Listed below is an annotated bibliography of the presentations on the use of TOC in government made at the annual TOCICO International Conference (2003-2013) and TOCICO webinars (2010-2013).

            The simplified TOC thinking processes (TP) roadmap is used to find and overcome limiting paradigms / rules. This presentation describes each step of the simplified TP process: Step 1. Why change. Step 2. What to change.  Step 3 To what to change. Step  4. How to cause the change. Step 5. How to measure and create POOGI.  In step 1 the five focusing steps and thinking processes are used in identifying the inherent potential or performance gap.  In step 2 insights are gained by defining UDE’s as unresolved conflicts.  In step 3 four simple ways to break any conflict with a win: win solution are given.  The application of the approach to a public sector case study on solid waste management and water supply management in four locations is provided.

            Dr. Alan shares the results of extensive international research through international case studies on the full extent and consequences of continued exponential population growth. Dr Alan provides attendees insights in this looming economic crisis and offers practical suggestions on how producers and distributors can prevent falling victim to the chaos and shows how they can practically capitalize on these conditions to not only survive, but flourish in the next decade.

            Utah’s Department of Workforce Services (DWS) began to implement TOC the central component of its operational excellence program to reduce costs while improving service levels. This presentation describes the objectives, process, steps and results to-date achieved by DWS. In addition the presentation shares how the process in DWS is being used as the model for driving improvement in other agencies of state government.

            How do you successfully apply TOC principles and tools in a public sector environment? A government organization has many internal and external realities that set it apart from its private sector counterparts. While many TOC principles are effective in government, the overall body of knowledge does not adequately address many conceptual differences. The TOC community has an opportunity like never before to influence the public sector—as decreasing budgets have put government on notice that it must find ways to provide services at lower costs. By applying TOC principles, Kristen Cox has substantially improved the performance of a large government agency.   Her presentation focuses on adaptations of basic TOC tools such as strategy and tactics (S&T) trees, as well as lessons learned to highlight applications in the public sector. The goal of this presentation is to encourage the TOC community to broaden the field of knowledge into government operations. Key learning points include: 1. An understanding of the current opportunity to influence government efforts to increased performance; 2. Insight into the challenges of applying TOC principles in a government setting; 3. Through lessons learned, adaptations of TOC tools that have created significant bottom-line results.

            The global economic troubles of the past few years have created significant challenges for governments around the world, and highlighted the critical importance of running government operations more effectively and efficiently. While TOC offers tremendous potential for government to make the great strides that are needed, it faces significant challenges in displacing the more common and less-effective methods, including: slashing services / programs, re-organization, technology investments, and lean / six sigma, among others. This presentation discusses the unique challenges government’s face (vs. for-profit organizations) both generally, and in applying TOC, and explores some novel techniques for launching and sustaining TOC in government organizations. We share examples and illustrations from several US states who have achieved success with TOC and who are now expanding their efforts state-wide.

            The presentation shows the need for a paradigm shift in dealing with basic public services in developing countries. TOC can help to strengthen management capacities, to prioritize actions and investments and should be applied in measuring performance by development banks and governmental bodies.

            The USMC (US Marine Corp.) repair facility leadership at Albany, GA shares their TOC focused seven-year journey of continuous improvement. They are a large maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operation responsible for reconstituting and regenerating mission capability for all the wheel and track vehicles in the USMC inventory. The mission capability requirement reach spans the world making it a true global logistical challenge. They share their experience of how they achieved these significant improvements.

            This presentation describes the quest of Nerius from being introduced to theory of constraints (TOC) to making it a significant factor in the Lithuanian government.  Narius's introduction to TOC was forced by an ultimatum by his father, Minister of Industry: Read The Goal or leave home. As a joke, he and some friends started a blog (common sense) describing mistakes made in business and in government.  Today it is the largest blog in Lithuania.  Some history of Lithuania is provided: 3 million population, regained independence in 1990, part of European Union. In 2009 the Lithuanian President wanted a country vision; in response and as a joke Nerius and his friends described as the goal of the country: To be happy people.  To achieve this goal they wanted measurements and improvements in three areas: the economy, education and healthcare.  Measures were put in place for each of the three areas.  For example for the economy, how many jobs exist today and what is the added value per job. The presentation then describes a couple TOC projects: Guarantee Funds success story (reported in last year's TOCICO conference; lead times to pay business employees when their employers went bankrupt was reduced from 18 months to 2.1 months during a doubling of demand and with no increase in government investment or operating expense) and healthcare.  One past and two future TOC conferences are described.

            This presentation shows how critical chain project management (CCPM) has provided a powerful yet simple process for improving the FMB project management team’s awareness and knowledge of ongoing work activity status and the ability to adapt and capitalize on short-fused schedule changes.  Benefits to attendees include: 1. Understand the value of implementation for a highly complex multi-project environment; 2. Understand performance measures used to enhance throughput in a not-for-profit, government agency; 3. Understand the five key success factors for their own implementations.

