FOR CITIZENS

The pressure is increasing nation wide for public sector agencies to become more "accountable" in how they are using public funds. Accountability is just the first step. The expectation is to see the same type of performance improvements that we see in private sector entities. The primary difference is that in private industry, market forces are at work which funnel more business to those companies who have figured out how to utilize its resources more effectively. The financial profit motive does not enter into the equation when looking at the drivers of performance improvement in the public sector. To the contrary, more "power' is often derived from having larger and larger agencies with proportionately larger budgets. From the perspective of tax payers, it often appears that many public sector entities request greater amounts of money while the level of service either stays the same, or worse yet, decreases.

In fairness to those managing public sector agencies, their top bosses are often elected officials and are subject to change every few years. While few can argue with the concept of doing more without increasing the tax burden, the tools to enable public sector agencies to accomplish this feat have been nonexistent. While the citizens are wanting improved deployment of tax funds and elected officials are publicly in agreement, this alone will not accomplish this objective. Without specific, effective tools to address this performance gap, the probability that demanding accountability alone will result in significant lasting performance improvements is slim.

This is where GAPS^tm enters the picture. Using the same approach used by many of the world's most successful companies, the GAPS^tm tools and techniques are "public sectorized" so that they make sense in a public sector environment.

As citizens we have two choices. One is to demand improved accountability and performance from our public sector agencies and leave it to their own devices to achieve this demand. The other option is to provide specific, effective, proven tools that will allow this demand to become a reality.

The first choice is practically an insult to public sector agency administrators as it implies that they know how to do this but have simply chosen not to. In working with public sector agencies, I have found most of them consisting of hardworking, intelligent, and diligent employees. If they knew HOW to improve performance in an environment where bigger is often seen as better, they would have already done it.

What is needed is a fresh approach. This is offered through the GAPS program. The program is designed to TRANSFER the knowledge to the public sector agencies as soon as possible so there is not an ongoing reliance on consultants (and the associated expense with this approach) to keep the program going throughout all the departments in the agency on a continuous basis. Furthermore, the strength lies in going to the "experts"-those who actually do the job on a day to day basis. This group of employees won't be talking what can work theoretically, but what really can and cannot work. GAPS provides the structure to implement great ideas that employees have had sometimes for years that they could never see implemented due to obstacles that can only be overcome through the team approach that GAPS provides.

GAPS^tm is a win for everyone involved-citizens, public sector agencies, and individuals employed by these agencies. Please encourage your elected officials and other leaders of your public sector agencies to investigate GAPS. Refer them to this site so they can start to see how GAPS^tm fits in with what they are trying to achieve. Initial options range from getting on our GAPS^tm mailing list (to stay abreast of the latest on the progress of GAPS^tm ) to registering online for a one day public seminar introducing GAPS^tm tools and techniques complete with a hands on simulation applying GAPS to a permitting department.

Your role in encouraging your public sector agencies to explore the applicability of GAPS^tm to their situation is extremely important in getting the message out as quickly as possible to those who need to know. Thank you in advance for spreading the word.