What is RethinkLex?
RethinkLex is an initiative to make city government more efficient. And we need employee’s insight to make this happen.
We know there are processes, services and programs that can be delivered in more effective ways that will save employees’ time and the city’s money.
This means asking yourself, “why do we provide this program?” or “why do we use this method to deliver a service?” And if the answer is “well, that’s just the way we’ve always done it”….then that means its time Rethink it.
We want to hear from you about how the City can make changes. How can we find ways to streamline processes, eliminate redundancies and increase revenue?
We need your help. Your voice matters.
Why are we going through this process?
City government is currently facing financial and budgetary issues. Our expenses are rising faster than our revenues. Because of this, divisions and departments across government were asked to reduce their FY20 budget by 15%. As we look to the future, we need to evaluate how we serve our community and access the costs associated with the work we do and the services we provide.
What do we hope to accomplish?
- Find ways to more efficiently operate and serve the community by considering alternative approaches to delivery;
- Identify services and processes that are used infrequently or that are no longer needed due to duplication or redundancies;
- Identify services or processes that could be enhanced or made more efficient by utilizing technology;
- Evaluate our current fee structure and adjust if costs are not covered; and
- dentify new and improved ways to serve our residents.
How will employees be involved in this process?
There is no blueprint for improving efficiencies. And we aren’t hiring a consulting firm to help us figure it out. Instead, we are relying on employees to tell us what works and what doesn’t.
Each division will identify a RethinkLex representative who will be responsible for facilitating the discussions and documenting the creative ideas coming from employees. All employees should expect to talk about their ideas in group meetings as well as informal “water cooler” discussions. This will be an opportunity to talk about what your section provides and how you think we can do things better, quicker or easier. Your RethinkLex representative will report out the division’s top efficiency initiatives as agreed upon by your internal review process.
Your voice matters! We want to hear from you at this early stage and in the months to come. As we work through this process, we will continue to provide opportunities for employee engagement and feedback.
How can employees provide their feedback and suggestions?
Remember, we are looking for recommendations on how to improve a work process, make job responsibilities more efficient, identify areas of wasteful spending or recommend ways to generate revenue. You can share your ideas in various ways.
- In person. Share your ideas at division meetings and directly to your division’s RethinkLex representative.
- Email. Send an email directly to the RethinkLex steering committee at Rethinklex@lexingtonky.gov through Nov. 11. Once reviewed, suggestions that are specific to a division will be routed to the appropriate division for further consideration.
- Anonymous online form. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can submit your ideas through an online form through Nov. 11. Once reviewed, suggestions that are specific to a division will be routed to the appropriate division for further consideration.
How long will this take?
We anticipate the process will last six months. A draft report will be presented in February 2020 that will include next steps and recommendations.
This does not mean that we expect to have all new and improved processes implemented within six months. We recognize that some of the ideas that will come from RethinkLex may be difficult or complex processes and will take a longer time to employ. Some may start immediately.