their staffs receive mixed messages about what they
should do and may be afraid to ask "stupid" questions like: "What is our training
policy? Is it OK to fund career development courses?"
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Specific Findings
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
1. The following obstacles to strong inter-divisional communications were
identified:
• Lack of time and motivation for communication between
divisions, in part due to goals set by supervisors;
• Lack of special training in communications skills;
• Lack of formal lines of communications and points of contact,
combined with differing interests and-skills; lack of personal contacts;
lack of common base of shared knowledge;
• Physical separation, secure areas, inadequate meeting space, and
inefficient interoffice mail; and
• Cultural and territorial barriers.
2. There is no strategy process for internal communications. An Agency-wide
task force on internal communications has taken note of the fact that
communications strategies are developed for communicating outside the Agency,
but little thought seems to be given to communications inside. Thus, employees
often feel that they are the last to know, and are left to learn about significant events
by reading about them in the newspaper. Task force members suggested that
employees should be the first to hear about significant accomplishments and
problems. There is a good take-home message in this for OPPT.
3. Few OPPT employees see the biweekly reports from OPPT to the Assistant
Administrator, and from the AA to the Administrator.
4. The staff want condensed news of the office on a timely basis, covering not
only what has happened, but planned events they should know about beforehand.
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5. Face-to-face communications with top managers are desired, on a regular
basis. Communicating by paper is not enough. Employees want open, 2-way
communications channels through which it is safe to raise problems and concerns.
6. Many employees want to make sure that we exploit technology for effective
communications. In particular, OPPT should consider ways that electronic mail,
electronic bulletin boards, and the planned local area network (LAN) can be
harnessed to facilitate improved internal communications.
7. At present, OPPT lacks a structure and processes to reward effective internal
communications efforts by managers, supervisors, and staff members. For example,
internal communications efforts are not included and weighted in most
individuals' performance standards - either for subordinates or managers /super-
visors.
STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
1. OPPT has no career management planning for most of its employees. Thus,
neither staff nor their managers have a systematic means of identifying career goals
and planning for training and development to achieve those goals.
2. OPPT does not do the necessary tracking and follow-up to assure that all
managers go through required management development training.
3. OPPT has not acted to implement the mandatory requirement that managers
have individual development plans (IDPs) in place and receive at least 40 hours of
developmental experience every year. Few OPPT managers have IDPs. More
broadly, few OPPT employees have IDPs, though the plans were identified as a good
mechanism for identifying individual employees' training/developmental wants
and needs.
4. OPPT does not have an office-wide process to assess what training is needed
to support its program needs. As an example, an effective office-wide process would
take programs such as the existing chemicals risk-management program, identify
the knowledge and skills needed to support the program, assess the knowledge and
skills of the staff, identify training needs, and assure that the training was provided.
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5. OPPT has not established an orientation program for new employees that
prepares them adequately to become full team members in the office work.
6. OPPT does not operate training that will enable all staffers to understand the
work of the office and lay the basis for communications among divisions and teams.
7. At present, OPPT lacks a structure and processes to reward effective internal
communications efforts by managers, supervisors, and staff members. For example,
training and development efforts are not included and weighted in most
individuals' performance standards — either for subordinates or managers /super-
visors.
8. OPPT's intramural training funds are extremely limited. Intramural training
expenditures have averaged approximately $300/year per employee. The Office of
Administration and Resources Management has established a policy goal that 3% of
payroll costs be spent on training; this would be (very roughly) an average of
$1,5007year per employee. It seems unlikely that adequate intramural funds will be
available within the next several years to support the 3% goal. On the other hand,
3% equates to about 60 hours of training per employee per year. It seems realistic to
aim for at least that many hours, using a mix of mechanisms to provide the
training.
9. Most OPPT employees have inadequate knowledge of what training is
available, much of which is free or low-cost
10. OPPT isn't tapping its own capabilities to do in-house training, drawing on
the impressive knowledge, skills, and interests of its people.
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Recommendations
General Recommendations and Strategy
DEVELOP STATEMENT OF PURPOSE; CHARTER FOR OPME STAFF
In general, OPPT needs to develop and state its purpose along lines such as
the following suggestion:
Our purpose is for the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT)
continuously to improve its internal communications and staff training and
development. The goal is for OPPT to:
• Become and remain a leader in excellent internal
communications and staff training and development programs;
• Achieve and maintain clear and continuous
improvement in our organizational culture; and
• Empower our people to accomplish our vision.
From the statement of purpose can be derived the charter for the OPME staff.
ESTABLISH NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE
We must establish the infrastructure needed to make the improvements
happen. The 3-person staff in OPME must be put in place. The staff will need to be
leveraged with additional resources, including SEEs, stay-in-schools, detailees,
rotational assignees, and contractors, as needed. Another necessary part of the
infrastructure is a network of points of contact in the divisions and branches who
will have ownership of making improvements happen. Also important is
maintaining a network and partnership with the OPPT HRP; the TQM effort —
including the QATs; OHRM, WISE, and others.
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STATE POLICIES
OPPT needs to state policies for internal communications and staff training
and development. The policies should provide a sense of OPPT's values and set
expectations for the nature of our long-term internal communications and staff
training and development programs. The policies should communicate a sense of
respect for people and their skills, from scientists to secretaries. An important
general thrust is to follow Deming's directive that managers must "drive out fear"
from the organization. Employees must feel that they understand and agree with
the policies and are free to raise concerns about how the policies are being carried
out.
FOCUS ON NECESSARY INFORMATION RESOURCES
Employees need more information — information products, resource centers,
and contacts who can explain and provide additional information. An example of a
relatively low-cost information resource is the high-quality videotape. A number of
OPPT components have used instructional videotapes to learn more about TQM,
management, and other subjects. For some employees, learning a little bit about a
subject through watching a video will help them decide whether they want to learn
more and sort through course offerings to make better choices. Employees also need
written resource materials like an OPPT Orientation Manual and an OPPT Directory
to help them understand the entire office and enable greater teamwork.
ESTABLISH SYSTEMATIC PROCESSES
The OPME staff, working with others, will need to establish a systematic
process to assess OPPT's needs, set priorities, develop efforts to address priorities,
evaluate, and continue the cycle with continuous improvement. Employee surveys
will be a key means for identifying communications and training wants and needs.
TQM efforts will continue to identify communications and training needs. Surveys
of external customers may be another useful means of identifying training needs.
Systematic processes are needed to consolidate, highlight, and provide
information about opportunities to participate in workgroups, rotational
assignments, and other developmental opportunities. The same is true of training
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opportunities. In effect, OPPT needs the equivalent of a classified advertising
section, readily available to all staff, providing together in one place information
about opportunities and general information about what's going on.
As priority training needs are identified, the OPME staff must work with
traditional and potential training providers to determine the best ways to meet
those needs. Since resources are limited, the staff will have to be creative and open
to new ways of accomplishing training and development. Particularly important
will be the further use of available extramural funds to bring training on-site for
larger numbers of employees. This technique has already been used successfully for
media communications training, the pilot workgroup leadership training course,
and EED's meeting management training.
When individual OPPT employees do go to outside training requiring
intramural training funds, they should be asked to "scout" for good courses and
good training providers. The best courses and providers should be tracked by OPME
as candidates for future on-site training. OPPT should also push to customize and
improve course offerings to meet office needs; for example, some standard courses
offered by the Washington Information Center (WIC) could be tailored for OPPT
presentations to meet particular needs of the future users of our local area network
(LAN).
OPME must develop and maintain an office-wide training plan that tracks the
priority training needs of OPPT and the means for meeting those needs. Areas
already identified include the following:
• Training in the new Administrative Support Career
Management System (ASCMS)
• New employee orientation
• Supervisory/Management training
• Budget training and general administrative training
• Meeting Management training
• Workgroup Leadership training
• Risk Assessment and Risk Communications training
• Communications training, with a focus on effective internal
communications
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• LAN and All-in-One electronic mail (and other technologies) training
• Human resources training - ASCMS, developing IDPs, career
development, self-assessment, etc....
• Program-specific training: Pollution Prevention, Chemical Testing,
EPCRA/TRI, 33/50, New Chemicals, RM1, RM2, etc....
• Training in current and new confidential business information (CBI)
procedures
All training received should be credited and documented via certificates and records
in employees' official personnel folders.
Specific Recommended Steps
The following table lists 23 specific recommended steps, stated in an
approximate proposed order of events, not priority. The most important statement
of priority might be a quote from the Stonnell Report — "Do something, anything!"
The point is to begin and then to keep on making improvements, forever.
The title of each step is given, along with an indication of which areas it
addresses, whether it is a quick strike, and proposed timeframe. After the table, each
step is described in more detail. Many of the earlier recommended steps are quick
strikes aimed at establishing momentum and piloting ideas for wider application
later. Many of these recommendations are stand-alone; that is, they can be
implemented even if some earlier recommended steps have not yet been taken.
However, the people infrastructure recommended in Steps 1 and 2 is vitally
important to most other activities.
The subgroup plans in the Attachment provide further details for many of
these steps and reflect more in-depth analysis.
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STEP
TABLE: Summary of Recommended Steps
1. Establish OPME staff
2. Establish focal point network
3. Set up OPPT bulletin boards
4. Implement management IDPs
5. Distribute biweeklies
6. Issue staff meeting policy
7. Launch brown-bag series
8. Establish resource center
9. Pilot new workgroup techniques
10. Continue workgroup leadership training
1 1 . Enhance Grapevine
12. Start The Bullet
13. Enhance secretarial mtgs
14. IDPs in place for all staff
15. Begin mentoring program
Division pilot
Office-wide!
