Eight win prizes in QUICK Award drawing

Mike Louisell
Communications

QUICK Awards are presented by employees who see their peers demonstrating good work and service to others – either inside or outside the agency. Here are the prize recipients from the third quarter drawing and why they received awards.

Dr. Amber Itle, assistant state veterinarian

Dr. Amber Itle, Animal Services Division, for a November presentation before the Senate Agriculture, Water, Trade and Economic Development Committee. Amber highlighted the value of WSDA’s Animal Disease Tractability Program and the Animal Health Program’s veterinary services.

Becca Sotelo, Director’s Office, for putting together several ads for The Seattle Times to publicize the fifth season of the TV series Washington Grown.

Paige Beck, Risk Management, Administrative Services, for coming in on her day off to assist with a Bovine Issues Working Group workshop. Paige provided insights about WSDA Emergency Operations Center activities and how our agency would activate the EOC when necessary.

Quinlyn Baine, Pest Program, and April Milan, Food Safety—both stationed in Olympia—for being among several employees who staffed WSDA’s booth at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup.

Ethan Estalilla, Pesticide Compliance Program, Moses Lake, for staffing WSDA’s booth at the Central Washington State Fair in Yakima. Again, Ethan was among many who contributed their time to promote WSDA activities and agriculture at the fair.

Ethan Estalilla, Moses Lake
Pesticide Compliance Office

Alvin Easter, Food Safety, Spokane, for providing technical assistance to industry stakeholders, conducting field-based inspections, mentoring staff members, and serving as the program’s inspection standard specialist.

Lyle Lemons, Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Program, East Wenatchee, for his contributions to a sampling project with the USDA.

Winners may contact Robin Schaffer in Olympia or Brandy Thompson in Wenatchee to select a prize.

March 30 next drawing deadline

If you catch one of your coworkers doing something special for staff or customers, let them know. You can find the QUICK Award form on the intranet. Forms are also available from your division coordinator or agency receptionists.

In summary: WSDA staff presented 96 QUICK Awards during the fourth quarter of 2017. Eight of their names were randomly drawn to receive prizes.

WSDA ranks well on worker safety measure

Ron Hussung
Enterprise Risk and Safety Office

Cameron Hendrickson, Craig Hatley, and Dave Holtzheimer, all with the
Colfax Grain Inspection Office, receive reflective vests as WSDA safety
recognition awards from Robert Ambriz, Eastern Washington safety officer.

Out of 145 Washington State government agencies, WSDA came out number three among those projected to have the lowest workers compensation claims costs for the next three years. 

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) administers the state’s industrial insurance program that covers costs incurred when an employee is injured on the job. L&I recently reported the “experience ratings” for employers in various industries. That assigned rate predicts how much better or worse an employer’s claims costs are likely to be in the future.

Only the departments of Ecology and Health were assigned lower rates than WSDA. While our rate did go up slightly since the last ratings period, it is still among the very lowest in state government. 

The experience rating, in part, determines the premiums WSDA pays L&I to be covered by the industrial insurance program. 

Think of it like your personal car insurance. Insurance companies factor in your age, gender, driving record and vehicle safety features to determine the premiums you pay for your coverage. 

Tim Stein, with the Pesticide Compliance
Program in Spokane, with his award for
recognition of safety performance.

 

L&I considers the risks inherent in the industry and types of jobs, and factors in previous experience to predict the expected costs of future accidents. WSDA is charged different amounts for types of job positions from relatively low-risk administrative desk work to more high-risk warehouse inspection. 

According to L&I’s website: “The lower the past accident costs, the lower the expectation of future costs and hence, the lower the premium rates charged to the employer. This provides an economic incentive to prevent accidents.”

Promoting safety and preventing accidents is an agencywide effort. The Safety Program is here to support you and we thank all WSDA employees for contributing toward this success. 

In summary: WSDA is among just three state agencies with the lowest projected workers compensation claims costs. Read more to learn what it means.

What’s new with WSDA performance and planning?

Kristin Rondeau
Performance and Planning Management Office

Much of WSDA’s operating funds are generated by fees for service. Occasionally, fee levels need to be adjusted. For the agency to make the case to raise fees on our customers, we must show that we’re providing services as efficiently as possible. 

As a result of interest by our customers and state lawmakers, Director Derek Sandison has instructed programs to undergo a formal review process before requesting any fee increase.

Members of the Performance and Planning Management Office, left to right, Amy-Jo Shriner,
Vicky Leonard, Nicole Wolf, and Kristin Rondeau (not pictured; Blanche Sobottke).

