The Problem with Policies
What if the policies designed to improve public services are the reason those services fail? More importantly, what can we do about it?
This is the question Jennifer Pahlka explores in her book, [Re]coding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better. The book recounts how well-intentioned policies often create slow, ineffective services. As Pahlka writes, "We have to examine and challenge the underlying structures, assumptions, and values that drive the larger system of government in which the bureaucracy of implementation operates."

The good news is that these systems are designed, meaning they can be redesigned. Through numerous examples, Pahlka demonstrates how empowered government employees can create better systems by disrupting the traditional "waterfall" transfer of knowledge and authority.
Who is Jennifer Pahlka?
If you’re unfamiliar with Jennifer Pahlka, here’s a quick overview of some of her experience with improving government services:
She founded Code for America, a nonprofit in San Francisco that aims to improve government service delivery in the digital age.
She was the former Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer.
She co-founded the United States Digital Response, which addressed government service demands during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her wealth of experience positions her as a leading voice in rethinking government systems for the digital era.
The Service Quality Equation
Pahlka introduces a compelling observation: "At times, it almost seems that status in government is dependent on how distant one can be from policy implementation. There is also a debilitating distance between the people creating government systems and those who use them."
This insight, as discussed in her book, reveals an inverse relationship between service quality and the distance from the policy implementation point, otherwise known as the point of service delivery. I will refer to the point of service delivery as PoS from here on.
Simply-Put:
The farther policy creators are from the PoS, the lower the service quality (Q).
Or, mathematically: As distance (D) increases, quality (Q) decreases.

Does this sound like something you’ve experienced? Consider how this distance might have shaped your interactions with government services.
Levers for Quality Change
If this hypothesis is true, improving service quality requires reducing the distance between policy creators and the PoS. Whether you’re a leader or a frontline employee, you can play a role in closing this gap.
Here’s how:
For Policy Makers and Leaders: Get Closer to the PoS
Imagine you’re tasked with improving the DMV experience. Where do you start? For many, the default assumption is that long wait times mean more staff are needed.
California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) faced a similar issue during the pandemic. Policymakers allocated funds to hire more staff to process unemployment claims. But instead of solving the problem, this decision worsened it.
Why? The real issue wasn’t just a staffing shortage—it was a lack of employees trained to navigate the complex, patchwork back-end systems. These systems required at least five years of on-the-job training to be used effectively. Adding untrained staff increased errors and wasted funds that could have been spent on lasting improvements.
The traditional top-down, “waterfall” approach assumes solutions can be dictated from above without consulting frontline staff who understand the problem intimately. Leaders and policymakers can avoid these pitfalls using Lean tools to engage directly with the PoS with the help and guidance of the service's frontline employees.
Three Lean Tools for Leaders to try TODAY:
Communication Circles: Map the flow of information across departments to uncover bottlenecks, redundancies, and inefficiencies.
Gemba Walks: Visit the PoS to observe work processes in real-time. Shadow frontline staff, observe interactions, and analyze in-person and digital workflows to identify improvement opportunities.
PPI's Lean for Executives (LFE) Seminar: This free seminar equips leaders to champion Lean practices, build team problem-solving skills, and create a culture of continuous improvement.
For Frontline Managers and Employees: Bring PoS Insights to Leadership
Frontline employees are the experts on service delivery. They experience problems firsthand and often know how to fix them. Lean tools can help translate frontline employee experience-based insights into actionable improvements that resonate with leadership.
Three Lean Tools for Frontline Employees to try TODAY:
Huddles: Hold weekly meetings with your team to identify and act on improvement opportunities. Use visual management boards to track progress and maintain accountability.
Five Whys: Uncover the root causes of problems by repeatedly asking “why” until you identify the core issue. This simple tool is especially effective for tracing upstream problems.
An example of using the Five Whys tool to find the root cause of a problem PPI's Lean Leaders™ Certification Program: For employees ready to lead change, this advanced training teaches you how to run process improvement projects while engaging stakeholders to create meaningful, lasting results.
Are You Ready to Pull the Levers for Quality Change?
Change doesn’t have to start at the top. Whether you’re a policymaker or a frontline worker, you can take steps today to disrupt the waterfall and improve service quality.
Start now:
Try one of the tools above.
Share your findings with a colleague or team.
Read [Re]coding America for more inspiration.
Schedule a discovery call
Jennifer Pahlka’s work shows us that even entrenched systems like California’s justice and veterans’ services can be transformed. You can do the same for your organization—because better systems lead to better service.
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