16. Begin orientation program
Pilot orientation manual
Division pilot
Office-wide
7. Implement ASCMS
Initial training
Full implementation
18. Develop other communications vehicles
In-House "Bulletin"
Technical Notes
i9. Publish an OPFI Directory
20. Targeted Retreats
1 (Periodic team -building retreats)
21. Surveys and Evaluations (Ongoing)
22. Issue policies
23. Long-term strategies in place
rsiurt:
n
QUICK
STRIKE
YES +
YES +
YES +
YES
YES +
YES
YES +
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES +
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
QMEFRAME
START
Apr-92
Apr-92
Apr-92
May-92
Apr-92
May-92
Apr-92
un-92
un-92
un-92
Jun-92
May-92
Apr-92
Dec-93
Jun-92
Oct-92
fun-92
Jun-92
Oct-92
Iul-92
Oct-92
Aug-92
Ian-93
Dec-92
Jun-92
Ongoing
Jul-92
Ian-93
FINISH
Apr-92
Apr-92
Ongoing
Annual
Ongoing
May-92
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Monthly
Annual
Sep-92
Ongoing
Sep-92
Jun-92
Ongoing
Iul-92
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Annual
Periodic
Ongoing
As needed
Annual
RESPONSIBLE
UNITS
Office Director
OD, DDs, BCs
OPME, QATs
OPME. all
OD, OPME, Focal:
OD.OPME.QAT
HAD, OPME, all
OPME,IMD,QAT
OPME
OPME
OPME.HRP
OPME, QATs
OPME, QATs
OPME, all
OPME, pilot, QAT
OPME, all div's
OPME. QAT
OPME, pilot, QAT
OPME, all div's
OPME
OPME
OPME. QAT
OPME, QAT
OPME, QAT
OPME, EAD, all
OPME. QATs
OPME, QATs
OPME, QATs
YES + means that efforts are already underway.
FOCUS
Internal
Comm.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Training/
Develop'
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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1. ESTABLISH OPME STAFF
The 3-person staff will be a vital nucleus for making improvements happen.
Needed will be people with strong commitment, creativity, communications/net-
working skills, and people values. As early as possible, the 3 employees should
begin to get help from other resources including SEEs, stay-in-schools, interns,
detailees, rotators, and contractors. The appropriate OPME staff members should be
members of the continuing Internal Communications and Staff Training and
Development QATs. The staff should receive target funding of at least $150,000 in
extramural funds for the remainder of FY92, and should be given the chance to
argue for the future budgets necessary to support excellent, ongoing improvement
efforts. Appendix A-l summarizes the responsibilities of the OPME staff.
2. ESTABLISH FOCAL POINT NETWORK
A network of internal communications and staff training and development
focal points is needed in the branches and divisions. The Office Director should
require each branch chief to appoint a focal point person and backup to represent the
branch staff. Similarly, each division director should be required to designate a focal
point person and a backup to represent the division front office staff.
It is strongly preferable that one person serve as both the internal
communications and staff training and development focal point, given the many
overlaps. On a monthly basis, the OPME staff should meet with the focal points to
identify and resolve problems with the improvement efforts.
The focal points should also serve as communications links or
ombudspersons to their staff colleagues for 2-way communications. They will
represent staff concerns and get information to the staffs. They should be
individuals who are interested in improving internal communications and staff
training and development and can invest an estimated one to two hours per week
in such efforts. They should receive specialized training in communications and
briefing skills and in training and development. They should also have a weighted
element in their performance standards to acknowledge their responsibilities and
give them performance-evaluation credit for their efforts. If in place in time, the
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focal points can be used to help brief the staff on the office reorganization and other
key improvement efforts.
3. SET UP OPPT BULLETIN BOARDS (PAPER-BASED)
As a quick strike, an effort has started to set up a bulletin board as a center of
information on training and development opportunities and display point for
internal communications. The effort will be modeled on a very successful Office of
Solid Waste (OSW) program, which is run by a SEE who has volunteered and
received permission from her management to help us set up our board. Longer
term, it is proposed that more boards be set up as needed and enhanced, and that the
effort be maintained by our own SEE to support the OPME staff. Maintaining
OSW's 2 boards requires approximately 4 hours per week of their SEE's time.
Over time, a network of bulletin boards should be established, with
continuous improvement, to meet staff's needs for information on general office
matters and training and development opportunities. The bulletin boards and focal
point network will be a preferred way to communicate information about rotational
opportunities, such as two positions EAD has identified in its Congressional Liaison
Section and Regional and State Programs Section, and opportunities to participate,
such as the recent call for volunteers to work on pollution prevention priority
rulemaking efforts.
4. IMPLEMENT THE MANDATORY SUPERVISOR/MANAGEMENT IDP
REQUIREMENT
The Agency has established a requirement that all supervisors and managers
have in place by the 1992 mid-year evaluation an individual development plan, and
receive at least 40 hours of training/development by the end of the fiscal year. It is
recommended that OPPT implement this mandatory requirement, using it as a
positive opportunity to address concerns staff has raised about supervisory /manage-
ment training. First, the process should be used to assure that each supervisor and
manager has attended or gets scheduled to attend the mandatory courses (as
applicable): Framework for Supervision for supervisors and Keys to Managerial
Excellence for managers. Second, the IDPs will be an opportunity to encourage
supervisors and managers to improve their communications skills and their
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awareness of the Agency's training and development programs. Finally, preparing
their own IDPs should be used to prepare managers and supervisors to help their
subordinates develop IDPs for 1993.
OHRM has been providing workshops on developing IDPs for managers and
supervisors. It is recommended that OPPT move rapidly to work with OHRM to get
all its supervisors and managers through the workshop and on to getting their IDPs
in place. IDPs for all supervisors and managers should be in place by the end of May
1992.
Over the longer term, OPPT should establish a system which provides
subordinates an opportunity to provide feedback to their bosses, just as bosses do for
subordinates. Such systems have been piloted in ETD, OARM, and elsewhere, and
previous efforts could be adapted for office-wide use. Skilled contractors have been
used to ensure confidentiality and objectivity. This approach gives supervisors and
managers vital information they need to plan for their development, by pointing
out areas that would contribute to personal quality, improved 2-way cooperation,
and greater organizational effectiveness. The 2-way communications process is also
improved.
As discussed below, it is recommended that the IDP process be extended to all
OPPT employees for 1993 as part of an effort to extend career development planning
to all.
5. DISTRIBUTE BIWEEKLIES AND ENHANCE THEM
Beginning immediately after the focal point network is in place, it is
recommended that all biweekly activity reports be distributed to the focal points and
made available to all interested staff. This includes not only the division biweeklies,
but also the OPPT biweekly to the Assistant Administrator (AA), and the AA's
biweekly to the Administrator. The reports should also be posted on the bulletin
boards. In addition, the office director's notes from the AA's weekly staff meeting
should be distributed to the focal points. If feasible, the biweeklies should also be
made available electronically, perhaps over electronic mail and the coming local
area network (LAN).
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An effort should be launched to enhance the quality of the division
biweeklies by improving and standardizing their format and distribution, and
improving their content and usefulness to the customers. The Internal
Communications QAT would be a good mechanism for conducting this
improvement effort, working closely with the OPME 3-person staff.
6. ISSUE STAFF MEETING POLICY
OPPT should issue a policy requiring effective staff meetings, on a regular
basis. Space constraints and time exigencies make it somewhat unrealistic to dictate
the precise schedule for such meetings. But a suggested policy is that each branch be
expected to hold an all-hands meeting at least once a month, and that each division
be expected to hold an all-hands meeting at least once every quarter. Possibly more
important than the frequency of the meetings is the quality. The policy should be to
strive for effective 2-way communications, with amnesty, with the goal of problem
identification and improvement.
The office director has held brown-bag meetings with each branch once or
twice a year. We recommend this policy continue. Also, it is recommended that the
office director hold quarterly office all-hands meetings (attendance optional) to meet
the staff desire for more face-to-face interaction and review OPPT's improvement
progress.
7. LAUNCH A BROWN-BAG SEMINAR SERIES
As part of the long-term effort to train OPPT staff and promote teambuilding,
the office should begin to hold brown-bag seminars on topics of interest to staff. It is
recommended that, at least once a month, a session be held in the £542 conference
room, targeting interesting speakers, interesting work-related subjects, and a diverse
OPPT audience. A quick-strike effort has started to pilot this concept. Brown-bag
sessions should cover a mix of topics, covering some sessions on "hot programs,"
and other sessions on what efforts an individual branch or division is working on,
and who the people are.
This effort should include some subjects and functions of special interest to
administrative and secretarial staff, as well as (potentially) others.
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Over the longer term, it would be an encouraging sign of the cultural health
of the organization to see more informal seminars and sessions such as those
recently conducted by David Sarokin on right-to-know in Europe and Jim Willis on
underwater shipwrecks in North Carolina. OPPT has a tremendous number of
talented and knowledgeable people, and there is interest in hearing from more of
them, both on directly work-related topics and on further-afield, interesting topics
for a lighter lunch hour. It will help to improve our culture if we have more
opportunities to interact and get to know each other better in friendly, fun sessions.
8. ESTABLISH A TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT RESOURCE CENTER
Some information on training and development opportunities is not
amenable to widespread distribution or posting on bulletin boards. For example, the
recently issued Administrative Support Career Management System (ASCMS)
manual is a thick document. It is recommended that a resource center be
established to house information on training and development programs and
opportunities. Also, the center should stockpile selected high-quality training
videos, coursebooks, catalogs, and directories which point to available information
held elsewhere (for example, the EPA Headquarters Library has a large collection of
management materials/ including management training videos). It may also be
appropriate to maintain in the center general information materials such as copies
of the biweekly reports and other OPPT publications. The OPPT Library space would
be a logical place to house the resource center, which should be maintained by
Library contractor staff with oversight and materials supplied by the OPME staff and
other interested sources.
9. PILOT NEW WORKGROUP TECHNIQUES
The recent pilot presentation of the Workgroup Leadership course was very
successful. Course participants observed that the exercises and discussions in the
course forged some highly effective teambuilding, and suggested that they would
like their entire workgroups to go through the experience. It is recommended that a
pilot effort be conducted to place a new workgroup through a one-day session with
teambuilding exercises and discussion, and then monitor the effectiveness of the
training in helping the workgroup succeed. Based on results, this method should be
extended to other new workgroups.
