A taskforce designed to streamline day-to-day FSA operations in response to department-wide budget constraints is joining forces with the latest employee feedback initiative.
The Best Practices Taskforce was initiated in March 2011 to develop innovative ideas that could generate cost-savings and incorporate greater efficiencies throughout FSA’s state and county offices. State executive directors served as primary participants on the taskforce, which was started by former acting FSA Administrator Val Dolcini and chaired by Julia Wickard, Indiana state executive director.
“When tasked with this project, I was honored to assume the role of assisting FSA in producing some suggested roads for the large agency roadmap that state executive directors must navigate on a daily basis,” said Wickard. “The opportunity to reach out to fellow colleagues, in addition to our ever-important employee associations, allowed the task force to garner some excellent recommendations for state executive directors to consider in their operations.”
Through a Sharepoint survey, the task force received more than 170 responses, with 43 of them being cost-saving efforts and 130 of them being proposals for long-term action. States found that using electronic return receipts for certified mail, sharing government vehicles with NRCS, taking advantage of technology and limiting travel expenses, provided significant cost savings that will help the agency better respond to future reductions in funding and budgetary resources.
“The team did an excellent job in the execution of the task,” said Mike Wooden, deputy administrator for field operations. “They worked well together and the field’s responses to the data are to be commended.”
But those ideas won’t go to the wayside after the task force concludes its work. Instead, they will collaborate with the FSA Electronic Suggestion Box, an initiative led by Rob Haughton and Ken Hill in the national office. As the agency's process improvement co-champions, the two were selected to perform a broad initiative that would give employees a chance to contribute ideas on how the agency can improve and cut costs.
“Our employees are aware of areas where we could gain efficiencies in order to reduce costs, decrease processing times, and improve program delivery,” said Haughton. “The electronic suggestion box allows them to contribute their ideas and see their colleagues’ ideas as well.”
Employees not only make suggestions, but they also can vote and make comments on each idea posted. To date, more than 3,200 employees have registered on the FSA Suggestion Box, providing 650 recommendations and 42,000 votes.
“I want to thank then acting Administrator Dolcini and now Administrator Nelson for their vision to see the need and continue the process of identifying and sharing best practices across the country,” said Wickard.
To access the FSA Suggestion Box and submit a cost-saving idea, visit the website at http://fsaelectronicsuggestions.ideascale.com/.
