Director's Message

March 2, 2007

To: All DHS employees

From: Bruce Goldberg, M.D., Director

"Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet."

~ Bob Dylan

I've written in previous messages about the fact that the need for social services in Oregon far outstrips the available resources. This is a serious and growing issue -- we have more than 600,000 Oregonians who lack access to basic health care, insufficient mental health services to meet the needs in our communities, too much food insecurity among families, an aging population that will require more long-term care in the years ahead, and a long list of other issues it is this agency's responsibility to address.

To better meet these needs there are two paths we can follow -- we can advocate for more resources, and we can find more efficient and effective ways to stretch our program dollars so we can serve more Oregonians.

Just as Yogi Berra so wisely observed, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it," we are in the process of taking both of these paths right now. We are vigorously advocating for more resources through the state and national legislative processes, and we are looking at ways we can improve service delivery and bring greater value to our agency's processes.

Those of you who work in or have visited the fourth floor of the Barbara Roberts Human Services Building here in Salem recently probably have noticed long strips of brown paper clipped to cubicle and hallway walls. By "long" I mean hundreds of feet when measured end to end. These sheets of paper are the results of an ongoing review of our current fiscal processes by Kaufman Global, an internationally known consulting firm that specializes in helping organizations achieve lean operational processes.

This pilot project represents the next step in improving our financial infrastructure now that we have pulled ourselves out of the budget hole we faced in late 2005. By closely examining every aspect of several key -- and complex -- payment and distribution processes we are learning where there are redundancies and inefficiencies. This information is helping us develop more streamlined processes that improve accuracy, require less or no rework, save time and money, and add value at every step.

This review of our financial management system was accomplished with the input of the staff who work with these processes every day. Their in-depth participation has been the key to a successful analysis of the current state of our fiscal processes. Staff have helped ensure that all steps in the processes are included, and have helped identify redundant and unnecessary work.

The next stage of this project will be for us to begin developing ways we can improve these processes to add value at every step. At this project's conclusion we will be on our way to having a lean, transparent and accountable financial management system, increasing the integrity of our financial data and reports, improving use of financial resources, and making better use of technological solutions.

However, the ultimate goal is to instill this type of continuous review, analysis and improvement approach throughout DHS so that we can rid ourselves of work that adds little value and shift more of our resources from ineffectual administrative processes to service delivery. Our customers and the general public deserve no less.

Most importantly, our employees are driving this project, which is about giving you the tools you need to do your jobs better. Not surprisingly to me, at a meeting yesterday with the Kaufman Global team, they remarked how impressed they have been with the dedication and commitment our employees bring to their work. One team member said, "People are not the barrier here, it's the tools we give them to do their jobs."

As always, our ultimate goal is to improve the lives of Oregonians and assist them in getting the services they need. I am confident that very good things will come of this pilot project and that both the agency and, in the end, the public will benefit enormously.

To provide feedback email: DHS.Directorsoffice@state.or.us

This message is intended for all department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.