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A second recommended pilot area is formal evaluation of entire workgroups
or work units. It is suggested that a "guinea pig" be selected to test the technique of
doing an evaluation of the effectiveness of the entire group, after completion of the
effort. The long-term goal should be to conduct an evaluation of every completed
workgroup effort, aimed at identifying opportunities for continuous improvement
and recognizing exemplary workgroups as a whole. To the degree appropriate,
results of these workgroup evaluations may be used as input into individuals'
performance evaluations.
Successful team efforts should be recognized by photographs and descriptions
on the OPPT bulletin boards, receipt of the proposed OPPT Quality Award, and other
means, of course including the traditional award mechanisms.
10. CONTINUE WORKGROUP LEADERSHIP TRAINING
The previously-mentioned workgroup leadership course needs to be
presented again soon, after adjustments are made to reflect the evaluations of the
pilot session. The course should continue to be offered at least once a year, or until
all of OPPT's workgroup leaders have been trained.
11. ENHANCE THE OPPT GRAPEVINE
Working with the OPPT HRP and the Grapevine editor, the OPME staff
should enhance the Grapevine and get it onto a regular monthly schedule,
produced on deadline. The focus of the Grapevine on human resources should be
continued.
12. START THE • BULLET
It is recommended that the OPME staff prepare and issue to all OPPT staff a
new, biweekly publication with the suggested title The • Bullet. The purpose of this
publication would be to provide staff with highly summarized information about
current and planned office activities, drawing heavily from the current biweekly
reports, and additional input from the branch focal points. The • Bullet would
provide one-liner descriptions and contact points, would be one page (front and
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back), and would emphasize timely and straightforward information. Thus, it
would not be filtered and would not go through a many-layered approval process
prior to release. The • Bullet should be produced on deadline and distributed via
the focal point network.
13. ENHANCE SECRETARIAL MEETINGS
As a quick-strike item, the secretarial meetings conducted by the office
director's secretary should be enhanced. Once a month, it is recommended that the
meetings be expanded to include all OPPT secretaries, use an agenda, and include
mini-training sessions. These meetings should be used as an opportunity to
implement improvements or recommend that management make improvements,
when the secretaries identify problems that they can't resolve.
14. CREATE A CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR ALL STAFF
As mentioned earlier, staff do not feel that only the managers and
supervisors should have IDPs and career development programs. OPPT should
establish a policy that promotes career planning for all employees. In the near term,
we should take up OHRM on their offer to work with us to conduct a pilot career
development workshop (estimated total cost $200 for a class size of 25; i.e.,
$8/person). Possible particular targets for the pilot workshop would be OPPT's
scientists, or the administrative staff. Refining the pilot workshop, we should
establish the in-house capability to train every interested employee in career
planning, and proceed to have an IDP in place for every employee by the end of
1993. Care should be taken to give employees who set career goals to become
supervisors the opportunity to take the EPA Institute course aimed at such people
(at the GS-13 level), Understanding Supervision.
Future performance standards should be structured to give employees credit
for actions they take to accomplish their IDPs. As the career planning policy will
state, OPPT as an office will benefit if it is known as an organization that cares about
its employees and seeks to help them develop their careers.
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15. BEGEM OPPT MENTORING PROGRAM
Everyone could benefit from a mentor, but many OPPT employees have no
mentor, and fewer still have a mentor who was provided to help them when they
joined the organization. It is recommended that OPPT work to expand and enhance
the successful mentoring program models active in CCD and ETD, drawing also on
the work that OPME, OHRM, and WISE have done on mentoring. The OPME staff
should oversee implementation of a pilot division-wide mentoring program, and
aim for the long-term goal that every OPPT employee who would like to have a
mentor gets one. In the very near term, the "mentor guide" recently developed by
OHRM should be distributed to the focal points and the resource center, to
encourage grass-roots mentoring.
16. BEGIN OPPT ORIENTATION PROGRAM
As with mentoring, several parts of OPPT have been running successful
orientation programs for new employees. Also as with mentoring, it is not only the
new employees who need orientation — many employees who have been around
for a while would still like orientation to what the Office and its components do.
Also, we recognize the sad fact that for the foreseeable future we probably will not
have too many new employees to orient. Finally, the need to orient or re-orient
current employees will rise dramatically when the Office reorganization is executed.
To begin OPPTs orientation program, a piloting approach is recommended,
drawing on successful programs in OPPT components and other EPA offices. Again,
one willing division should be used as the testing ground for a pilot, aimed at any
new employees and other interested employees. A key resource for orientation will
be the OPPT Orientation Manual, which should be developed and tested in the
pilots and enhanced for office-wide use.
Part of the pilot program should include "shadowing" in other divisions, to
help the pilot orientees learn more about what the other divisions do. It is
suggested that, over a period of several weeks, individual orientees shadow key
people in other divisions for a day or two in each division, attending meetings and
learning about what the divisions do and how they do their work. The shadowing
method is used in several development programs, as well. A successful shadowing
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program, along with general orientation, will also help to instill teambuilding in
the office.
Please see the Orientation Subgroup's report in the attachments for more
detailed recommendations on orientation.
Finally, the administrative and support staff of the office should be singled
out for orientation attention, as recommended by the ASCMS documents. New
secretaries and administrative staff need special orientation to the office's standard
procedures and should be introduced to their division and the front-office-OPPT key
staff. At least one day should be spent at the division and office level, working with
their staff.
17. IMPLEMENT THE ASCMS EM OPPT
The Agency's new Administrative Support Career Management System
(ASCMS) reflects thorough, good thinking about the changing roles of secretaries
and administrative staff and the changing needs of organizations. Implementing
the new system should be good for everyone. To begin, the OPME staff, the
secretaries, and the administrative staff should work with OHRM to develop short
programs to train both the administrative and support staff and the managers about
the new system and the suggested career paths provided by the system. The training
should answer the questions: "What is it?"; "Why is it good?"; and "How do we
implement it?" OPPT should then take appropriate steps to implement.
18. DEVELOP OTHER COMMUNICATIONS VEHICLES
The OPME staff should consider other internal communications vehicles, in
addition to The • Bullet described above. Over the long term, OPPT local area
networks (LANs) will provide an important mechanism for internal
communications and reductions in wasteful paper flow. Staff are interested in a
periodical such as an in-house oriented Chemicals in Progress Bulletin type of
publication that would highlight programs of interest. There is also interest in an
informal, "Technical Notes" type of publication. Some of the Pollution Prevention
Division's publications may be models for office-wide efforts. All internal
communications vehicles should be produced on deadline, on a regular schedule.
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As mentioned below, survey activities should be used to determine what the staff
"customers" want most and what solutions are best.
19. PUBLISH AN OPPT DIRECTORY
There is also interest in an OPPT Directory that would list the people in OPPT,
points of contact, information resources, and so forth. The Office of Air and
Radiation publishes directories which contain a paragraph on each employee,
including voluntarily-provided information about the employee's education,
background, experience, areas of expertise, hobbies, etc. Many staff would like to
have this kind of information. Publishing and maintaining such a directory would
not be a trivial effort, but could probably be done for about one workyear of effort
plus printing costs.
20. CONDUCT A TARGETED RETREATS PROGRAM
The OPME staff should facilitate periodic retreats that bring together cross-
sections of OPPT staff to help to improve the operations of our matrix organization
and foster teambuilding across divisions. The most effective retreat format would
use TQM methods to focus a QAT-type group on a process problem and use the
Focus-Analyze-Develop-Execute method for problem-solving.
EAD has been conducting a retreat program aimed at improving the
teamwork between its managers, general, and administrative and support staff. It is
recommended that the EAD retreats be evaluated as a pilot and extended to other
interested divisions.
21. CONDUCT SURVEYS AND EVALUATIONS
The OPME staff should conduct focused surveys and evaluations to identify
continuing needs and evaluate the success of improvement efforts. Surveys will be
needed to help establish priorities for training areas based on staff input, to rank
recommended solutions to communications problems, and to identify new areas
that need attention. Effective surveys will require careful planning and significant
logistical support. Surveys must be focused so that they go beyond providing an
opportunity for venting feelings to helping the entire office team develop solutions.
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Also, care must be taken not to so overwhelm the office with surveys that the staff
tunes out and ceases to respond with good input. In some cases, it may be
appropriate to survey external customers of OPPT to get their input on ideas for
training to improve the quality of OPPT's work.
Some improvement efforts won't work. Pilot efforts will need to be adjusted
before they are extended further. The OPME staff will need to orchestrate an
evaluation process that gets answers to the questions of what works, what doesn't,
and how further improvements can be made. Most of the evaluation work should
be performed by the customers of each effort, using QATs and other appropriate
mechanisms, but it will be OPME's job to make sure that the evaluations take place
and that the results are applied to genuine, continuous improvement.
22. DEVELOP, ISSUE, AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES
The OPME staff should also orchestrate the development, issuance, and
implementation of policies for internal communications, staff training and
development, and other human, resources matters, following the initial issuance of
the staff meeting policy mentioned in Step 6. The goal should be that the policies
are such and are developed in such a way that all staff understand, agree with, and
follow the policies.
Policies are important because they break down the negative culture that
assumes that most decisions are made based on "politics," "hidden agendas," and so
forth. When fair policies are articulated and followed, the OPPT staff will get the
message that, not only is it OK to do the right thing and to do it right, but that is
what we all expect of each other and ourselves.
23. DEVELOP AND FOLLOW CREATIVE, LONG-TERM STRATEGIES
After early improvements have been achieved in OPPT's internal
communications and staff training and development and momentum has been
established, the OPME staff should oversee the development of creative, long-term
strategies for continuous improvement in those areas. An important part of the
strategies will be the establishment of partnerships with other organizations, outside
OPPT. Many other organizations share similar interests and face similar resource
constraints. OPPT should establish training partnerships with the Office of Research
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and Development (ORD), OHRM, and others. There may be opportunities for
innovative public/private partnerships to develop and present training at no cost or
reduced cost to OPPT. In fact, under the Federal Technology Transfer Act, there may
be strategies to develop training curricula from which royalties could flow to OPPT.
