Training Offerings
We've designed our training specifically for problem-solving in the public sector, drawing from lean, Six Sigma, Agile, design thinking, behavioral psychology, and more. Since 2015, we have been continuously improving these courses to focus not on classroom knowledge but actual implementation.
Whether you're looking to transform your whole team or further your individual development, we have a training for you. Join one of our upcoming open enrollment offerings, or contact us to schedule dedicated training for your team.
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Get your feet wet
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Lean 101®
Since 2015, over 1,000 public servants have taken some version of Lean 101, our half-day introduction to innovation and problem-solving. A great first step for individuals, it also gives teams a common language, methodology, and enthusiasm for taking on change.
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4 hours
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Online, with two live instructors
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Takes place in a collaborative online whiteboarding space (no PowerPoint!)
This class covers the basics of the lean improvement cycle:
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Defining measurable goals
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Identifying obstacles in your daily work
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Eliminating those obstacles
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Prioritizing and managing improvement ideas
All trainees will be asked to complete one small innovation after completing the course.
On-demand coming early 2025!
RSVP by Dec. 13! (Go-live in February 2025)OnlineRSVP by Dec. 13! (Go-live in February 2025)OnlineRSVP by Dec. 13! (Go-live in February 2025)OnlinePPI's Lean Leaders™ On-Demand is our premier black-belt level process improvement training that's tailored to the government employee, coming to you in an on-demand format -- launching early 2025! Approved by MMANC for Credentialed Government Leader credit (Creative and Critical Thinking).
Lean Leaders™
BIGGEST IMPACT
Innovation Program and Certification
Our premiere offering, Lean Leaders includes five days of black belt-level process improvement training over three months; in between, cohort members from multiple agencies learn by doing, as they apply their skills to a real improvement project in their business, with 1-1 coaching support from our lean experts.
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Approximately 40 hours of online training, exercises, and work on your process
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Customized 1-1 coaching support
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Access to two dozen tools, templates, and reference guides for applying improvement in the public sector
Lean Leaders is much more than a training: cohort members learn to manage change, gathering input from stakeholders on their work from early on, working under a project sponsor, and demonstrating results through pilots and experiments. To receive their Lean Leaders certification, participants must complete and present their improvement plan (A3) to leadership, with improvements in pilot phase.
Since 2015, Lean Leaders have completed over 100 improvement projects, including streamlining benefits enrollment, increasing disability access to public services, and slashing emergency supply delivery timelines. More stories on our blog!
The most common problem for our clients? Our Lean Leaders alumni, having developed their skills and demonstrated results, tend to be promoted quickly -- so be prepared!
Jan 24, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM PSTZoomWhen it comes to building a culture of continuous improvement, nothing is more important than leadership. Lean for Executives is a seminar for senior leaders, managers, and executives focused on building a high performing and empowered team that drives your organization to achieve its goals.
Develop a problem-solving culture
FREE!
Lean for Executives
When it comes to building a culture of continuous improvement, nothing is more important than leadership. Lean for Executives is a seminar for senior leaders, managers, and process owners focused on being an effective lean sponsor and moving from "I'm the hero" leadership to empowering teams through building staff capacity and confidence.
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1 hour live, interactive virtual experience
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Open enrollment sessions are free! Contact us for pricing for a dedicated internal session.
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Customizable for your agency's context
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A great prelude to org-wide transformation
Topics we cover include:
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Overview of lean methods
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Examples of lean in action
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Building a problem-solving culture
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Being a lean manager
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Case study of lean culture transformation
Help those you serve make the best choice
Behavioral Insights
Many of our government services require our customers to take action: pay a fee, complete a form, apply for a job, or make a decision. Often civil servants feel like the public’s behavior is out of their control. But decades of research in social psychology and behavioral economics have taught us that we have more power than we think to influence our customers’ behavior. Smart folks like Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein (Nudge) or the UK’s Behavioral Insights Team have shaped public policy to help more people save for retirement, pay their taxes, or write accurate prescriptions.
The Behavioral Insights Workshop will give you a framework for how to apply behavioral insights to your daily work as well as how to run an A/B test to prove whether changes you make have the intended effect.
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3 hour live, interactive virtual experience
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Participants will workshop a real public-facing form, website, letter, or other communication
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Follow up help is available to run A-B testing if needed
Becoming lean in everyday life
Getting Things Done
Getting Things Done is PPI’s antidote to the obstacles we each encounter in our daily work life: the overflowing inbox, the never-ending to-do list, the mountain of papers on your desk. Based on David Allen’s book of the same name, Getting Things Done will give you super-practical tools to start applying lean principles to increase your personal productivity.
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1 hour
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Live, interactive virtual experience
We cover:
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How to get tasks out of your head and into a simple, trustworthy system
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How to get the same work done in less time by doing things sooner and touching them once
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How to track tasks that depend on other people to complete