WSDA’s Performance and Planning Management Office (PPMO) is here to help with that process. Using Lean principles and other performance analysis and improvement techniques, we can help clarify whether and why a fee increase is needed. Involving stakeholders early in this review allows them to understand the issues and offer process improvement ideas.   

If your program is considering a service fee increase, contact our office (see contacts below) as soon as possible. 

Program manager communication

On Dec. 8, 2017, the agency’s program managers gathered for their first in-person meeting in 10 months. It kicked off a pilot project of quarterly program manager forums, organized by PPMO. The aim is to foster communication among this level of leadership and provide information of value related to their work. 

The December meeting included presentations on strategic planning, communications policies and resources, a Policy Office update and announcement of a Lean training opportunity. 

The next forum is scheduled for March, and PPMO has asked program managers for agenda ideas. 

Results Washington 2.0

Results Washington was created in 2013 as a vehicle for state government to report performance improvements to all state residents. Agencies regularly provide data on goals, leading indicators and

Gov. Jay Inslee facilitating a results review meeting as Rich Roesler,
Results Washington deputy director, looks on.

outcome measures. 

Based on a commitment to continuous improvement, Gov. Inslee and the Results Washington office are proposing to update the current framework. This could change what and how WSDA reports our data for Results Washington. 

Read the Insider blog post about the Results Washington Goal Council meeting WSDA hosted in September.

Contact us

The Performance and Planning Management Office wants to support you and your work. Please feel free to contact any of us. 

• Kristin Rondeau – Manager
• Blanche Sobottke – Writer, editor, analyst
• Vicky Leonard – Project manager, Lean
• Amy-Jo Shriner – Project manager, Lean
• Nicole Wolf – Performance, project support

In summary: Here’s an update on news and activities of the agency’s Performance and Planning Management Office, including fee proposal reviews and program manager forums.

Takes a village to track legislative action

Kathy Davis
Communications

The WSDA Policy Office leads the way. From left to right are Laura Butler,
Steve Fuller, Hannah Street and Larry Sheahan.

Annual legislative sessions are a busy time, especially for many WSDA employees. It takes a team effort and lots of coordination to make sure lawmakers are aware of the big impacts their work can have on agency operations. 

That’s especially true due to the high volume – as many as 3,000 to 4,000 bills are introduced during an average session. Of those, about 500 make it to the governor’s desk for signing. And WSDA tracks 700 to 800 pieces of legislation identified as affecting our agency during a session. 

The 2018 session began on Monday, Jan. 8. Being an even year, when a biennial budget is not on the table, this session is scheduled to last just 60 days, ending March 8. 

Prepping for session

Given the volume, time constraints and Washington’s citizen legislators who hail from various backgrounds, “The result is very little time or attention available to spend on any one issue,” said Larry Sheahan, director of WSDA’s Policy Office. “We rely on a network of agency experts to get through session.”

The Policy Office is the primary coordination point for all agency interaction with the Legislature. The team (see photo above) works with WSDA programs to develop, inform, implement, and respond to legislative activities. 

Last week, the office presented a session preview and refresher to many of the key staff who will provide support. These folks will be expected to review proposed bills, provide information, prepare fiscal notes, and perhaps even testify before a legislative committee. 

Key proposals and issues

For the 2018 session, WSDA is proposing six bills – called agency request legislation. Below are summaries. 

County Grange displays at state agricultural fairs
display the bounty of food grown in Washington.
One WSDA-proposed bill would affect fairs, youth
shows and exhibitions.

• Updating laws concerning agricultural fairs, youth shows, and exhibitions. Clarifies definitions, revises funding allocation, and changes commission appointments. 
• Concerning certificates of veterinary inspection for animals brought into the state. Aligns with federal rule by removing certificate of vet inspection exemptions for cattle imported into our state and headed to a Washington feed lot. 
• Implementing the federal Produce Safety rule. Gives WSDA authority to implement the new federal Produce Safety requirements. 
• Creating a new intrastate food safety chapter from existing food safety laws in intrastate commerce in food, drug, and cosmetics law.
• Exempting officers and employees of the Washington wine and beer commissions from civil service provisions.
• Exempting hop grower lot information used in WSDA’s export document from public disclosure. Responds to hop growers’ concerns that providing lot numbers could affect competition with other countries. 

Along with these proposals, which WSDA will be shepherding though the legislative process, other bills may be introduced that affect our work. These will also be closely tracked and monitored. A few of the issues that may come up include:

• Agricultural tax exemptions
• Animal disease traceability
• Avian influenza
• Green waste transport
• Industrial hemp
• Marijuana
• Pesticides
• Water and climate

Those involved with legislation during this session are using new legislative tracking software and standing by to respond quickly to meet deadlines triggered by an often fast-moving process. 