OPPT also should plan systematically to draw on its in-house expertise and
talent for training and communications efforts. We have first-rate experts in
important, mission-related scientific and other fields, and staff who have taught or
are teaching now. We don't need scarce training funds when we harness the talent
within our own ranks. Further, we should make use of rotational programs to
bring in people to develop courses, from OPPT, other EPA offices, other agencies,
and academic institutions.
The training strategy should establish the preferred hierarchy of approaches to
meeting priority training needs. For example, the most-preferred approach might be
stated as the use of "off-the-shelf," existing no-cost or low-cost training provided by
EPA. Second might be the customization, as needed, of such existing training.
Third might be the development of an in-house, OPPT course taught by OPPT
personnel, when feasible. The strategy should also set a methodology (such as the
Instruction Systems Design process used in developing the workgroup leadership
pilot course) for designing new curricula, when needed. Also, "train the (in-house)
trainers" approaches should be used when appropriate. OHRM has been working
on the training strategy for the entire Agency, and we will benefit from a dose
partnership with them, designed to capitalize on their efforts and give them
feedback to support continuous improvement.
Administrative processes in OPPT deserve particular attention. We have
experts in contracts, grants, intramural/extramural funds, and so on. Many
employees are confused by these subjects and would like to learn more. The OPME
3-person staff should work with a team of office administrative personnel to
enhance training, share information, and improve OPPTs administrative processes.
It may be helpful for the office's administrative personnel to meet together monthly
to share information and work on process improvements.
Finally, it is suggested that there be an OPPT Training Advisory Board or
similar mechanism to ensure that office-wide priorities for training and
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development are identified, tracked, and that appropriate efforts are underway to
meet the priority needs. Such a board would make recommendations about the
target audiences for training needs and the trade-offs between competing priority
areas for training.
Closing Concepts, Concerns, and Constraints
Commitment
At times, OPPT staff members display plenty of healthy skepticism. Under
amnesty, perhaps the most frequently asked question was: "Is management really
committed to this?" Clearly, Mark Greenwood has "talked the talk" and "walked
the talk" to the extent of launching the OPPT improvement effort. Staff will be
watching to see every layer of management walk the talk and continuously prove
their commitment. Staff will need opportunities to voice their concerns when they
don't perceive commitment. A strong preference was expressed for more face-to-
face staff meetings, with amnesty, where staff have opportunities to ask questions,
express concerns, and make suggestions. OPPTs managers and supervisors need to
prove their commitment over and over again, day-in, day-out.
Time Limitations
"We're too busy." This cry is heard throughout OPPT. Yet, up to this point,
management has been able to accommodate a tremendous amount of QAT
meetings and discussions, and the sky has not fallen. But the time concerns are real.
When managers and staff are asked to set aside more time for meetings, training,
and other activities, there need to be good answers to the question: "WHY?" The
vision for OPPT should have room for the concept that the office needs to be a
"learning organization," that constant learning is key to effectiveness.
Other Resource Limitations
Another frequent concern was: "There's no money for training, anyway."
Obviously, intramural training funds are extremely limited. Space for sessions is
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also at a premium. As noted above, people's time is limited. Nevertheless, as noted
in the Recommendations, creative approaches can be used to overcome or work
around many of the limitations. Much available training is free or low-cost
Extramural funds can and have been used for on-site training programs. OPPT can
harness the unique knowledge and teaching skills of its own resources. Continued
use of TQM practices will elicit more creative ideas for improving internal
communications and staff training and development. Also, process-oriented TQM
endeavors will root out waste in the way business is done within OPPT. Reduction
of waste caused by rework and unnecessary work will help to free up more resources
that can be reinvested in communications and training efforts that will add value
for OPPT's customers.
Short- vs. Long-Term
"What have you done today?" versus "It's going to be great (when we get it
done next year)." There is a constant tension between short-term and long-term
efforts. Today's frantic activity is misdirected if it does not lead toward the
organization's long-term goals. Grand plans are likelier to fail when the staff (and
the outside world) don't see milestones being accomplished along the way. This
proposed plan seeks to strike the right balance between quick-strike, short-term
efforts that can be accomplished rapidly and long-term efforts that are essential for
sustained success of the office over the future. Management may want to move
some efforts up to earlier in time, or defer some efforts.
Scale of Efforts
In the same vein, the scale of efforts is important. A number of efforts that
ultimately should be conducted office-wide would have a swamping effect if all
parts of the office implemented simultaneously. Also, some efforts would benefit
from testing and fine-tuning prior to complete implementation. Thus, a number of
recommendations call for pilot efforts and gradual expansion to all OPPT divisions,
after fine-tuning adjustments are made when needed. Again, management may
want to adjust the initial scale of some improvement efforts recommended here, as
well as the timing.
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The Need for Specific Process Improvements
Long-term, continuous improvement in OPPTs internal communications
and staff training and development - and general cultural improvement - will
depend on the office's successful application of TQM efforts to specific process
improvements. Process improvement efforts focus on a specific, value-added
operational process, such as a functional component of the existing chemicals risk
management process, and use TQM methods to make improvements in the process.
At present, the one area where OPPT seems to have such a process improvement
underway is the chemical testing effort.
More such process improvement efforts will naturally begin to identify ways
in which improved internal communications and staff training and development
will add value to processes and reduce waste inherent in the processes. It will be the
value added and the waste reduced that provide much of the capital needed to
sustain long-term cultural improvement and general organizational improvements
. Customer Focus
All efforts to improve OPPT's internal communications and staff training
and development must focus on the customers — the OPPT staff. Management
must ask the questions: "What do the customers (ourselves included) need? What
do they (we) want? What can we do to empower staff to get the job done with
improved quality?" This improvement effort will fail to achieve its potential if
management slips into the paternalistic mode of drawing its own conclusions about
what the rest of the staff "should" need and want.
Many of the steps recommended in this plan need further fleshing out. The
TQM/QAT process should be used to do so, along with appropriate piloting. The
OPPT staff have demonstrated their eagerness to be involved and to make
improvements - management needs to help this continue.
Valuing our People - Scientists and Administrative Staff
During the preparation of this plan, two groups of employees emerged with
strong concerns. Both the scientists and the administrative and support staff tend to
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perceive that what they do is not highly valued by the organization, and that their
future career opportunities lie in other fields. This is the case, despite the fact that
these groups do very different things and are not usually thought of as having
much in common. It is important for OPPT to address these concerns, and to
recognize that other groups of employees may have similar concerns. First, we
should use the ASCMS effort and the work done by ORD, WISE, and others to
identify enhanced career opportunities for these employees that may not require
abandoning their fields. In the case of administrative and support staff, ASCMS
identifies modified career tracks that may provide greater opportunities and better
meet office needs. In the case of the scientists, ORD's work to provide a dual career
path for scientists should be considered, as an alternative to leaving scientists no
option for further advancement than moving into management.
Second, OPPT should do more to recognize the extremely valuable
contributions that these employees make. The new bulletin boards provide an
opportunity to highlight employees, using photographs, copies of publications,
announcements, and other information. OPPT should establish a "Quality
Employee" awards program, perhaps with particular targeting toward fields such as
these. All staff need to understand the critical role that quality science plays in our
success, and our reliance on effective administrative services to ensure that we have
the resources and quality contractor support that we need to get our job done.
Synergy Between TQM, Pollution Prevention, and Toxics Release
Reduction
OPPT should be aware of the potential synergy between our internal efforts to
improve, using TQM principles, and external efforts. Both TQM and pollution
prevention focus on the prevention and elimination of waste. Many of our external
customers are using TQM concepts to help them identify pollution prevention
opportunities. Where our efforts serve external customers, we should explore ways
to work with them to help us accomplish internal improvements. Similarly, we
should work with our suppliers, such as the industries that supply us with
information, to identify mutual opportunities for improvements.
Just as we hope to help industry evolve beyond a reactive, end-of-pipe
controls mentality, we need to shift our own thinking toward a proactive approach
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36
to preventing waste in our operations. As we ask industry to voluntarily do more
of the right things, it behooves us to ask the same of ourselves. We must do more
to prevent problems within the office. Over the long term, we may discover
innovative forms of partnerships that help us improve our relationships with our
suppliers, our services to our customers, and the benefits we deliver to human
health and the environment.
Creative Swiping
In his book Thriving on Chaos. Tom Peters recommends the practice of
"creative swiping" - identifying the best ideas developed by other organizations,
taking them and improving upon them, and implementing them. He points out
many examples of corporations which have done so with great success. OPPT can't
afford to reinvent the wheel. We need to become expert practitioners of creative
swiping from other EPA offices and elsewhere — but we can do the right thing and
acknowledge our sources and let them swipe back ideas from us.
Amnesty
The concept of establishing an environment where employees speak honestly
without fear of retribution - "amnesty" - is vital to TQM. Major quality
improvements are impossible if it isn't safe to raise problems and concerns, and if
differing points of view are not respected. Some Japanese companies go so far as to
state that "Every problem is a treasure," because they recognize that problems result
in wasted resources, and the problems can't be fixed unless they are raised by the
employees who recognize the problems (who are rarely the managers). Thus, those
who raise problems are actually rewarded, not punished.
In contrast, the prevailing wisdom among many OPPT staff is that those in
OPPT who raise problems will be punished, sooner or later. Thus, they believe that
amnesty won't happen here. The perception is that the current structure of rewards
(and punishments) favors "suffering in silence." Also, there is a concern that the
term "amnesty" implies that management graciously consents to allow subordinates
to speak.