            Fukushima Prefecture is the one of the most active areas implementing win-win-win public works (win for residents, win for contractors and win for government) using TOC solutions. This presentation shows how TOC helps before and after the disaster in Fukushima including Fukushima’s win-win-win public works PoC (proof of concept) implementation with quantified results of 20% reduction of project duration and unquantifiable effects about government officials and contractors motivations with happy voices from local residents; an intense natural disaster was accelerated by a atomic power plant disaster, how the government officials useed the TOC mechanism to put priority (what to do and what not to do) to protect residents’ lives and how their PoC experience positively affected their thinking (with Fukushima’s government officials video messages to all TOC society in the world); and how TOC helps to solve the dilemma to deal with serious radioactive contaminated disposals to restore beautiful Fukushima. This presentation is valuable for individuals at any level in their organization and at any level of TOC expertise (novice through advanced).

TOC uses a systemic thinking approach for managing organizations. This systemic thinking can be applied to the management of government too. We can ask the question:  'Is Japan as a country effective as a system?'  Most Japanese people would answer that today's government management is not necessarily effective as a system.  On top of that, constant political / government scandals repeatedly happen, losing the trust of tax payers. The problems are huge enough, barking all the time year after year to get the attention of lots of people, yet we feel it is an unavoidable reality to the extent that we put undesirable meanings to the words 'politics' and 'bureaucracy'. It might be a good-enough enormity of an unaffected area for us to stand on the shoulders of a giant.  This presentation will show the following: -The Japanese government officials' constant dilemma of ever-changing political initiatives –The TOC simple injection surfaced by challenging basic assumptions to bring more result / value to tax payers -A case study of the Miyazaki Prefecture showing the TOC process and results after another political scandal (Governor and government executives arrested). –The holistic country management initiative to expand the TOC knowledge throughout Japan with case studies. -Standing on the Shoulders of a Giant process is revealed in this process.

            This presentation discusses the Japanese business culture, kaizen (improvement), TOC in Japan (2003), Japan’s public works construction dilemma (moving from spiraling costs, unhappy public, and late projects costs lives), a prerequisite tree for changing the construction industry (moving to customers believe critical chain (CC) is worth trying to more and more customers adopt critical chain).  The first critical chain implementation and its results and the one-day response project for the government are discussed.  The CC is a win-win-win for citizens, public works office and contractors.  TOC and Wa (harmony) are discussed.

            This session is a facilitated session concerned with TOC in government. The audience is asked to describe a conflict in governement and draw the cloud for discussion.  The participants' need is to create simplicity in government. Today how congress works in committees, bills, budgets, compromises, etc. is cumbersome. They sub-optimize. We need a holistic government cloud and solution. One conflict is the conflict to collaborate or not to collaborate. Another conflict is to spend everything in my allocated budget versus not spend everything in my allocated budget. Another is to do what is politically expedient or do what is right for the long term. Another: to exploit versus to elevate. The Utah-government issue was selected to study. The current government system is focused on sub-optimization. D Focus is on the federal program compliance requirement (D Follow the rules or D Focus on a piece of the problem). D Focus on the responsibilities of my office rather on D' Focus on creating holistic solutions. (D’ Challenge the rules or D’ Do what is right.)   What is the need B for D Follow the rules?  Secure funding (provide stability, security) (have continuity) (get the job done w/o drama).  "In order to work effectively within the government structure” might serve as the Objective A. Objective A In order to have people achieve self-sufficiency is the Utah government objective.

            Government is under incredible pressure right now. The economic crisis has hit it with a double whammy: exponential increases in demand and dramatically reduced resources. Government simply doesn’t have the capacity to do all the good it wants to do in this world. How have governments responded to these new pressures? By trotting out the old ideas. More blue ribbon panels, travel moratoriums and calls for accountability. They cut back on paper clips and cut out the training. They outsource, upgrade and right size. Meanwhile droves of new customers are left waiting for help. The house of government doesn’t need another layer of paint or some new carpet it needs an extreme makeover. And just like on the show it needs it done fast! This presentation makes obvious the real problems plaguing government, how you can join the crew and gives you the tools to complete the makeover. You will learn: • The one and only thing government needs to focus on to get out of this crisis • How government can perform its vital functions 80% faster at less cost with better quality • The DNA of government complexity and how we can genetically modify it • How to spot the 'moldy' thinking that is making government employees sick • How to get rid of 40% of an agency’s workload • Where the hidden costs of government are • Why technology isn’t the answer. Most importantly TOC practitioners will learn a new way of seeing the work of government and learn how they can help make that work great.

