Process Improvement Team Set to Deploy to Government Agencies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2012
The Governor’s Spending Cuts Task Force, chaired by Ms. Bernadette Artero, began their meeting this morning with remarks from Acting Governor Ray Tenorio. They met to inform the public of the work being done to cut $43 million in government spending.
The Process Improvement Team, a committee of the task force, already received standard operating procedures from selected government agencies and has begun compiling a database of these procedures. The team will be going out into the agencies in the coming days and working with employees to streamline operations and remove redundancies.
“Our main task is refocusing every agency and its employees on its core mission. We will identify ways to enhance employee output to improve customer service,” Henry Taitano, the committee chairman said. “This will be the first time for many agencies in the government of Guam to really map out their processes. It’s critical for us to understand where cuts can be made and how we can improve services.”
The first stops of the Process Improvement Team will be at the following agencies:
– Department of Administration
– Department of Revenue and Taxation
– Department of Public Health and Social Services
– Guam International Airport Authority
– Guam Memorial Hospital
– Department of Public Works
The education and worker displacement team submitted its completed finding and action plan. This plan is ready to deploy assistance to government workers who may be displaced by a layoff.
“Ideally, this plan will never be used if we can find spending cuts that don’t lead to layoffs,” said Vince Leon Guerrero, chairman of the Displacement, Education and Training Committee.
Part of the optimism that layoffs may not occur stems from ongoing work and research into an early retirement program being developed by Director of Administration Benita Manglona, her deputy director Tony Blaz and the Acting Human Resources Administrator Shane Ngata.
“We’re looking at a plan that provides incentives for employees to retire early and save the government millions in payroll costs,” Blaz said.
Another area potentially rich in cost savings is the examination of benefits and premium pay.
“We have a draft plan with conservative estimates in the millions,” Acting Governor Ray Tenorio said. “What we’re also considering is that the simultaneous implementation of the Hay may actually save these employees from feeling a cut to their income.”
The task force also charged Chief Procurement Office Claudia Acfalle with examining the use of government vehicles, controlling costs tied to standardized procurement, gas use, maintenance and whether those vehicles can be auctioned off.
Contact Natalie Quinata at 475-9309 or 488-6013 for more information.
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