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37
It should suffice to point out that, by their behavior, OPFTs managers and
supervisors will either prove or disprove that amnesty is present, candor is
encouraged, staff are heard, and positive improvements are made accordingly. If,
over time, the prevailing perception is that the honest in fact are being punished,
then the improvement effort will fail. From the top on down, OPPTs managers
and supervisors must become intolerant of wrongful behavior, especially behavior
that punishes honesty and rightly-directed risk-taking. Managers and everyone else
must ask the question: How can we reward the people who take the risk and raise
the real problems? Rewards can take many forms, from financial awards and
recognition from bosses to moral support and encouragement from colleagues.
Schedule Summary — Events and Timetables
A proposed schedule of events is shown on the following page.
Please note that the proposed timing does not equate to the suggested priority:
in other words, just because an action is proposed later does not mean it is less
important than an action proposed earlier. In some cases, actions are proposed
earlier because they can be done quickly and/or are prerequisites for later, important
actions.
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Timetable for OPPT Internal Communications and Staff Training and Development Improvements
Event
1. Establish OPME staff
2. Establish focal point network
3. Set up OPPT bulletin boards
4. Implement management IDPs
5. Distribute biweeklies 1
6. Issue staff meeting policy
7. Launch brown-bag series
8. Establish resource center
9. Pilot new workgroup techniques
Pro
Apr
X
X
X
X
X
>osed Schedule
May
X
X
10. Continue workgroup leadership training
11 . Enhance Grapevine
12. Start The Bullet
13. Enhance secretarial mtgs
14. IDPs in place for all staff
15. Begin mentoring program
Division pilot
Office- wide!
16. Begin orientation program
Pilot orientation manua
Division pilot
Office- wide
17. Implement ASCMS
Initial training
Full implementation
X
X
X
18. Develop other communications vehicles
In-House "Bulletin"
Technical Notes
19. Publish an OPPT Directory
20. Targeted Retreats
((Periodic team-building retreats)
21. Surveys and Evaluations (Ongoing)
22. Issue policies
23. Long-term strategies in place
Jun
X
X
X
X
X
X
|ul
X
X
X
1992
Aug
X
Sep
X
Oct
X
X
X
Nov
.
X
Dec
X
Jan
X
X
X
X
Feb
Mar
X
Apr
May
X
1993
Jun
Jul
X
Aug
Sep
X
Oct
Nov
X
Dec
X
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39
Appendices
A-l Duties of the OPME 3-Person Staff
The staff is responsible for the "care and feeding" of OPPT, with the goal of enabling
the office to achieve continuous improvement. Following are overall functions of
the staff when the improvement program has reached maturity:
1. Manage orientation process for office
• New staff orientation
• Orientation for existing staff, "refreshers"
• Production and updates of OPPT Orientation Manual
2. Facilitate TQM process for office and participate on key QATs.
3. Central focal point for office internal communications programs
• OPPT internal publications — The • Bullet, in-house version of the
Chemicals in Progress Bulletin, Tech Notes
• OPPT Directory
• Bulletin boards
• Resource Center
• Brown-Bag series
• Routine communications-oriented meetings, including all-hands
meetings with the office director
4. Maintain, meet with, and use the OPPT network of internal communications
and staff training and development focal points.
5. Run the office training and development program
• OPPT mentor program
• Implement OHRM training /development programs, e.g.
— Management development training
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40
— Management IDPs
- Administrative Support Career Management System (ASCMS)
— OPPT training programs, e.g. workgroup leadership
6. Manage office-wide career development program, with IDPs for all employees
7. Operate ongoing evaluation mechanisms
• Employee surveys
• Division pilot programs
• Management performance evaluation by employees process
8. Administer office-wide training vehicles
• Contracts with outside vendors to provide on-site training
• Coordination with OHRM on Agency training programs
9. Direct the activities of a support contractor and SEEs and other resources. The
contractor takes care of much of the routine work associated with gathering and
disseminating training info, tracking status of required activities, and so forth.
10. Develop, fine-tune, and implement policies and strategies for internal
communications, staff training and development, and related human resources
matters.
11. Establish appropriate rewards structure for effective internal communications
and staff training and development efforts, including appropriate, weighted
performance standard requirements and OPPT Quality Awards.
12. Acquire and manage financial resources to support off ice-wide internal
communications and staff training and development programs.
13. Serve as ombudsman for employees on internal communications and staff
training and development issues.
14. Accomplish tracking and follow-through to assure that policies are followed.
15. Supply materials to and guide the operations of the OPPT bulletin boards and
the resource center.
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A-2 Summary of Stonnell Problems and Staff
Suggestions for Improvements
Synthesis of Communications and Training Items
from the Stonnell Report
COMMUNICATIONS
1. Lack of sense of importance of work being done.
2. Sense of isolation.
3. Failure to acknowledge accomplishments.
4. Mistrust of management motives and intent:
• Ignoring technical results in reaching a decision
• Reporting of staff accomplishments.
5. Inadequate formal feedback from higher in the organization:
• Failure to document and communicate decisions
• Ineffective bi-weekly reports
• Staff meetings
6. Meetings used (inappropriately) as a form of communication:
• An excess of meetings
• Excessive meeting attendance
• Meetings managed ineffectively.
7. Ineffective norms and patterns of communication:
• Excessive formality
• Excessive informality
• Avoidance
• Staff perceives that "bottom-up" communication is discouraged.
Staff Concerns from Exhibit 1
1. Management and DDs censor staff input and fail to inform staff; staff only
learn OD policy and decisions by attending meetings
2. Need informal communication, e.g. branch meetings, on disposition of
chemicals, decisions, policies, and bad news, from the top down.
3. Distances between sections and Branch, DD impede communications,
particularly if BC or DD never visit remote section.
4. Vagueness of guidance proportional to number of filters.
5. More informal access to OD, DOD would be healthy.
6. Excess layers and adherence to hierarchy blocks informal communications.
Management Issues from Exhibit 2
1. Scientist vs. policy-maker tensions.
2. Fingerpointing, scapegoating works.
3. Lead divisions don't plan or control.
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42
4. Formal channels do not work.
STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT (extracted from Human Resources
Baseline)
1. Career development
• Insufficient opportunities for career development and
advancement
2. Career planning
• Need mandatory process
3. Management interest in staff development
• Management doesn't appear interested in giving staff
developmental opportunities
— Internal training
— External training
— Rotational assignments
— On-the-job training
• Some divisions have no training plans
• Training opportunity information not circulated
• Inadequate funding for training
4. Underinvestment in training and development is causing cumulative
effects in terms of:
Loss of professional.contacts
Inadequate and outdated skills
Burn out
Loss of creative energy
Low morale
5. Training needs identified in these areas:
Management in a matrix
Supervisory skills
Orientation to TSCA, other legislation, and OPPT
Administrative and management analysis skills
OPPT scientific and technical field orientation
Meetings management
Workgroup leader training (under development)
Writing and communication skills
6. Lack of travel funds limits training and development opportunities.
7. Inadequate supervisory training.
8. Support staff may need training and development in new skills areas.
Staff Concerns from Exhibit 1
1. Need greater commitment from management and investment in staff.
2. Need better staff orientation and supervisory and job training.
3. Cuts and inequitable distribution of travel and training funds damage
morale.
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43
4. EFA-provided training is unpopular, doesn't meet job needs.
5. Travel for conferences and site visits has been cut.
6. Professional skills don't match job or are wasted on clerical duties.
7. Institute career development planning and provide opportunities
within OPPT.
8. Training funds are cut to meet other needs.
9. External training is costly, time-consuming, and poorly-advertised.
Management Issues from Exhibit 2
1. More training for staff.
2. More funds for travel and training.
3. Better training for managers, especially "promoted scientists."
Staff Suggestions for Improvements
TRAINING
1. Emphasize the importance of good training in getting things done.
2. Implement personal development plans.
3. Provide adequate training and travel money and time to take training.
4. Provide means by which staff can attend professional meetings and
specialized courses in order to keep up with their field.
5. Improve the image of "free" EPA training.
6. Provide internal OPPT training.
7. Develop and implement a staff training strategy and program
a. Conduct training needs analyses and skills assessments
b. Identify training needs in skill areas such as writing, risk
communication and meeting management
c. Provide orientation seminars for OPPT staff
d. Augment the external training budget and course availability with an
internal training program
e. Establish a minimum requirement for divisions to allocate for travel
and training.
8. Areas where training is needed:
a. Work group management
b. Senior managers (communications and supervisory skills)
c. Orientation to OPPT - what each division/branch and technical
speciality does, how it fits into OPPT mission
d. Orientation to other EPA offices
e. Meetings management
f. Writing, presentations
g. Risk assessment, risk communication
h. Support staff skills
i. Technical and professional development.
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44
COMMUNICATIONS
1. Foster direct communications between work originator and the doer;
communicate directly without going through layers.
2. Keep staff updated on what the Office as a whole is doing.
3. Keep written record of policy positions for reference.
4. Reinstitute Branch meetings to pass information; require weekly staff
meetings at all levels.
5. Generate and distribute a "summarized," easy-to-read OPPT weekly or bi-
weekly report.
6. Document decisions and results of all formal meetings.
7. Communicate more information, particularly decisions, guidance and
directions/ in writing.
8. Create forums for improved communication among branch chiefs,
section chiefs and project managers
a. Provide performance evaluation forms or other means of
passing information or feedback on the performance of a work group
member
b. Establish standing information exchange meetings for those
involved in related work
c. Create and use performance criteria more reflective of working in a
matrix
d. Provide supervisory training for line managers.
9. Develop a management information system to track staff commitments and
utilization.
10. Balance "formal" vs. "informal" communications — allow/foster cross-
unit communications to help matrix work.
