The concepts of quality management have been progressively interpreted and stylized by various practitioners over time, particularly through specific successful applications of its use. Its current predominant application has been narrowed even more through the focused practice of Lean Six Sigma. Through that narrowing, it has largely failed and given up on the application of quality practice to entire organizational systems-even though they are essential to designing and sustaining quality practice over time. This book corrects that problem and introduces a broad new framework for system management, including practical tools and guidance for its use. It provides the long-promised "profound knowledge of systems" and shows how structured systems can unify and align quality practices throughout an entire organization. In addition, it introduces a framework for objectively measuring the maturity of systems and processes to provide an organizational quality scorecard, essential for sustainability. Throughout this book, you will learn: Descriptions and definitions of processes, systems, and projects and how they come together to provide an overall organization-wide framework for management and change. Tools and practices for identifying and controlling systems through system mapping. How to use a system management standard to objectively score process maturity, potentially leading to improvements in efficiency, effectiveness, and delivered value of all managed work enterprises. How system management fits together with process management and project management to create an agile framework for overall organizational quality.

Quality Standards for Highly Effective Government, Second Edition establishes a "new normal" in government that will ultimately reinvent the practice of democratic government. The principal catalyst for this change will be the adoption of auditable quality standards within every government entity-based on efficiency, effectiveness, and delivered value. Conventional wisdom says that government is not efficient and not effective - but, we are still unsure what works and what is broken in government, where to find some common sense, and where to start to fix it. The problem sounds huge, but the solution is not all that difficult. Quality science can provide a structure for efficiency and effectiveness, democratic institutions can create consensus goals, and auditable standards can show where these issues exist and to what degree. In addition, it can drive change where it must happen, because if you can measure it, you can manage it. Auditable quality standards can make these unknowns highly visible and offer a clear scorecard that anyone can follow. They can provide holistic and thorough measurements because they will align with the unique roles and responsibilities at three fundamental levels of leadership in government: (1) Work unit supervisors and managers at the "front line" of government service; (2) chief executives, department directors, and their deputies as "Executive Management" of government agencies, and (3) elected top leadership, as those key officials must define the priorities, outcomes, programs, and budgets. This book proposes that a focus on efficiency and effectiveness, combined with its defined value, provides the foundation of effective government, and of its audit standard. In this book, you will learn four necessary strategies that will support the use of these standards including: Creating an imperative for consensus Ending incentives for building bureaucracy Building a safety net for champions of efficiency Making elected representatives accountable for results This book presents the methods necessary to measure and improve the quality of organizational systems in government, across the board, and on a sustained basis to achieve value, efficiency, and effectiveness -- It is the manifesto and map for government's future.