Summary

The Department of the Navy used an education

and training program as a tool to facilitate major
organizational change. The education and training
program was used as a vehicle to communicate the
vision of top leaders, and as a means of providing
the knowledge and skills required to perform the
many new roles embodied in the change. The
success achieved in implementing organizational
change in the Department of the Navy was due in
large measure to the effectiveness of the education
and training program developed to support the
change.
A design team was formed to define the strategies,
curriculum, and program to support implementation of the environed change. The major lessons
learned in developing the education and training
program were that it is more difficult and takes
more time than anticipated to develop a comprehensive program for educating and training large
numbers of individuals in a large complex organization.
It is recommended for anyone embarking on a
similar venture to have the right people on the

Implementing Change Using E&T

team, make sure they are knowledgeable about the

nature of the change being implemented, give the team
appropriate resources and guidance to do its job
efficiently and effectively, and make membership on the
team a full-time assignment until the job is done.
Doing these things will clearly demonstrate top
leaderships commitment to the change they seek to
implement.

Implementing Change Using E&T

References

1. Houston, A., Sheposh, J., & Shettel-Neuber, J.

(1986). Management methods for quality improvement based on statistical process control: A literature and field survey (NPRDC Tech. Rep. 86-21).
San Diego, CA: Navy Personnel Research and
Development Center.
2. DON Executive Steering Group Guidance on
Total Quality Leadership (TQL). Garrett, H.
L., III. (6 June, 1991).
3. Deming, W. E. (1986). Out of the crisis. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Advanced Engineering
Study.
4. Doherty, L. M. (May 1990). Managing the transformation: A two-phase approach to implementing TQM. Presentation at the Third Annual
Federal Quality and Productivity Conference,
Vienna, VA.
5. Kidder, P. J., & Rouiller, J. A. (Spring 1997).
Evaluating the success of a large-scale training
effort. National Productivity Review, 79-89.
6. Cooper, B. L. (October 1995). Total quality
leadership assessment survey: Status of TQL
implementation in the Department of the Navy. San Diego, CA:
Navy Personnel Research and Development Center.
(Unpublished).

Implementing Change Using E&T

7. Kirkpatrick, D. L. (1966).Evaluating training programs: The

four levels. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Kiehler Publishers, Inc.
8. Tach, E. C., & Murphy, K. L. (December 1995).
Training via distance learning. Training and
Development, 44-46.

Implementing Change Using E&T

Implementing Change Using E&T

Appendix A

Brief summary of DON TQL education and

training program milestones.

1984

The Navy Personnel Research and

Development Center (NPRDC)
conducts study to determine feasibility of using statistical process control
to improve mission performance in
naval industrial organizations.

1985

NPRDC identifies requirements for

implementation of quality management practices in naval organizations.

1985

NPRDC conducts pilot project at the

Naval Aviation Depot (NADEP) in
San Diego to test implementation of
quality management approach based
on the philosophy of Dr. W.
Edwards Deming.

1985

The DON approach to quality improvement is called Total Quality

Management (TQM).

Implementing Change Using E&T

1987

Federal Times publishes story about

success of Japanese-style productivity improvements at Naval Aviation
Depot.

1988

NPRDC conducts series of three-day

Implementation Seminars in
response to numerous requests for
assistance from naval and other
government organizations.

March
1988

Secretary of Defense for Procurement

& Logistics sets up first seminar for
top executives in DOD military
departments focused on quality,
leadership, and management based
on philosophy of Dr. W. Edwards
Deming.

Aug.
1988

Under Secretary of the Navy attends

DOD seminar and tasks NPRDC to
design a permanent organization
dedicated to assisting TQM implementation in the DON.

Nov.
1988

DON publishes first Department of

the Navy Total Quality Management
Implementation Plan (revised in April
1989).

Nov.
1988

Goal #3 of the DON implementation

plan states; Educate all DON personnel in TQM perspectives and train
appropriate personnel in concepts
and techniques for TQM implementation starting with top management.

Implementing Change Using E&T

Jan.
1989

Under Secretary of the Navy

establishes and convenes first meet i n g
of the Executive Steering Group
(ESG) to lead the implementation of
TQM in the DON. Their first action
was to establish a TQM education
and training design team.

Feb.
1989

Design team convenes its first

meeting to develop a strategic plan
for TQM education and training.

May
1989

Design team develops first draft

TQM Education and Training Implementation Plan which contains a
matrix of courses and target audience
for each course and a brief description
of the courses.

June
1989

Design team reviews contractor

developed awareness course and
concludes it is unsuitable for DON use.

Aug.
1989

ESG approves first DON TQM

Education and Training Strategic
Plan. Its focus was on shore support
organizations in the DON.

Aug.
1989

Design team is reorganized to reflect

official education and training authority in the DON. ESG issues formal
charter for the new group. It authorizes the teamto provide oversight of
TQM course development and appraisal of general state of TQM education and training in the DON.
Implementing Change Using E&T

Aug.
1989

ESG approved design of TQM Quality

Support Center and provides funds
for its establishment at NPRDC.

Nov.
1989

Design team issues revised TQM

Education and Training Implementation Plan. It calls for the central
development and management of
executive and leader TQM education
courses, and development and
management of TQM skills training
by local Centers of Excellence.
These latter entities were known as
Quality Management Groups (QMGs).

Dec.
1989

ESG approved basic course matrix

and implementation plan.

Feb.
1990

Implementation plan is expanded to

provide additional guidance on
QMB- developed courses.

Apr.
1990

Under Secretary of the Navy and

Chief of Naval Personnel sign charter officially establishing Quality
Support Center (QSC) at NPRDC.

