Introduction

The Public Management Training Center, with a core mission to enhance the capabilities of managers at all levels within public and governmental organizations, sought to overhaul its business processes. This project, characterized by its agile approach and brief timeline, aimed to lay the groundwork for significant operational improvements.

What was the issue?

The primary issue identified by the Training Center was a noticeable deficiency in operational performance. The center expressed an ambition to refine their business processes in a subsequent phase (Phase 2), but recognized the immediate necessity (Phase 1) to evaluate and document the current state of their processes, given the absence of existing documentation. Furthermore, the center aimed to redesign its organizational structure to align with these improved processes in Phase 3. The ultimate goals of these initiatives were to increase customer satisfaction by 20%, identify 30-40 key business processes, and enhance organizational performance by 10%.

How to tackle the issue?

To address these needs, my team and I developed a comprehensive project plan, complete with a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to ensure clarity and organization throughout the project’s execution. The approach to resolving the identified issue was divided into three main steps:

Step 1: A one-day workshop was conducted for the center’s staff, particularly targeting those directly involved in the processes under review. The workshop covered the fundamentals of business process management, emphasizing its importance and outlining our collaborative approach to data collection through questionnaires and subsequent interviews. This phase was crucial for setting the stage for effective engagement and data gathering.

Step 2: Leveraging information and documents collected during the initial phase, we proceeded to design the business processes and develop a business model for the Training Center. This was achieved using established business reference models, including the APQC framework and Porter’s Value Chain. The processes were meticulously mapped using BPMN in Visio software, ensuring a detailed and actionable representation. The design phase was iterative, with processes refined based on questionnaire feedback and stakeholder input until final approval was obtained.

Step 3: The culmination of our efforts was the creation of a comprehensive final report. This document included detailed diagrams of all identified business processes and their catalogs, an overview of the business model and process hierarchy, and insights into the theoretical frameworks employed, such as reference models and process models. The report also covered project outcomes, interview sessions, and proposed next steps. In total, 28 primary business processes were identified, and a cohesive business model was established, setting a solid foundation for the Training Center’s future enhancements.

Conclusion

The project not only met but exceeded the initial expectations by establishing a clear and actionable blueprint for operational improvement within the Public Management Training Center. Through collaborative workshops, detailed process mapping, and strategic planning, the groundwork has been laid for future phases of development. These efforts are expected to significantly boost customer satisfaction, streamline organizational performance, and enhance the overall efficacy of the Training Center’s managerial training programs.