            This presentation describes the introduction of TOC into the Japanese government.  It compares this situation to Toyota changing manufacturing practice around the world by the Toyota Production System (TPS) to illustrate the importance of TOC changing practices in government.  A matrix showing complex versus simple and control versus communication is provided with different tasks and characteristics listed in each of three of the four quadrants.  The core problem of construction projects of the government and outside contractors was the lack of responsiveness of the government to take required actions for the project.  The government's one-day response (ODR) rule to critical tasks is explained and the benefits provided.    A bar graph of the government construction investment and number of workers over time was provided. The government construction investment decreased 41% while the number of related workers decreased 19%.  A graph of the change in profit rate of the construction industry was also provided.  An evaporating cloud of the situation included A Citizen live happy life B Secure citizen’s safety D Do public works C Secure financial health in government and D’ Stop public works.  The ODR rule was the injection to break the cloud; a future reality tree showing the causal relationship of this injection to the desired effects was provided.  A pie chart showing the perception of the impact of the one-day response on communications between government and contractors for each group was provided.  The contractors thought it was much more positive than the government.  A list of the benefits of TOC for the Japanese government was provided. In summary, the government is paperless, is able to apply IT effectively, has collaboration meetings together with government officials, contractors and consultants, utilizes the web to share the construction status update to local responses and has expanded its application of the ODR and ODSC to non-construction projects.

Reid, R. and T. Shoemaker (2009). Challenges and opportunities in applying the TOC thinking processes (TP) in public sector organizations. 1st Annual North American Regional TOCICO Conference, Tacoma, WA, Goldratt Marketing Group.

            The thinking processes (TP) provide a framework for understanding managerial dilemmas, identifying strategic direction, and implementing organizational improvements. Learn about unique public sector ‘work-arounds’, TP pitfalls in a service-oriented subsystem, and ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking by public sector managers. Insights gained in application of the TP in a US city water department, African solid waste management, and municipal services in the Philippines are presented.

            The presentation topic is the implementation of TOC and focused management principles to the management of law courts, has achieved substantial lead time, throughput and quality improvements. Our presentation goal and key learning points are to present the generic managerial problems of the adjudication system; to present and validate the use of TOC and focused management tools for the adjudication system; to present case studies that demonstrate the use of simple and practical tools that significantly improve the performance of a law court system.

            Guaranty Fund at Department of Enterprise Bankruptcy Management under Lithuanian Ministry of Economy was created in order to ensure payments of delayed or unpaid salaries to the workers of bankrupt companies. Therefore this Fund plays a very important social role – quite often after a person loses his job. The Fund pays money which the company owed to this person. So it is very important to ensure the application processing time to be as fast as possible.  At the beginning of 2009 Guaranty Fund faced some real challenges including a backlog of old applications for funds and long processing times; a drastic increase in bankruptcies and new applications (more than double); and a reduction of governmental spending (not possible to increase in staff).

            Learning from one event is an organizational methodology to inquire into single events that might point to a threat to the organization.  The methodology is based on the thinking processes (TP), but uses them in a somewhat different way. This application was developed by Eli Schragenheim and Dr. Avner Passal.  The idea is to identify a mismatch between the organizational accepted paradigms and reality, and to help in identifying the flawed paradigm, update it and implement changes according to the new learned lessons. This methodology is especially required for TOC implementations, because when some basic paradigms change then there is a real threat that some 'forgotten' paradigms are not in line with the new understanding. This methodology has been applied in government.

            The purpose of this presentation is to propose a process to build a strategy and tactics (S&T) tree using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis as a starting point.  The output of the SWOT analysis is used to determine the different assumptions that are part of the generic structure of the S&T tree at its different levels.   In addition, each level of the S&T tree is designated a different title to create a language that facilitates communication.  Finally, the output of the S&T analysis is summarized in a strategy map which is a tool to communicate graphically the relevant part of the organizational strategy. A case study of the process being applied in a development bank in Nicaragua is presented to illustrate the process.

            Government concerns include: poverty, lack of education, crime and corruption, and lack of economic growth.  Others include health issues. Some prioritize; other link causally. We need an economy that is continually generating surpluses. Each person is inspirational. The first question: is where can we help most? There is a need to translate tools to the specific government environment.  One must understand the unique constraints of government (advanced planning documents, budgeting process, etc.). Win-win contracts with consultants are views as getting paid on what you save the government. Education goal is to get TOC the main way in education. Networking is required to spread TOC. Encourage everyone to teach others. Rules of playing the game are difference in government. Challenging fundamental assumptions is required to develop win-win solutions. Check the objective, think about actions, and then people think about money.  We have the capability to teach people to think clearly. We don't understand exponential growth: the rule of 70 and doubling the time. Suppose a city is growing at 7%.  It takes (70/7 =) 10 years for the population to double.

            The construction boom in Brazil is creating raw materials, labor and management shortages. These shortages are thwarting the Brazilian government’s efforts to apply billions of reais in government funding available in the CAIXA ECONÓMICA FEDERAL in providing subsidized housing to millions of families. By creating a total TOC construction company, Construrora Veloso in Curitiba, Brazil is able to use critical chain and other TOC tools to rapidly increase the capability to expand subsidized housing by delivering low-cost homes.