University alumnae Beverly Godwin, a key member of President Clinton's Reinventing Government initiative, noticed one major change on campus during her visit Friday.
"There are many more coffee bars now than when I was a student here," Godwin said.
Godwin spoke about the government initiative called the National Performance Review and highlighted many of the efforts the group has devised to improve the way government works.
One proposal included cutting many regulations deemed unneccesary.
"We've come a long way," said Godwin, who graduated in 1982. "We've eliminated 16,000 pages of obsolete regulations. Our mission is about making government work better and cost less."
Since the National Performance Review began in 1994, the federal workforce has been reduced from 2.2 million to 1.9 million people. But Godwin said the group does not only want to minimize government.
"Our goal should not be to destroy government, but to improve it," Godwin said.
Public Policy Dean Edward Gramlich noted that it can be difficult to work for the government because there is often a great deal of criticism.
"Government is a very thankless task," Gramlich said.
Godwin said that her experience at the University was invaluable in her career in government.
"The School of Public Policy teaches a way of thinking you will use throughout your career," Godwin said.
Gramlich said Godwin made a mark for herself as an exceptional student.
"She distingushed herself as a student here," Gramlich said.
One of the four key steps the team found to reinvent government is to put customers first.
Godwin recalled a program organized by the regional manager of the New York Veterans' Affairs office. Instead of simply taking benefits requests by applications and phone calls, he had his workers visit the veterans in the hospital, she said.
"These were faceless, nameless beaurocrats used to dealing with paperwork everyday," Godwin said. "Now they met their customers."
Godwin said the government must concentrate on the end result rather than the process.
"Focusing on results is extremely powerful," Godwin said. "A focus on results frees managers and employees to allow them to focus on outcomes. It increases trust."
One federal agency that Godwin said has begun to focus on results is the Environmental Protection Agency, which has eliminated about 15 million hours of paperwork annually for businesses and citizens.
"The EPA has drastically changed the way it does business," Godwin said. "The EPA is focusing more on results."
Godwin predicted that if Vice President Al Gore, one of the proponents of the National Performance Review, runs for President, the group will be negatively portrayed by opponents.
"There will be more attacks on the National Performance Review," Godwin said. "The press focuses on the disasters."
JOHN KRAFT/Daily
Beverly Godwin, University alumna and member of the Clinton administration, delivered the Staebler address Friday in the Alumni Center.