Working Smarter: Helping a Federal Procurement Organization Prepare for the Future

Situation

The client was implementing a number of cost reduction and efficiency initiatives, while simultaneously struggling with unbalanced workload, redundant positions, communication barriers, and process inefficiencies. Working with Censeo, the client recognized that if the organizational issues were not addressed, there was little hope of sustaining any improvement initiatives long-term. With budget cuts increasing scrutiny and urgency of these issues, the client determined it was time to make some sweeping organizational and operational improvements.

Approach

Censeo performed a diagnostic to develop a robust understanding of the organization—13 offices across 12 geographic locations—including structure, people, key processes and practices, and technology and infrastructure. This fact base was developed collaboratively with the client’s Executive Steering Committee using a three-pronged approach: over 400 in-person interviews, an agency-wide survey of both acquisition staff and customers, and rigorous data analysis. Censeo then identified the high-priority opportunities for improvement and recommended targeted changes to the organizational structure.

The team then aligned the workforce to the new organization, carefully considering staff skillsets, needs, preferences, and current workload. Censeo developed a robust transition plan that provided a structured, measurable plan for moving the organization from the current to the end-state, including identification of stakeholders, accountabilities, and implementation risks.