The document outlines a Lean Six Sigma project to standardize and improve PacMtn's internal policy development process. It describes the current inefficient process and opportunities to reduce touch time by 47.7% and workflow stops by 60.7%, lowering costs. The improved process outlines clear roles and monthly website audits to ensure accurate, up-to-date policies. Future opportunities to standardize recruitment and determine policy needs are also identified.

1. Brooke
Anderson
LSS
Black Belt

2. Introduction to DMAIC
This project follows the DMAIC model for identifying, proposing, and implementing solutions to organizational
opportunities. DMAIC is an acronym for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. This Lean Six Sigma
methodology is most commonly used in lean initiatives because it is specific, quantifiable, and a repeatable model that
proves effective in solving problems regardless of complexity. A brief description of the intent of each phase may be
informative.
Define
•Clearly defines the project's purpose and scope.
•Collect background information on the process and your customer's needs and requirements.
Measure
•Gather information on the current situation to provide a clearer focus for your improvement effort.
Analyze
•Identify the root causes of defects.
•Confirm them with data.
Improve
•Develop, try out, and implement solutions that address the root causes.
•Use data to evaluate results for the solutions and the plans used to carry them out.
Control
•Maintain the gains that you have achieved by standardizing your work methods or processes.
•Anticipate future improvements and make plans to preserve the lessons learned from this
improvement effort.

3. Define Phase
 Purpose:
Pacific Mountain Workforce Development Council (PacMtn) currently has no standardized process in place to
manage its Internal Policy Development Program. As PacMtn has grown significantly since its inception, there
is now an opportunity to develop and implement a consistent process with clearly defined roles to effectively
and efficiently manage the large number of intricate policies being internally developed and disseminated.
 Importance:
1. Updating and disseminating policies in a timely manner is critical to ensuring PacMtn avoids being subject
to disallowed costs should state and federal regulators find its contractors out of compliance because they are
not informed of new or updated policies.
2. Realize significant time and resource savings.
 Objectives:
1. Develop and implement a standardized and lean internal policy development process starting from the policy
writing stage through the dissemination stage.
 Reduce rework and redundancy
 Minimize stagnant time between policy development stages
 Eliminate confusion on policy status
 Ensure policies are disseminated and updated on the website immediately and accurately
2. Clearly define each individual’s role within the process.
 Who is responsible for writing, approving, communicating, training, updating website, and being
content experts?
3. Devise and implement a plan for ongoing monitoring and improvement of the process.
 Success Criteria:
1. 30% reduction in touch time*.
*The actual time spent developing a product or service with the ultimate goal being the addition of value to the end consumer.
2. 30% reduction in workflow stops.
3. Ongoing and consistent internal website monitoring finds no policy inaccuracies.
Project Team
Person Department Position
Cheryl Fambles
Bridget Vidonne
Sponsor/Mgmt.
Sponsor/Fiscal
CEO
Director of Finance and Admin Services
Jaime Britton Fiscal Senior Accounting Specialist
Craig Clark Program Program and Performance Coordinator
Corinne Daffern Program Associate Director of Workforce Services
Sarah Wilkins Program Youth Initiatives Coordinator
Sean Murphy Program Associate Director of SS&I
Neva Barton Support Program Assistant II

4. Measure & Analyze Phases
The current process for PacMtn’s internal development program has not been developed until now. Previously, PacMtn
has had simple and single policies that infrequently needed updating and managing the process was not a priority. In
recent years PacMtn has undergone tremendous organizational growth and they are now faced with the need to update
multiple and complex policies frequently and consistently which is why they have a prioritized this initiative by working
with a Lean Six Sigma consultant and supplying resources to implement a lean process for managing their internal
policy development program.
 Current State Process:
 Policy writing starts 4-6 weeks prior to the board meeting where policies are approved. Shortening
this overall timeframe will have no impact on the process time and monetary savings since the process
steps are done intermittently in conjunction with other job duties.
 Reducing touch time and the number of workflow stops within the process is the focus of the lean
initiative since this will have the greatest time and monetary savings for the organization.
 No standardized/formal process in place.
 Measurable Opportunities for Improvement:
1. Touch Time.
 Eliminate non value added (NVA) process redundancies.
2. Number of workflow stops.
3. Policy accuracy during internal website auditing.

