Findings on Priority

Outcomes Efforts
Office of the Inspector General, Department
of Health and Human Services
Tori D’Avella, Hannah Jones, Caroline Kimrey

& Lindsay Yeats

May 3, 2017

 Introductions
• We were asked to support the OIG as they roll out
the next steps in the priority outcomes initiative tied
to 4 previously determined KPI’s organization-wide,
that increases the likelihood of full integration.

bschool.pepperdine.edu
 Methodology

15 Interviewees
10 Interviews

Questions Themed Around 3 Key Categories:

Behavior Change:

If you were king or queen for a day, how would you go about implementing the priority outcomes?
On a scale of 1 - 10 what is your current commitment to priority outcomes?
What would you need to move to a ten?



Senior Leader Communication 

How does the senior leader in your area communicate about the priority outcomes and/or KPIs?"
What is your experience with cross-functional communication in OIG? What successes or challenges have you experienced?



Process Successes and Barriers:

Where have you experienced success in the Priority Outcomes initiative?
Where have you experienced barriers in the Priority Outcomes initiative?
What has the Priority Outcomes initiative brought to your attention?

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Listen to the people above and below…in the
organizational chart and cooperate with our
colleagues across agencies and persist in making
change possible.
-Secretary Price
May 2, 2017
3 Key Themes

Consistent Functional
Tension between
Emphasis on Structure and
Control and
Scarcity of Openness of
Influence
Resources Communication

bschool.pepperdine.edu
3 Key Themes

Consistent Emphasis Tension between Functional Structure

on Scarcity of Control and Influence and Openness of
Resources Communication

87% 93% 93%

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Consistent Emphasis on Scarcity of Resources
What’s Working Early Successes
• Tools & Templates • Leveraging team
from OMP help to kick members to overcome
start process individual capacity
challenges

Gaps & Opportunities

• Creating balance
between existing
work & priority
outcomes

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Tension Between Control & Influence

What’s Working Early Successes

• Legacy data • Regional offices
• Excitement around removing barriers
forthcoming KPI
dashboard
Gaps & Opportunities
• Tendency toward
precision
• Thinking broadly about
collective ownership

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Functional Structure and Flow of Communication

What’s Working Early Successes

• Committed and • OMP process as a
responsive to team model
& leader

Gaps & Opportunities

• Overcoming barriers
to communication
vertically and cross-
functionally

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Frameworks for Change

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Levels of Organization

Vision, mission, values, alignment

Strategic
How you respond to your environment

Senior Leadership behavior and effectiveness

Executive
Team and Individual

Layers of authority
Leader/Manager
Consistency down and across the system

Policies, programs, tools, resources, etc.

System
Designed for the desired state

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Levels of Organization

Strategic
Tension Between Control and Influence

Executive
Functional Structure and Flow of Communication

Leader/Manager

Consistent Emphasis on Scarcity of Resources

System

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Kotter’s Change Management Process

Create Build Form Enlist Enable Generate Sustain Institute

Strategic Tension Between Control and Influence

Executive
Functional Structure and Flow of Communication
Leader/
Manager
Consistent Emphasis on Scarcity of Resources
System

Given the themes discussed, consider where you are in the

change management process across all levels of the
organization.

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Key Insights

Consistent Functional
Tension between
Emphasis on Structure and
Control and
Scarcity of Openness of
Influence
Resources Communication

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Questions for Reflection

bschool.pepperdine.edu
Key Insights

Consistent Functional
Tension between
Emphasis on Structure and
Control and
Scarcity of Openness of
Influence
Resources Communication

bschool.pepperdine.edu