BPM in Government: Why Public Processes Are Harder to Fix, and How It Is Done

Why government is different

If you have read our guide to what a business process is, the basic idea is the same: a series of steps that turns an input, like an application, into an output, like a license. Four things change in the public sector. This list is our own summary, not a finding from a study.

• Law fixes some steps. A review, notice or signature may be required by statute or regulation. Removing it is not an option, even if it looks like waste on a diagram.
• Fairness matters as much as speed. A faster process that treats people unequally is not an improvement.
• No profit signal. A company can see whether a change raised sales. An agency has to choose other measures, such as wait time, error rate or complaints.
• Many owners. A single permit may pass through several departments, each with its own rules and systems.

The pressure to improve is real. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) opened its 2011 report on efficiency initiatives by noting that, given budget pressures, federal agencies need to identify ways to operate more efficiently.

Where BPM shows up

These are typical examples, not a complete list.

For the diagramming side of this work, see our guide to business process modeling tools and techniques.

What federal and state programs report

Two public sources show what the work looks like and how results are reported.

Federal: GAO’s 2011 review

GAO’s report, Streamlining Government: Key Practices from Select Efficiency Initiatives Should Be Shared Governmentwide, looked at efficiency programs in several departments. They included the Department of Defense’s Continuous Process Improvement/Lean Six Sigma program, the Department of Homeland Security’s Efficiency Review, and a Virginia state fund. GAO described two broad kinds of effort: reexamining programs, structures and functions, and streamlining and consolidating operations. It also noted that most of the federal initiatives were relatively new, so their overall impact had not yet been determined.

That last point is worth keeping in mind. A report that says “too early to know” is more honest than one that promises big numbers.

State: LeanOhio’s results summary

Ohio’s state government publishes cumulative results for its LeanOhio program. As reported on the page when we checked it:

These are impressive numbers, and the next section explains why you should still read them carefully.

How to read a results claim

Whether the source is a government page or a vendor brochure, ask these questions before you trust a number.

1. Who measured it? The LeanOhio page says the time and step figures come from calculations by the project teams themselves. That is normal, but it is not an independent audit.
2. Is it realized or projected? The page describes the roughly $140 million as potential savings or cost avoidance that will be realized once new processes are fully implemented. Potential savings are not money returned to a budget.
3. Is it an average of averages? A 62% average across 594 projects hides big differences between a tiny fix and a major redesign.
4. Are there before-and-after examples? The page gives only totals, so you cannot judge any one process.
5. What was not measured? Quality, fairness and satisfaction matter too. A faster decision is not better if it is wrong more often.
6. Did the gains last? Ask for a result one year later.

None of this means the programs failed. It means a summary page is a starting point for questions, not proof.

Worked example: a licensing process

This is our own made-up example, so you can see how a team finds a saving. A city licensing office gets 2,000 business license applications a year. Today, 30% are sent back to the applicant for missing information, and each return adds 6 working days to that application. Staff spend 1.5 hours handling each return.

The team maps the process and finds that most returns come from the same few missing items. It adds a short checklist at the point of application. After a pilot, 10% of applications are returned.

The change avoids 400 returns a year, cuts average added wait by 1.2 days per application (1.8 minus 0.6), and frees 600 staff hours (900 minus 300). Notice what the team did not do. It did not remove a legally required review. It removed a source of rework. That is usually the safest place to start in government.

A real team would check that the pilot result held for several months, and that applicants who struggle with the checklist, for example those with limited English or no internet, were not left worse off.

How an agency team starts

1. Pick one process people complain about, with a clear start and end.
2. Map it as it is, including waits and handoffs, not as the manual says it should work.
3. Measure the baseline. Count cases, days waiting, returns and errors.
4. Mark which steps are required by law or policy. Ask legal staff when unsure. Everything else is open to change.
5. Look for waiting, rework and handoffs, which tend to be the biggest sources of delay.
6. Pilot a change on a small scale, and compare against the baseline.
7. Set a control: a simple measure someone checks every month, with an owner.
8. Report honestly, separating results already realized from projections.

Constraints to plan for

• Legal and policy requirements, which can take time to change, if they can be changed at all.
• Legacy IT systems, which may limit what a new process can do.
• Procurement rules, which affect how quickly new software or services can be bought.
• Funding for upfront costs. GAO recommended that the Office of Management and Budget work with Congress and agencies on funding mechanisms for the upfront costs of longer-term efficiency projects.
• Leadership changes, which can end a program that depends on one champion.
• Public records and accessibility duties, which affect how data and forms are handled.

Careers and study

Public-sector process improvement draws on analysts, project managers and managers with training in process methods. We found no reliable published pay data for this specific type of role, so we do not quote one. If you are interested, these guides may help:

• Business process management certificates for the methods.
• Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs for the policy and management side.
• Six Sigma Green Belt courses, since Lean Six Sigma is widely used in public agencies.

Common mistakes

• Trying to remove required steps. Find out what the law requires first.
• Counting projected savings as real. Keep them in separate columns.
• Measuring speed only. Add error rate and fairness checks.
• Mapping the manual, not the practice. Walk through real cases.
• Skipping the people who do the work. Front-line staff know where cases get stuck.
• Forgetting to maintain gains. Without an owner, old habits return.

Learn more

Online platforms such as Coursera and Udemy list business process management courses. We may earn a commission if you sign up, at no cost to you. We are not affiliated with any university. Check each syllabus for process mapping and measurement, not only software tools.

Frequently asked questions

What is BPM in government?

It is the use of process mapping, measurement and improvement methods to make public services such as permits, benefits and records requests faster, more accurate and less wasteful.

Is Lean Six Sigma used in government?

Yes. GAO’s 2011 report covered the Department of Defense’s Continuous Process Improvement/Lean Six Sigma program, and Ohio reports Lean projects across state agencies.

Do these programs really save money?

Some report large figures, but many are projections or cost avoidance, not money returned to a budget, and often self-reported. GAO noted that most of the federal initiatives it reviewed were too new for their impact to be determined.

What is the biggest difference from business?

Some steps are fixed by law, fairness matters as much as speed, and there is no profit measure. Teams must choose other measures and work within legal limits.

Where should an agency start?

With one visible process that has clear start and end points and plenty of waiting or rework, such as a permit or license application.

Which tools do agencies use?

Process maps, flowcharts and value stream maps are common, along with workflow software. See our guide to process modeling tools and techniques.

How do you measure success?

Choose measures such as days to decision, error rate, returns for missing information and complaints. Record a baseline first and check again months later.

Can a small town use BPM?

Yes. The method scales down. A clerk with a pen and paper can map a permit process and count how many applications are returned.