- GSA has published a playbook to help agencies streamline and automate operations
- The guide outlines methods for eliminating inefficiencies and improving mission support processes
- The handbook draws on federal modernization efforts and lessons learned from past automation initiatives
The General Services Administration has released a handbook designed to help federal agencies improve operational efficiency through process elimination, optimization and automation, or EOA.
GSA said Wednesday the handbook draws on lessons learned from federal process improvement initiatives launched during the first Trump administration. The guide incorporates GSA’s operational development experience alongside best practices from NASA and the Department of Education.
What Does the Handbook Cover?
The Federal Elimination, Optimization and Automation Playbook outlines approaches agencies can use to eliminate duplicative activities, improve mission support operations, expand employee capacity for higher-value work and automate repetitive tasks. It also includes implementation considerations, governance practices, and key takeaways from previous deployments of automation and artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities.
GSA Deputy Administrator Michael Lynch said the guide offers agency leaders a framework for reducing administrative friction and applying emerging technologies to support mission delivery.
The playbook includes guidance on identifying improvement opportunities, validating projects, selecting automation approaches, implementing changes and measuring results.
What Results Has GSA Reported?
The handbook highlights outcomes from GSA’s internal EOA efforts. According to the document, the agency has deployed more than 190 automation applications since 2019 and estimates that those tools have generated over 2 million hours of workload savings. GSA also reported eliminating more than 115,000 annual workload hours through requirements reviews and saving more than 125,000 annual hours through process optimization initiatives.
How Does the Effort Align With Broader Modernization Goals?
The release of the handbook aligns with GSA’s five-year strategy announced in 2022, aimed at improving government operations, acquisition processes and service delivery through technology adoption and operational reform.