Branch Chief Points on Communications
1. Keep OPPT staff informed on what we are doing and why.
2. Manage and control the paper flow better.
3. Enhance OPPT institutional memory.
4. Respond to administrative/space/dollar matters.
5. Establish ways to communicate "bad news" with amnesty.
Branch Chief Points on Staff Training/Development
1. Make detail opportunities known.
2. Recruit the right people.
3. Develop strong program managers.
4. Create appropriate training tracks.
5. Make training opportunities known.
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45
A-3 Acknowledgements
Development of this plan was possible only through the efforts of many
people. Mark Greenwood had the leadership, commitment and courage to launch
and support an open change process within OPPT. The staff have responded with a
willingness to strive to make positive changes, no matter how hard it sometimes
may be to believe that improvement can and will take place.
The members of the Internal Communications and Staff Training and
Development Quality Action Teams (QATs), identified below, worked creatively
and hard over a very tight timetable to develop most of the content of this plan. All
of them should be very proud of what they have already accomplished, and have
great expectations for what they will move on to achieve.
Staff of Stonnell Associates, Inc. played a significant role, not only in
identifying baseline issues in the so-called "Stonnell Report," but also by supporting
the work of the QATs. Ruth Carstens ably facilitated the QAT meetings. Suzanne
(Suzi) Power recorded the sessions and prepared the minutes with accuracy and
speed. Margaret Janis and Elizabeth (Betty) Calhoun provided additional insight
into the findings of their report and provided further support and encouragement.
Ron Brand contributed his wisdom and experience with total quality management
(TQM) practices both inside EPA and in the private sector.
The EPA Office of Human Resources Management supported this effort
throughout. Particular thanks are due to Dwight Doxey and Grace Sutherland of the
Communications and Project Management Staff; Renelle Rae, Ron Rago, Laurie
Remer, and Paul Newton of the EPA Institute; and Bettie Reilly of the Executive
Development Program. Laurie Remer contributed creative ideas and was especially
generous with her time as our primary OHRM contact point.
People in other EPA program offices provided ideas and encouragement,
including Bob Blanco of the Office of Water, Rachel Davis and Mary Jacanin of the
Office of Solid Waste, and Gloria Brooks of the Office of Emergency and Remedial
Response.
Finally, thanks are due to the members of the OPPT Human Resources Panel
for their ideas and assistance — especially the members of the Professional
Development Subcommittee, and to Women in Science and Engineering (WISE),
especially Carol Glasgow and Letty Tahan, who contributed valuable information
and ideas.
Many other people contributed ideas, comments, and assistance; specific
thanks go to Ron Carlson, Randy Cramer, Juanita Geer, Sarah Hammond, John
Heisler, Polly Hunter, Bob Janney, Harry Teitelbaum, Mamie Younger, and the IMD
QATs. Apologies to anyone whose name is omitted.
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46
List of team members and other contributors
MEMBERS OF THE INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS QUALITY ACTION TEAM
260-3795 EB57
Chair:
Wanda Woodburn, EAD (TS-799)
Vicki Anderson, CCD (TS-794)
Tess Bateman, ECAD (TS-778)
Libby Bates, I/O (TS-792)
Doris Bloch, IMD (TS-793)
Gail Brooks, OPME (TS-792A)
Christina Cinalli, EED (TS-798)
Priscilla Flattery, PPD (PM-222)
Mark Henshall, CCD (TS-794)
Geraldine Hilton, EED (TS-798)
Theodore Jones, HERD (TS-796)
Cindy Lewis, IMD (TS-793)
Mike McDonnell, EAD (TS-799)
Aretha Owens, ETD (TS-779)
Aurelia Smith, I/O (TS-792)
Sharon Stahl, I/O (TS-792)
Steve Young, EAD (TS-799)
260-4142
260-3416
260-1813
260-5457
260-4144
260-3913
260-1023
260-1781
260-3992
260-1502
260-4399
260-8995
260-1678
260-1813
260-2718
260-7187
E613B
E413
E539
E214
E523B
E322
CY3103
E511F
NE118
E447F
El 18
EB55B
E235B
E539
E537
E535A
MEMBERS OF THE STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT QUALITY ACTION
TEAM
Chair:
Steve Young, EAD (TS-799)
Vicki Anderson, CCD (TS-794)
Tony Cheatham, IMD (TS-790)
Robin Cornwell, ECAD (TS-778)
Joyce Dain, Immediate Office (TS-792)
Sharon DeBuck, ETD (TS-779)
Brian Evans, ETD (TS-779)
Lisa Flemming, IMD (TS-793)
Deborah Hanlon, PPD (PM-222B)
Lisa Harris, ETD (TS-779)
Ruth Heikkinen, EAD (TS-799)
Debbie Henderson, HERD (TS-796)
Mary Lou Hewlett, ECAD (TS-778)
Andrea Jellinek, EAD (TS-799)
Renee Kearney, CCD (TS-794)
Bob Lipnick, HERD (TS-796)
260-7187 E535A
260-4142
260-1553
260-3544
260-2326
260-1711
260-0716
260-1545
260-2726
260-1687
260-0521
260-3430
260-8162
260-1779
260-3725
260-1274
E613B
E203
E411
E539D
E227
E351
NEB002
M3006
E230
EB49
E125C
NE100
E607
E613
E431F
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47
Jim Murphy, HERD (TS-796) 260-1294 E138
Larry Newsome, HERD (TS-796) 260-1262 E425
Laurie Remer, OHRM (PM-224) 260-4156 M3629
Hank Topper, BAD (TS-799) 260-6750 E623
Kathy Tyson, EAD (TS-799) 260-1580 E605
Kia Williams, OPME (TS-792A) 260-3843 E529A
Wanda Woodburn, EAD (TS-799) 260-3795 EB57
Sineta Wooten, EED (TS-798) 260-3886 E313
Fred Zaiss, IMD (TS-793) 260-1617 NEB013
Maurice Zeeman, HERD (TS-796) 260-1237 E431C
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Improving Internal Communications
and Staff Training and Development
in the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT)
PHASE 2 ACTION PLAN
Attachment
Reports of the QAT
Subgroups
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IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
Career Development/Professional Development Subgroup
OPPT Quality Action Team on Staff Training and Development
Introduction.
Resources already exist to improve staff training and development. These are
identified below as quick strike opportunities. Further improvements might be achieved,
but may need to be built into near term and future planning and budgeting. These are
identified below as recommendations for future opportunities.
A. QUICK STRIKE OPPORTUNITIES
Bulletin Boards
Establish two bulletin boards in prominent areas accessible to OPPT staff which
would display information concerning all aspects of training. Information displayed would
include training available within EPA (such as the WIC and EPA Institute) and those
opportunities outside of EPA. It is envisioned that the bulletin boards would be designed
after the Office of Solid Waste's training bulletin board. The bulletin board would not
contain catalogs but refer to the OPPT Training Resource Center for catalogs and more
detailed information. Rachel Davis, OSW training coordinator is responsible for the
OSW bulletin boards and would be able to assist us in piloting this project
The OPME 3-member team should be responsible for coordination of materials
on the training bulletin board. In'addition, it is foreseen by this committee that OPPT
employees would send information about training opportunities they receive to the
OPME team in order to broaden the scope of training possibilities. A contractor or
AARP employee should be considered for maintaining the bulletin boards. Maintenance
of bulletin boards requires about 2-4 hours per week.
Resource Center
Establish a Training Resource Center in the OPPT Library. A designated space in
the library would be used exclusively to house training materials and announcements
such as the OPM, NIH, and USDA course catalogs. The library would be responsible for
maintaining the collection, but would not be required to gather data. The OPME 3-
member team and a contractor or AARP would be responsible for gathering data to be
displayed in the library.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Career DeveJopmeat/Profenooal Development Subgroup
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Career Development Workshop
Bettie Reilly, Chief; Management Assessment Services, OHRM, has offered to
pilot a workshop on career development Minimum cost for a group of 25 would be
$100-200 for assessment tools materials. It would be desirable to hold the workshop off-
site with additional costs of about $300/day (there may be no charge for use of the
Disabled American Veterans Auditorium). The goal of the workshop would be to
provide managers and professionals with a career action plan. The workshop would run
from about 1/2 day to 1 day. The duration and criteria for eligibility could to be
determined once OPPT program needs are better defined. Bettie Reilly indicated that a
support staff representative could sit in to advise OPPT managment in the design an
analogous career development workshop.
Training Survey
Hire a contractor, in consultation with the EPA Institute and the Risk Assessment
Forum, to develop and carry out a survey designed to elicit response ore
(1) OPPT staff and management's interests in specific types and levels of
training;
(2) Gauge the availability and willingness of staff with specific expertise to
provide in-house training to other staff;
(3) Gauge management support for specific types of training.
Continuing Mission
Provisions for this group to continue with management support in the form of a
permanent workgroup for the evolution of further initiatives.
B. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE OPPC
Rotations
Explore further the application and role of rotations, both within Headquarters
and to the Regions for professional and career development, including the use of training
funds (see 2/25 memo of Steve Young) for travel and a standard application form
similar to that used in the Office of Water.
Develop inserts for already proposed new employee orientation handbook (which
would be distributed to all employees) providing standard policies for obtaining training
and career/professional development. This would include a mechanism for updating such
information in the handbook.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Career Oevetopment/Profeaioaal Development Subgroup
-------
Training
Authorize the OPFT Human Resources Panel to develop a mechanism for
equitable allocation of funds and time for employee training. In addition, the Panel
would analyze to what extent a total of 3% of the personnel budget (EPA guideline) has
been provided for this purpose.
Rewards to Managers
Authorize the OPPT Human Resources Panel to develop a policy in which
managers are rewarded for encouraging staff to seek out training and career
development
Use of Extramural Funds for Externa
Further investigation be undertaken for using extramural money to bring in
lecturers/instructors to teach classes to OPFT staff on subjects of interest to the OPPT
population.
fare and Feeding Committee
Provide continuing encouragement for the mission of the care and feeding
committee in developing criteria for promotion of non-supervisory scientists.