5. Improve Phase
Touch Time:
Title
Current State Average Minutes
(TT)
Future State Average Minutes
(TT)
Program & Performance Coordinator 1175 680
Program Assistant II 960 140
Director of Finance & Admin Services 550 525
Avg Hourly- Admin & Fiscal Team 120 120
Total 2804 1465
Touch Time Reduction: 47.7%
Labor Cost:
Title
Hourly
Wage
Current State Labor
Cost Future State Labor Cost
Program & Performance Coordinator 0.523 614 355
Program Assistant II 0.307 294 43
Director of Finance & Admin Services 0.651 358 342
Avg Hourly- Admin & Fiscal Team 0.493 59 59
Total 1325 799
Labor Cost Reduction: 39.7%

6. Workflow Stops:
Title Current State # of Handoffs
Future State # of
Handoffs
Program & Performance Coordinator 12 3
Program Assistant II 9 3
Director of Finance & Admin Services 3 1
Admin & Fiscal Team 1 1
CEO 1 1
IT 1 1
Board of Directors 1 1
Total 28 11
Workflow Stop Reduction: 60.7%

7. Control Phase
 The recommendations to realize project success is as follows:
1. Consistent website monitoring to ensure posted policies are accurate and up to date.
 Website monitoring once per month.
 Record and update any inaccurate or out of date policies.
2. Ensure each Fiscal & Program Cubicle has a copy of the Internal Policy Development Process Manual.
3. Measure and Record each step in the process to ensure time reduction is realized.
 Each time policy is developed or updated.
4. After process completion, schedule Project Team meeting to review results and alter the process if needed.
 Update Internal Policy Development Process Manual.
RACI Matrix: Policy Development Process
Project
Team
CEO
Directorof
Finance&Admin
Services
Boardof
Directors
Program&
Performance
Coordinator
Program
AssistantII
Associate
DirectorofSS&I
Directorof
Workforce
Services
YouthInitiatives
Coordinator
Senior
Accounting
Specialist
- Identify Policies Needing to be Developed or Updated A R R C C C
- Develop and Update Policies A R/A R/A
- Policy Content R/A R/A C C C
- Policy Editing C C A/R I I I I
- Policy Approval I A/R I I I I I I
- Policy Finals A R R/A I I I I
- Policy Finals Posted to Website A/I R/A R I I I I I
- Policy updates disseminated A/I R/A I R R R R R R
- Website Monitoring for Policy Accuracy. I A R/A C C C
Project LeadershipProject Leadership
Role
Project Deliverable
(or Activity)

8. Future Improvement Opportunities
 HR Recruitment and Filling Positions:
 “As the organization has expanded we grew from little or no process/paperwork for hire to a place
where we are now with a fairly well developed system that could use some focus and attention.”
 Determining which policies need or should be internally developed.
RACI Matrix: Lean Initiatives
Project
Team
External
Resources
Executive
Sponsor
ProjectSponsor
Program&
Performance
Coordinator
Program
AssistantII
Associate
DirectorofSS&I
Directorof
Workforce
Services
YouthInitiatives
Coordinator
Senior
Accounting
Specialist
Consultant
Initiate Phase Activities
- Submit Project Request R/A R C C C C C
- Develop Business Case I R/A R C C C C C
- Project Request Approval A R I I I I I I
Plan Phase Activities
- Create Project Charter R R/A C C C C C C R/A
- Create Schedule I R/A C C C C C C R/A
- Create Additional Plans as required I R/A R I I I I I R/A
Execute Phase Activities
- Execute Deliverables R/A R R R R R R C
- Create Status Report I A R C C C C C R/A
Control Phase Activities
- Website Auditing for Policy Accuracy A/I A R C C C C
- Monitor Policy Process R/A R C C C C C I
- Update Policy Process As Needed R/A R C C C C C C
Close Phase Activities
- Create Lessons Learned A C R C C C C C
- Create Project Closure Report C R/A C C C C C C R/A
Project
Leadership
Project
Leadership
Role
Project Deliverable
(or Activity)

9. Appendix
Project Charter, Process Guide: Internal Policy Development Process

11. Process Guide: Internal Policy Development Program
A. Policy Writers
1. Develop and update policies.
2. Save policy to share drive.
3. Notify Assistant to schedule Policy Committee Meeting.
4. Inform Assistant what policy documents needed for meeting.
B. Assistant
5. Schedule Policy Committee Meeting.
6. Send email invites to attendees.
7. Print out documents needed for meeting.
C. Policy Committee Meeting
8. Review policies and identify any content revision that is needed.
9. Policy Writers to document revisions needed.
D. Policy Writers
10. Make policy revisions
11. Save policies to share drive.
12. Notify Assistant that policies are ready to be grammatically edited.
E. Assistant
13. Email Policy Committee that policies have been saved to share drive for final content review.
F. Policy Committee
14. Review policies for accuracy and notify Assistant or Policy Writers of any revisions that need to be
made within 48 hours.
G. Assistant
15. Notify CEO of policy updates.
H. CEO
16. Add policy updates to board agenda for approval.
I. Board of Directors Meeting
17. Approve policies.
J. Assistant
18. Create policy finals.
19. Email IT to post on website.
K. IT
20. Post policies on website
21. Notify Policy Committee that policies have been posted.
L. Policy Writers
22. Review website to verify policies have been added.
M. Policy Committee
23. Notify staff and contractors (your email distribution list) of policy updates.
N. Policy Writers
24. Review policies posted on website once per month to ensure accuracy and identify if updates are
needed.