Over the past year, the GEMS Project has worked with stakeholders across SAMHSA to conduct a comprehensive Lean Assessment of the agency’s grants processes. Currently, GEMS Group II (Policy and Procedures) and SAMHSA grants subject matter experts (SMEs) are using SAMHSA grants process workflows to conduct value stream mapping (VSM) sessions (see example in Appendix I). Group II is then analyzing the sessions’ outcomes to recommend specific procedure (P&P) and/or system-level (IMPAC II) changes before IMPAC II is implemented and legacy systems are sunset. This process has been developed to directly support grants processes streamlining and reduce expected operational disruptions throughout the new system adoption. This brief outlines the Lean …show more content…
Consolidating current information into one workbook in a concise, presentable way that can be accessed by stakeholders should not take any longer than two weeks. Additionally, in that same two week span, meeting presentations should also be improved so SAMHSA can make good use of their time away from workstations, and so SAMHSA continues to be on board with the Lean Assessment. I believe it would be very helpful if the team could consistently include large VSMs diagrams in the work group meetings with the activities in chronological order that cover the entire process in their section of work, versus giving SAMHSA Excel handouts displaying the specific process. That way, stakeholders can view the entire process holistically in one place in a very large view. Comments/notes should be included in separate handouts, because the volume of words can push the SAMHSA employees in the wrong direction. This recommendation is very important because it ties into employee time-commitment and culture changes. Specifically, SAMHSA would be comprehending Lean principles and findings to learn and improve while doing so in a timely manner. As a result, employees grow their value, thus realizing more value for