Subgroup members:
Lisa Flemming (TS-793)
Ruth Heikkinen (TS-799)
Bob Lipnick (TS-796)
Fred Zaiss (TS-793)
Maurice Zeeman (TS-796)
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Career Dewlopmeat/ProfeMionml Development Subgroup
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OPPT NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
GOAL OF PLAN: The goal of the New Employee Orientation Plan was to design a model of a new
employee orientation seminar that will identify and communicate the mission of EPA, OPPT and its
divisional offices. To support this program, one general manual will be developed that highlights OPPT
and its divisions' objectives. The manual will be distributed to all OPPT employees initially, and then
new OPPT employees upon entering OPPT.
DEFINE NATURE AND SCOPE: A subgroup of the Staff Training and Development QAT was
established to investigate the need for a new employee orientation plan within OPPT. Members were
selected and advised to develop a plan of action for implementation that will communicate the goals
of OPPT to new employees. The contents of the action plan should include short (quick fixes) and long
(professional, formal plan) term objectives to that will meet the needs of the OPPT staff and comply
with the findings in the Stonnell Report.
DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN: The subgroup convened to discuss the goal of the new employee
orientation plan. It was mutually agreed that the group research and gather data on existing agency
employee orientation programs. Other programs identified, such as the Mentor and Shadow Program,
were included in this research because they could augment an OPPT new employee orientation
program.
NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION PLAN
I. NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION SEMINAR
The OPPT new employee orientation seminar will be an introduction to a segment of EPA's
responsibilities as it relates to toxic substances, pollution prevention, EPCRA and other chemical
substances regulated by this program. The seminar will identify the goals of the agency, OPPT
immediate office and divisions that make up this complex organization. Specific information on the
TSCA and Pollution Prevention regulations. EPCRA and other regulations that govern this program will
be incorporated to communicate OPPT's relationship with other regulatory statutes. Information on
security clearances, OPPT computer systems, and User Support Centers will be necessary to orient the
new employee within OPPT. There will also be information available from the Human Resources Panel
which incorporates data gathered from the other OPPT QATs as a practical means of helping new
employees spearhead their career within OPPT. See appendix for model as reference tool to develop
new employee seminar. This seminar can also be used to orient existing OPPT staff who have
expressed an interest in learning more about OPPT's mission.
II. NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION MANUAL
The new employee manual will be one manual which will be made available to all employees
upon its first printing and to all new employees subsequently. It will contain an initial section of
orientation information regarding the overall Office (OPPT), then general information, followed by
individual sections for each Division (CCD, ETD, EAD, ECAD, CMD, HERD, IMD and PPD). There will
be more specific information about the Branches within the Divisional section including the check-off
sheet for orientation within the Branch and the Shadow Program for inter-divisional orientation.
Overlap will be avoided by keeping more broad information within the Office and Program Management
section, while more specific descriptions will be placed within the Divisional sections. Having
information about all Divisions will help orient the new employee not only to his/her division, but also
to the others in the matrix organization.
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The content for the manual should follow the skeletal outline shown in the attached appendix.
Individual Branches may add additional information to their Divisional section. The format of the
manual should be three-ring binder style (to allow for updates), contain labeled tabs for each section
as per the table of contents, and should have a professional look to it, preferably with a label and logo
three-ring binder. Using a "PageMaker" type word processing program will help to add format.
Contractor support may be necessary-
Ill. HOME DIVISION ORIENTATION -- MENTOR
Once the new employee has participated in the EPA and OPPT orientation presentations, and
has received his/her OPPT manual, s/he will be matched with a mentor who will be responsible for the
home-division orientation. The mentor should not be in the new employee's direct line of supervision.
The mentor will ideally have a comfortable understanding of OPPT structure, culture, politics, etc.. and
will have volunteered to be available for the mentee's immediate and longer term needs. Within the
first week or two, it will be the mentor's responsibility to ensure that the new employee is familiarized
with the section/branch/division, both physically (e.g., make introductions, show who sits where) and
functionally (e.g., what each section is responsible for and how they go about accomplishing their
tasks). Two options for this process are: (1) the mentor conducts the familiarization/orientation, or
(2) the mentor oversees the process. (Both CCD and ETD have excellent division orientation processes
that can be used as models for the second option. In these models, the new employee is given a
checklist of people to meet with/activities to perform/observe within their first week or two. The
mentor ensures that the employee completes this checklist and is available to answer questions, make
introductions, etc.) Long-term roles might include providing advice when appropriate, offering
constructive suggestions re: work proficiency/productivity, discussing career goals, and answering
questions. Duration of the mentor/mentee relationship can be decided by each individual pair of
participants. The OHRM Mini Council has developed a Mentor Program Guide to offer direction in
implementing this idea.
IV. ORIENTATION TO OTHER DIVISIONS IN OPPT
To orient them to the other divisions (other than their home division) in OPPT, new employees
would take part in a "shadowing" program. Over the first 6-7 months of his/her employment in OPPT,
the new employee would have an opportunity to learn about the work of divisions other than his/her
home division by spending a day (or more or less time, as the employee and the person he/she
shadows feels is appropriate) with an employee from each of the other divisions in OPPT. The people
the new employee "shadows" should participate in the shadow program voluntarily. Ideally, new
employees should be matched with volunteers whose work has some bearing on or relationship with
the work of the new employee.
V. INTRODUCTION TO EPA OUTSIDE OPPT
Sometime in the first year after most of the above steps have been completed, new employees
should be given an orientation to the work of the agency outside OPPT. This introduction should be
thorough and in-depth and should be a required part of first year orientation. This phase of the
orientation should provide employees with an understanding of the work and the inter-relationships of
all the major EPA offices. The OPME training staff should work with the EPA Institute to organize and
develop this phase of the orientation. Ideally new OPPT employees will participate in an agency-wide
program organized by the Institute, but until such a program is organized the OPME training staff
should take the initiative to organize this orientation with the cooperation of the other offices.
ACTION ITEMS
Research existing agency employee orientation programs
Data collection
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Review data
Subgroup brainstorm on ideas for OPPT orientation plan
Design OPPT employee orientation plan
Consolidated recommendations for OPPT plan
SUBGROUP MEMBERS
Tony Cheatham, IMD; Robin Cornwell, ECAD; Brian Evans, ETD; Andrea Jellinek, EAD;
Hank Topper, EAD
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Appendix
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
Orientation Seminar
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT)
Mission Statement
Goals and Objectives
OPPT Organizational Chart
OPPT Acronyms
OPPT Organizational Structure
OPPT Division Responsibilities
New Chemicals Program
Existing Chemicals Program
Pollution Prevention Program
Toxic Release Inventory Program
Records Management Program
Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)
Overview of TSCA Regulations, includes sections 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13. 14, 20, 21 and
28
Pollution Prevention Regulations
Superfund Amendment Reauthorization Act
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) • Title 3
OPPT Security Clearance Program
TSCA Confidential Business Information (CBI) Clearance
EPCRA Trade Secret Clearance
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
OPPT Computer Systems
OPPT User Support Centers
Confidential Business Information Center (CBIC)
Document Processing Center (DPC)
TSCA Public Reading Room
TSCA Hotline
OPPT Human Resources Panel
Professional and Career Development Resource Center
OPPT Mentor Program
OPPT Division Shadow Program
Administrative Support Career Management System
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Appendix
New Employee Orientation Manual Outline
Cover page with EPA logo
Table of contents
OPPT Section
Office mission statement and Goals - Mark Greenwood
Office purpose - about Office programs
Organizational pyramid: Agency; Office; who's who (OD down to the DO)
General Information
TSCA Info. - include copy of the Act, Layman's Guide to the Toxic Substances Control Act,
and Environmental Law Handbook, OPPT Regulations, Pollution Prevention Act, EPCRA-Title
3
CBI Info.
Glossary of Environmental Terms and Acronym List
Office directory - phone no.; room nos.; mail codes
Resources available - WIC; PIC; EPA Institute, Information Resource Workshop, Access EPA
Training available
General "workday" Info:
• work hours; Rec. Assoc.; fitness center; credit union; WIC; car pool; Health Unit;
snack bar;...
Division Section - a separate section for each Division
Purpose of each Division
Division personnel flowchart, (names and titles only) by Branch
Purpose and value of each Branch (within that Division)
Division Mentorship program
• Branch 1 st week check-off list for intra-branch visit
Division Shadow program
• Division check-off list for inter-division visits
Branch resources, refers to:
• Process manual(s) for New Chemical Review
• Process manual for Existing Chemical Review
• Any Branch manuals that may exist
• Any instructions manuals that industry uses for EPA submissions (e.g. Instructions
Manual for Premanufacture of New Chemical Substance)
PC's - who is in charge; maintenance; software available
Division standard operating procedure - room reservations for meetings; travel info; office
supplies; etc.
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Recommended Implementation Plan from the Subgroup on
Skills Enhancement for Administrative and Support Staff
The OPPT Staff Training and Development Quality Action Team (QAT)
subgroup on skills enhancement for administrative and support staff
recommends the following plan:
Task 1. Retreats Facilitated By OHRM To Improve Management/Staff
Relations/Communications
The Office of Human Resources should facilitate retreats that will focus
on how management/staff view one another, how they communicate with
each other, their training needs, and how these affect the productivity of the
organization. The facilitation process may be in the form of one-day retreats
(i.e. one for administrative and support staff, one for managers, and one with
everyone). The Office of Water and OPPT/HAD are already doing this
successfully. There is a general sense that other Divisions within OPPT
would like to participate in this program. The information collected at each
retreat would be shared with other groups.
Task 2. Promote the Administrative Support Career Management
System Report
It is recommended that the above report be implemented. When this
is done there should be a detailed orientation for staff and management.
Task 3. Enhancement of Secretarial Meetings
It is recommended that the OPPT secretarial meeting be expanded to
include representatives for all OPPT secretaries. To assure that everyone has
a chance to participate we recommend rotating the meeting times. Some of
this meeting time should be used to encourage networking among peers and
for training. This training could include presentations by guest speakers,
video presentations, process discussions, and open discussions about what
training administrative/support staff feel they need/want.
