Process improvement is essential for every modern public service organisation striving to deliver better outcomes with limited resources. Done well, it helps councils, municipalities, and government departments streamline work, strengthen compliance, remove bottlenecks, and align people, policy, and technology. This guide shares real-world lessons from a public sector leader on how to make process improvement practical, scalable, and sustainable.
When organisations struggle with efficiency, compliance, or system change, the root cause is often not the tools, but the gaps between people, policy, and technology. Each part is working hard, but not always together. This is why process improvement in government requires a structured yet adaptable approach that acknowledges real-world constraints.
That’s the challenge many councils and counties face today. With limited resources, ageing systems, and cross-department dependencies, effective public sector process improvement must bridge silos, uncover hidden issues, and strengthen decision-making.
Marcy Pederson, Continuous Process Improvement Program Manager, shares practical, real-world strategies that help government organisations move from isolated fixes to sustained improvement, even in resource-constrained environments.
9 Proven Steps to Sustaining Process Improvement in Public Service
1. Start with Purpose, Not Processes
Many improvement projects fail because teams jump straight into solutions without clarifying the problem. Marcy emphasised beginning with purpose, knowing exactly what needs to improve and why.
“You’ve got to start with understanding the problem you’re trying to solve. If you can’t define the purpose, the project won’t hold.”— Marcy Pederson
Purpose helps teams avoid random fixes and instead prioritise improvements that align with organisational goals. Clear purpose becomes the anchor for decisions, scoping, and stakeholder support.
Lesson: Start with the “why.” If purpose isn’t clear, the improvement won’t stick.
2. Put People First—Processes Follow
Improvement only works when people are engaged, more so in public process improvement projects. Processes may be broken, but people determine whether change succeeds.
Marcy highlighted that public service employees often carry deep process knowledge, and hidden frustrations. Creating safe spaces for honest conversations is essential.
“You can have the best tools, but if you don’t understand your people, you’re going to miss the mark.”— Marcy Pederson
People-first improvement includes:
- Treating frontline staff as subject matter experts
- Listening without judgment
- Clearing misconceptions about job loss
- Recognising emotional resistance and change fatigue
Lesson: Start with people, not process charts. Engagement unlocks ownership.
3. Map the Work to Reveal Truth
Public organisations often operate in “firefighting mode,” addressing tasks without seeing the bigger picture. Mapping helps teams pause, examine, and understand how work actually flows.
Marcy reinforced that process mapping does not need to be perfect or technical. It only needs to be honest.
Process mapping helps uncover: Bottlenecks, redundant steps, delays and rework, policy gaps, and system workarounds.
Lesson: You cannot improve what you don’t understand. Even basic mapping reveals powerful insights.
4. Focus on High-Impact Improvements First
With limited resources, teams cannot fix everything. The key is to focus on improvements that deliver meaningful results.
Marcy recommends prioritising processes based on:
- High customer or community impact
- High workload or volume
- High error or rework rate
- High compliance or risk exposure
- High frustration for staff
A single high-impact improvement often cascades across multiple teams.
Lesson: Prioritisation prevents burnout and ensures visible wins.
5. Create Metrics That Matter
Improvement requires evidence, and not just dashboards. Marcy stressed that metrics must be meaningful, relatable, and connected to real pain points.
Good metrics show: Hours saved, faster turnaround time, reduced rework, improved citizen outcomes, reduced staff stress, and better compliance.
“Metrics need to mean something. They have to tell a story people care about.”— Marcy Pederson
Lesson: Avoid vanity metrics. Track what matters to the organisation and community.
6. Identify Barriers Early—Culture, Capacity, and Trust
Many public service teams want to improve, but structural and cultural barriers hold them back. Marcy noted that identifying these early prevents frustration later.
Common barriers include:
- Overloaded staff
- Low morale
- Fear of blame or exposure
- Policy constraints
- Limited training
- Lack of leadership visibility
Improvement only gains momentum when these barriers are openly acknowledged and addressed.
Lesson: Improvement is 20% tools and 80% culture.
7. Build Cross-Department Collaboration
Most public sector issues aren’t department issues—they’re shared issues. Marcy highlighted how improvements often fail because processes involve multiple teams that rarely collaborate.
Cross-department success includes: Joint workshops, shared ownership of outcomes, routine communication, transparency about pain points, and co-designing improvements.
“You need cross-department relationships. That’s where processes truly come together.”— Marcy Pederson
Lesson: Don’t improve in silos. Build bridges, not boundaries.
8. Start Small and Build Confidence
Sustaining improvement requires trust, which grows through visible wins.
Marcy encourages:
- 30–60 day improvement cycles
- Quick fixes to reduce staff burden
- Experiments or pilots
- Before-and-after visibility
- Celebrating small wins
Quick wins prove improvement is possible, even in resource-constrained environments.
Lesson: Momentum starts small. Small wins create big belief.
9. Keep Improvement Alive Through Rhythm
One-off projects fade. Sustainable improvement requires cadence.
Marcy recommends activities such as: Regular improvement check-ins, recurring mapping updates, reviewing metrics monthly or quarterly, and sharing wins across departments to embed continuous improvement.
“If you don’t build a cadence, the improvement dies when the project ends.”— Marcy Pederson
If you don’t build a cadence, the improvement dies when the project ends.
Lesson: Improvement is a rhythm, not a project. Make it continuous.
Practical Takeaways for Public Service Leaders
To start and sustain improvement:
- Begin with purpose, not tools
- Engage people early and build psychological safety
- Map work to expose truth and root causes
- Prioritise processes with high impact and visible value
- Use meaningful metrics tied to outcomes
- Reduce cultural and workload barriers
- Build cross-department alignment
- Start small with achievable wins
- Maintain a rhythm of continuous improvement
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