Apr.
1990

ESG approves the use of Dr. W.

Edwards Deming philosophy as the
basis for TQM in the DON.

Apr.
1990

ESG commits to exclusive use of

in-house resources to develop
TQM courses rather than use outside
contractors.

Implementing Change Using E&T

10

Apr.
1990

ESG approves TQM course matrix

and description of specific TQM
roles and responsibilities which will
be the basis for course learning
objectives.

Apr.
1990

Design team prepares development

plan for the Senior Managers Seminar (SMS) (Later to be known as the
Senior Leaders Seminar (SLS).)

Apr.
1990

NPRDC tasked by the ESG to

develop the SMS.

May
1990

SMS course outline approved.

June
1990

Design team establishes deployment

strategy for SMS. Target population
estimated to be 6,000 true leaders.
SMS to be integrated into Shore
Commanders Course which is
required for all newly designated
Commanding Officers.

Jul.
1990

Design team charters three Quality

Management Groups (QMGs) to
develop three TQL core courses:
Team Skills and Concepts; Methods
for Managing Quality; and Basic
Quantitative Methods for Process
Improvement.

Aug.
1990

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)

sends memorandum to all Flag
Officers expressing commitment to
Implementing Change Using E&T

quality to improve combat readiness

in the Operating Forces. Calls the
approach Total Quality Leadership because of the unique role
that Navy leadership plays in developing and implementing operational
objectives.
Sept.
1990

ESG three-day strategic planning

session to chart the course for the
future. ESG changes TQM label to
TQL and expands implementation to
cover Fleet operating forces as well
as shore support commands. This
decision causes change in the scope
of the DON TQL education and
training program.

Sept.
1990

Navy develops Guiding Principles

for Fleet deployment of TQL education and training.

Sept.
1990

Fleet Commanders authorize formation

of five Fleet Mobile Training Teams
(later to be called CNO Fleet teams)
to help operational units get started
with TQL.

Sept.
1990

Navy headquarters launches study

to incorporate TQL concepts and
principles into existing leadership
curriculum.

Nov.
1990

Operational evaluation of SLS

completed.

Implementing Change Using E&T

11

12

Nov.
1990

SMS becomes SLS reflecting change

from TQM to TQL.

Nov.
1990

SLS instructor training provided by

NPRDC course developers.

Dec.
1990

Navy headquarters completes study:

Correlation of Navy Leadership
with TQL Principles. Process of
integrating TQL in leadership training is initiated.

Jan.
1991

First SLS class is conducted at Navy

Postgraduate School, Monterey,
California.

Jan.
1991

NPRDC begins training twenty

officers and enlisted personnel to
serve on CNO Fleet teams.

Feb.
1991

Fleet Commanders-in-Chief (CINCs)

authorize five Fleet teams to train
and assist personnel involved in
TQL pilot projects aboard operational Fleet units.

Feb.
1991

Design team develops deployment

strategy and instructor certification
criteria for QMG-developed courses.

Feb.
1991

An ESG Advisory Group is formed

from selected members of the ESG
reflecting top-level interest and
commitment to TQL education and
training. The design team is restructured into the E&T Advisory SupImplementing Change Using E&T

port Group to provide direct support

to the newly formed ESG Advisory
Group. The Advisory Group will
have approval authority for all
courses developed for the TQL
curriculum.
Apr.
1991

ESG approves TQL E&T plan.

Commits to funding support for d e velopment and execution. ESG
designates the Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET) as
having administrative and management control of the Program.

May
1991

Advisory Group approved training

plan for sixty TQL specialists who
will serve as TQL instructors at the
TQL schoolhouses.

May
1991

Under Secretary of the Navy

establishes the Total Quality Leadership Office (TQLO) as part of the
Office of the Undersecretary. TQLO
replaces the QSC. Primary mission
is to advise and assist senior leadership in implementing TQL in the
DON.

Nov.
1991

First group of twenty TQL specialists

begin training.

Mar.
1992

Training completed.

Implementing Change Using E&T

13

14

Apr.
1992

TQL schoolhouses open. First

train-the-trainer courses offered by
TQL specialists.

Oct.
1992

Remaining TQL specialists complete

training.

Nov.
1992

TQL schoolhouses fully staffed with

seventy-five TQL specialists.

Nov.
1992

TQL schoolhouses conduct off-site

training by mobile training teams of
TQL specialists.

Mar.
1992

TQL specialists participate in threeday curriculum integration workshop. Process and responsibilities
revising TQL courses is established.

19931997

Course are continually upgraded to

meet customer (command trainers)
requirements.

Jun.
1996

TQL-integrated leadership courses

are offered.

Jan.
1997

TQL core courses shortened to five

days.

Jun.
1997

TQL courses available on-line.

Aug.
1997

TQL basic process improvement

tools package available on-line.

Implementing Change Using E&T

Dec.
1997

Last TQL train-the-trainer courses

offered.

Jan.
1998

TQL schoolhouses officially closed.

Implementing Change Using E&T

15

Appendix B
About the Author
Mr. Robert A. Sniffin, who wrote this report
under the guidance of the Director, Total Quality Leadership Office (TQLO), was the TQLO
Director of Training before retiring in 1994. He
served as the first chairman of the education
and training design team. Mr. Sniffin was
involved in all stages of program development
and operation including strategy formulation,
curriculum design, course development, training of TQL schoolhouse instructors, and curriculum revision. As Director of training in the
TQLO Mr. Sniffin was responsible for ensuring
the technical accuracy of all courses in the DON
TQL education and training program.

16

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