Task 4. Secretary/Administrative Staff Recognition Program
Develop a special recognition program for the secretarial /support staff
who have displayed a level of excellence within the office. For example, a
computer efficiency award for a secretary who has utilized advanced training,
or has taken on someone's responsibilities/job while they're out sick, on
leave, or doing a special assignment. The criteria should be developed by staff
and management. Awards for the above performance should include: (1)
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monetary and/or leave time; (2) a recognition plaque and certificate; (3) a
photograph of the recipient(s) on an OPPT central bulletin board.
Task 5. Recommendation For Future Plans
It is suggested that human resources consider following up on the
progress/success of the above recommendations.
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OPPT QAT on Communications - Subgroup on Identifying and
Overcoming Obstacles to Interdivisional Communications
Christina Cinalli, Aurelia Smith, Mike McDonnell, Doris Bloch
Identification of Obstacles to Strong Interdivisional
Communication:
o lack of available time
o lack of motivation
o physical separation factors: separate buildings,
floors, secure areas
o lack of formal communication lines: points of contact
o different areas of specialization and interests
o scarcity of available meeting rooms
o lack of personal contact, e.g., voice mail
o interoffice mail not considered reliable or quick
o lack of common knowledge base
o most staff not trained in communication skills, not
professional communicators
o cultural or organizational-based behavioral obstacles
Similar obstacles were grouped (not. necessarily prioritized) and
in some cases further defined as follows:
(1) lack of time and motivation for communication between
divisions, partially due to prioritization of goals as
set by supervisors
(2) lack of special training in communication skills
(3) lack of formal communication lines, differing interests
and skills, lack of personal contacts, lack of common
knowledge base
(4) physical separation factors and lack of adequate
meeting facilities, inefficient interoffice mail
(5) cultural and territorial barriers
Suggestions for surmounting obstacles:
o include a Critical Job Element (CJE) or sub-element in
performance appraisals for staff, secretaries and
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management to legitimize, emphasize and encourage
interdivisional dialogue (1)
provide formal or on-the-job training in communication
skills, e.g., technical writing, public speaking,
effective listening, etc., as reinforced by the CJE
recommendation above. (2)
establish a list of OPPT experts and sources for quick
reference. Update the OPPT directory (which might
include names, skills, program areas, special
expertise, phone numbers) and distribute to all staff.
This would also be a useful exercise in light of the
impending OPPT reorganization. Once the OPPT LAN is
up, install it on the LAN in a searchable and easily
maintainable format, e.g., dBASE or WordPerfect. This
might be the focus of an OPPT Directory QAT (3) .
develop a network of liaisons, one or more per
division, who act as a point of contact and can assist
persons both inside and outside their parent divi-
sion (s) in identification of the appropriate expertise
upon request. They also might be proactive in
identifying and acting on interdivisional communication
breakdowns, e.g., they might serve as a "freestanding"
QAT on interdivisional'communication. In conjunction
with the liaison function, they might also be the
logical persons to compile and maintain the OPPT
directory described above. (3)
identify the OPPT staff who will provide input and
requirements for the new building and inform them as to
the QAT's suggestions and inputs to the facility
planning, including common areas for bulletin boards,
need for local area network connections, improved mail
service, proximity of office staff. (4)
identify ways to improving existing space, mail
service, meeting rooms availability, bulletin boards,
etc. (4)
establish a QAT for divisional secretaries to work on
common problems and to identify ways to improve
interdivisional communications. (5)
identify skills secretaries need for inter-divisional
communications, provide management support for
obtaining those skills. (5)
recognize efforts of all team members not just work
group leaders or risk managers. If all of the team is
equally recognized or awarded, divisions or individuals
will be less likely to grab or protect projects that
have high visibility. (5)
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Recommended Implementation Plan from the Subgroup on Informing OPPT
Staff
SUBGROUP TASK: "Inform"
SUBGROUP GOAL: Inform OPPT staff of major activities, programs,
and initiatives.
PROBLEM: No communications strategy process for internal
communication.
SOLUTIONS:
PRODUCTS
REPORTS/BULLETINS
• In-house Chemicals in Progress Bulletin (CIPB)
with technical detail ("OPPT Exchange," "Channel,"
"Connector," or "Pipeline").
Frequency: Monthly
• "Distillation" of biweeklies (includes OPPT
publications newly available).
Frequency: Biweekly
• Bullets and Contacts ("The • Bullet").
Frequency: Biweekly
• "Grapevine" (Human Resources issues).
Frequency: Monthly or bimonthly
OTHER
ALL-HANDS MEETINGS (Office-level)
BULLETIN BOARDS
INFRASTRUCTURE
FOCAL POINT (OPME 3-person staff person)
• Coordinate resources for printing, distribution, etc.
(AARPs, ASCI, stay-in-schools, etc.)
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• Conduct regular meetings with Division and
Branch focal points to evaluate process.
• Responsible for producing The • Bullet with input
from branch focal points and staff.
• Responsible for producing in-house CIPB with
input from division focal points.
• Coordinate with Human Resources Panel to ensure
that "Grapevine" is produced.
• Make sure bulletin boards "happen."
• Serve on and report to the Internal
Communications QAT.
DIVISION FOCAL POINT (Includes IO and OPME)
• Represents divisional issues.
• Presents "newsworthy" items for in-house CIPB to
the OPME focal point.
BRANCH FOCAL POINT
• Encouraged to work with OPME focal point.
• Represents "staff."
• Presents "newsworthy" items to OPME focal point.
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Recommended Implementation Plan from the Subgroup on Internal
Communications Systems
I. Focus: Meetings
Problems:
After a review of the Stonnell Report and discussion within the
Subgroup, several problem areas were identified. First, people are attending
meetings for the wrong reasons (i.e., to be seen by others) and this leads to
excessive meeting attendance. Meetings are often convened without a
specific purpose or agenda which leads to confusion at the meeting's end as to
whether the purpose of the meeting was accomplished. Also, standing
meetings should occur only when there is a purpose for the meeting. This
type of meeting can waste time if nothing of significance has changed and the
meeting still take place, because it is a standing meeting.
Solutions:
Individuals need to reevaluate why they attend meetings. If they feel
that they can add value to the meeting, they should attend. Otherwise, it is a
waste of time. As the Stonnell Report pointed out, individuals can either be
working or meeting, not both. Some employees and other QATs have
suggested that supervisors and employees (including secretaries) have
"generals" on a regular basis to keep them informed and to receive new
assignments. Regular (perhaps quarterly) retreats for OPPT have also been
mentioned. These would provide an opportunity for the employees to get to
know individuals in other divisions and to better understand the significance
of their individual work.
Regular staff meetings have also been discussed. It is important that
these meetings are effective and well planned. They provide an opportunity
for the branch chief to communicate his/her goals and vision for the
organization. Employees would also feel more involved in the
reorganization process if they were kept informed of changes, instead of
dealing with rumors.
The reorganization has prompted many unfounded and untrue
rumors. Without appropriate communication to all levels, morale will
surely falter. All-hands meetings should be held regularly to dispel rumors
and to allow people to ask questions and voice concerns for the future of
OPPT.
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II. Focus: Written Communications
Problems:
There is widespread dissatisfaction with the current bi-weekly activities
reporting system. The primary purpose of the reports is not dear: are they to
communicate to upward management? To others throughout OPPT? What
kinds of information should be included? How frequently? Should reports
be "filtered" to highlight items to be forwarded to upper management?
Solution:
OPPT should assign this problem to a QAT, to examine all aspects of
the problems of activities reporting.
A possible "quick-strike" task would be gathering information from
OPPT personnel on the preferred method of communicating (e.g., in writing
vs. electronic bulletin board; if in writing, whether reports should be posted
on bulletin boards or distributed desk-to-desk; preferred frequency of
receiving updated reports).
III. Focus: Electronic Format/Bulletins
A. Electronic System
• Focal Point (DD Office)
Coordinate with PPD on- their electronic system
Coordinate with ASCI to provide division with
information on the installation of program designed for
electronic system
Ensure that ASCI will provide training to branch focal
points on system when completed
Coordinate with branch and divisional focal points on
information needed in the system
Coordinate with ASCI to ensure that systems are being
completed
Provide OD focal point with update on new system
completion
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B. Bulletin Boards/Meetings/Reports, etc.
• Focal Point (OD Office)
Find a central location for the bulletin board so everyone
has access
Update front office bulletin board on Tuesdays and
Thursdays
Coordinate meeting notifications for front office meetings
with divisional focal point
• Focal Point (DD Office)
Assemble Divisional office bulletin board in sections for
staff
Update Divisional office bulletin board on Tuesdays and
Thursdays
Coordinate with OD office for front office meetings with
staff personnel
Coordinate meeting changes for front office meetings with
staff personnel
Coordinate with branch focal point for divisional
meetings
Coordinate meeting changes with branch focal point
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
OFFICE OF
POLLUTION PREVENTION
AND TOXICS
March 30,1992
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Transmittal of the Plan for Improving OPPT's Internal
Communications and Staff Training and Development
FROM: Steve Young
TO: Mark Greenwood, Director
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
On January 29, 1992 you requested me to provide you a plan for improving
OPPT's internal communications and staff training and development within 60
days. The plan is attached.
Two quality action teams (QATs) accomplished superior work to produce this
plan. Under tight time limits, the team members generated the substance that has
gone into the plan. While the time constraints caused some discomfort, I believe
that additional time would not have made a major additional improvement in
quality. It is more important to move ahead smartly to make improvements.
Not long after you took charge of OTS, you gave your "Head, Hand, and
Heart" speech. I believe a spirit like that encouraged in your speech was
demonstrated by the people who worked on this plan, collaborating with
thoughtfulness, determination to develop an excellent product, teamwork, and
enthusiasm. The effort of these 50 or so people is one of the most rewarding things
I've been fortunate enough to be part of during my fifteen years as a civil servant.
I hope that you find this plan acceptable, accept it, and lead its
implementation in OPPT.
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