Embracing EPA as a High-Performing Organization
FY 2014 Action Plan
1. Developing Employees and a Supportive Work Environment
• Developing Employees: Focus on developing and energizing employees by providing
opportunities to learn, develop skills, and work collaboratively.
o EPA University: EPA will review and evaluate all existing EPA learning activities
and select from among groups of similar agency courses those training opportunities
which leverage our most effective training and development offerings. (September 30,
2014). Selected courses will be incorporated into a centralized, agency-wide Talent
Management System/Learning Management Module to reduce costs and potential
redundancies while providing employees with better access to effective training and
skill development. EPA will also establish a calendar of mandatory training required
for all agency employees (March 1, 2014) as well as an agency-wide process for
managing this training.
o Skills Marketplace: Each regional and headquarters office will designate a champion
and coordinator to promote and manage the program (once Skills Marketplace
becomes available agency-wide in spring 2014), and provide baseline data on projects
and use as of September 30, 2014.
• Developing a Supportive Work Environment: Modernize the workplace and
implement new agency collaboration tools to enhance cross-program collaboration,
communication, and access to and increased transparency of information, resulting in
increased employee engagement in shaping agency decisions.
o SharePoint: Following the launch of the SharePoint suite of collaboration tools in
spring 2014, each regional and headquarters office will establish and actively use
SharePoint sites, including organizational, workgroup, and community of practice
sites.
o GreenSpark: By September 30, 2014, GreenSpark will be used for at least five intra-
office and at least two EPA-wide ideation projects to engage the EPA workforce in
informing agency priorities and advancing the Administrator's themes.
o Redesigned, Sustainable Workplace: Consolidate headquarters space: release space
at EPA's L Street facility by August 31, 2014; complete OARM's space redesign
pilots by March 30, 2014; and begin space redesign planning in Regions 1, 2, 4, and 6
by September 30, 2014.
2. Streamlining and Modernizing Business Processes
• Leaning Business Processes: Develop 25 projects agency-wide (with each office
supporting at least 1 project) and report progress/results by September 30, 2014. Partner
with offices agency-wide to gather additional employee ideas on future business process
improvement (Lean government) projects by September 30, 2014. Use agency Lean
networks and other means to share lessons learned and replicate improvements.
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Strategic Sourcing: Beginning in March 31, 2014, begin to track/measure savings and
efficiencies resulting from the following efforts: laboratory equipment, cell service plan
rightsizing, and print management. Also, aggressively implement the Superfund
Remedial Acquisition Framework: publically release the first Request for Proposals by
June 30, 2014, and begin negotiations with successful offerers by September 30, 2014.
Next Generation Environment Protection initiatives
1. E-Enterprise (FY 2014-2015 Agency Priority Goal): Use advanced monitoring,
information technologies, optimized business processes, and increased
transparency to improve environmental outcomes and enhance service to the
regulated community. By September 30, 2015, reduce reporting burdens to EPA
by one million hours through streamlining regulations and including requirements
on electronic reporting, provide real-time environmental data to at least two
communities, and establish a new portal to service the regulated community and
public. In FY 2014, further E-Enterprise adoption and partnerships, and initiate
and advance the development of a new portal to service the regulated community
and the public.
2 Next Generation Compliance:
o Ensure that all agency staff and managers engaged in rulemaking have
completed rule effectiveness training.
o Start implementing the FY 2014 activities in the Next Generation Compliance
Strategic Plan 2014-2017.
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