U.S. Navy Gathers Efficiency Ideas

The Chief of Naval Operations' Reduce Administrative Distractions (RAD) team is collecting input about how to streamline or eliminate administrative processes. With an interface similar to social media platforms, the U.S. Navy website, created by IdeaScale, enables visitors to share their observations about training, administrative tasks, procedures and instruction, and then propose their ideas for efficiencies.

Open to all ranks and any duty status as well as naval civilians, it also features comment and voting capabilities. To encourage participation, users are rewarded with merit badges based on their activity on the site. Since the RAD team launched the site on July 1, discussion topics have ranged from anti-terrorism force protection to electronic routing.

Data collection is the first in a three-phase approach to address cumbersome administrative processes in the fleet. During phase two, the information will be analyzed, and the RAD team will propose automation, elimination, reduction or other actions to those responsible for the administrative programs identified for improvement during phase one. Phase three will be the execution of the reduction measures and must be complete by September 30, when the RAD team will announce the progress made to date, monitor the impact and plan for the next cycle.