Lean Government

Working Smart to Protect Human Health and the Environment

Lean government enables environmental agencies to work more effectively and efficiently by eliminating waste in government processes. Numerous government agencies, including EPA, are using Lean improvement methods to dramatically improve the quality, transparency, and speed of their processes.

• EPA headquarters and regional offices have employed Lean methods to shorten process timeframes by as much as 82 percent and reduce the number of process steps by more than 63 percent.
• About 30 state environmental agencies are using Lean to dramatically improve permitting and other processes. Agencies have reduced administrative review times by over 50% and slashed permitting backlogs.

 

EPA's Lean Government Initiative

EPA, in collaboration with the Environmental Council of States (ECOS) , supports environmental agencies using Lean and Six Sigma to design and implement better, smarter, and faster processes to protect human health and the environment. This website contains:

• Information on Lean government methods
• Descriptions and case studies of EPA and State Lean efforts
• Resources, such as the Lean in Government Starter Kit, to assist with Lean government efforts