Agricultural interests host some of the most
popular events at the Capitol during legislative
session; this year’s annual Potato Day
happens on Jan. 30 (photo from 2017).

Follow policy and law

Any private citizen has the right to provide input on pending legislation, or even to provide testimony to the Legislature. 

However, as a WSDA employee, be sure to comply with agency policy regarding political activities and attending legislative meetings, as well as state ethics laws. Any personal involvement must be on your own, non-work time and without using state resources, such as computers or cell phones. In addition, you must make it clear that you are NOT representing or speaking on behalf of WSDA. 

Stay tuned – we’ll keep you updated on legislative developments affecting WSDA in your weekly Connect e-bulletin and here on the Insider. 

In summary: With potentially thousands of bills introduced, WSDA is marshaling coordination among a cadre of agency staff to monitor the 60-day legislative session which started Jan. 8.

A look back at inside-WSDA happenings

Kathy Davis
Communications

The beginning of the calendar year is an opportune time to reflect back on the year just past and some significant changes affecting WSDA.

State employees outside the Natural Resources Building
in Olympia check out the solar eclipse on Aug. 21.

A number of developments were aimed at providing more support for agency employees. We also saw some changes at the program level, and improvements in communications. 

Focus on workforce support

Recognizing how much administrative functions such as technology, human resources, financial services, communications and more have changed in our modern world, WSDA approved an increase in the rate that funds these functions for the entire agency. The rate, which is a percentage of certain portions of WSDA’s fee-for-service account, funds centralized support services. 

The increased admin funding will, for instance, allow IT to keep critical systems updated and better protect the agency from growing cyber threats. Enhanced HR support will help keep pace with turnover from an aging workforce and the unique demands of hiring hundreds of seasonal workers. Communications, performance planning and regulatory support have also been enhanced. 

The agency’s Safety Program took big strides during 2017 to serve internal customers and protect workers from injury and hazards. The team created a recognition program, started publishing a quarterly newsletter, and has been regularly shadowing workers to learn about and address on-the-job conditions that could jeopardize safety. 

Other highlights of administrative achievements include:

• Started using the Learning Management System (LMS), a state web-based tool to search, manage and register for job training. 
• Programs and teams reviewed and updated the action plans created as part of the agency’s formal strategic planning effort. 
• Employees began receiving new standardized agency ID cards as proof of employment to show customers and the public.
• Staff relocated within the Natural Resources Building (agency headquarters) – as the NRB space workgroup continued planning for the future – including two programs moving to the third floor. 
• A record year in policy development produced 30 new or revised policies and 25 new or revised procedures or guidelines. 

Communications ups its game

The fact that you’re reading this article on an online blog marks just one of the advancements made in WSDA communications over the past year. In April, the Communications Office unveiled a refreshed and redesigned intranet homepage, featuring blog-based stories for and about WSDA employees, along with other improvements. 

In addition, we’ve made big strides in using social media. In the past year, our Facebook followers more than doubled, now surpassing 8,000! WSDA recently added two more platforms – Instagram and Flickr – to our social media toolkit. 

Other communication progress includes:

• Moving ahead with the formal process to contract for a whole new redesign of the agency’s 15-year-old internet (public) website. 
• Responsibility for developing and managing forms shifted to the Administrative Regulations office, adding capacity for professional graphic design services. 
• Hired a summer communications intern, adding service capacity and introducing a recent college grad to state government work. 

Program news

WSDA programs took shape and changed shape during 2017: 

• The Produce Safety Program, funded through federal grants to implement major food safety legislation, added staff to assist state produce growers comply with the law. 
• The Industrial Hemp Research Pilot, started in 2016, issued licenses to the first growers in Washington. 

  

  The state’s first modern-era industrial hemp farmers receiving their
  WSDA licenses and seeds. From left Cory Sharp, Emily Febles
  (former Industrial Hemp Research Pilot coordinator), Victor Shaul
  (Seed Program manager), and Shane Palmer.

• The Regional Markets staff (previously paired with Food Assistance within Food Safety and Consumer Service Division) joined the International Marketing Program within the Commodity Inspection Division. 

And lastly…

On a fun note, many WSDA staff, along with folks across the country, went outside on Aug. 21, using special solar glasses or other protective devices to take in the unique experience of a near-total solar eclipse. 

To learn about more agency accomplishments and happenings during 2017, check out the latest post on our external blog, Ag Briefs. 

In summary: A lot happens in a year! Reflect back on some of the significant developments that affected our workforce and organizational support in the past year.