Tag: methods

Tactics for Developing High Quality Reports

One of the most common deliverables we produce as consultants are written reports. In public sector consulting, report types can vary widely, from open-ended “Blue Sky” reports (such as this program findings report) to more standardized, structured products (such as IT planning documentation). Each has…

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Change Management for Tough Times

How can organizations thrive during change, when individuals must navigate with urgency, unpredictability, complexity, and overall tough times? I have pondered these questions since the start of the pandemic, when we all began to experience change at home, school, work, restaurants, gyms, and pretty much…

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3 Success Factors for Virtual Process Improvement Teams

Working remotely isn’t always easy, especially during real-time business process improvement (BPI) efforts involving many stakeholders. In the past year, we’ve evolved three success factors for facilitating BPI sessions virtually: Take time to scope the effort to avoid rework. Though it can be tempting to…

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4 Reasons Why We Develop Custom Videos for Training

Video is a powerful and effective way to train staff and develop a team. Here are four reasons why: Videos are flexible You can customize videos for unique audiences. Different people learn and absorb information differently, and video accommodates everyone. You can make the video…

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Facilitating Business Process Improvement in a Virtual Setting

At Highlands, we have helped dozens of clients improve their business processes through facilitated meetings, in person. With stay-at-home orders, we knew we had to adapt to a fully digital setting. Here are three of our many lessons learned: Choose the platform wisely. There is…

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The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) and PAL

The California Department of Technology’s (CDT) Project Approval Framework (PAL) has been around for several years now. It describes the four stages that State agencies undertaking large-scale IT modernization projects must go through to obtain approval and establish a foundation for project success. Stage 1:…

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Thinking about Change Globally, Acting on Change Locally

I recently attended the 2019 ACMP Global Conference in Orlando with a new perspective this year. Having recently been appointed as Treasurer to the ACMP NorCal Chapter Board, my mission was twofold: to absorb the latest global thinking about change management, then to bring those…

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A Workflow Management Tool for Everyone: Kanban

Perhaps one of the things I love most about the consulting field is the ever-expanding, creative ways that project managers and teams look to increase communication and workflow efficiency. One of my favorite tools is Kanban. Developed in the late 1940s by Taiichi Ohno of…

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Human Learning Theory… for All Ages!

All projects require learning of some kind – to work with a new team, to understand new processes, and/or to use new systems. As managers lead teams through the learning process, they can draw upon learning theories such as andragogy, constructivism, behaviorism, and cognitivism. But…

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Selection to Success in Three Months

Is it conceivable to automate a 100% paper-based process in less than three months, even for a complex State environmental program? The answer is yes! This week, one of our clients at the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) delivered a presentation that recounted…

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