Efficiency is the prized yet elusive quest of any organization. Enter the newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to The Independent, their job is to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Words like “dismantle” “slash” and “cut” are enough to make anyone clutch their office badge tighter. These words imply that some of the 3 million federal employees will be updating their résumés soon—and 350 million U.S. citizens who rely on government services may soon find those services slow to a trickle.
But what if efficiency didn’t have to mean cutting jobs or services? What if instead, DOGE uncovered ways to streamline operations, trim waste and optimize effectiveness… without wielding the metaphorical axe? To do that, they could borrow a Project Management framework: the Triple Constraint Theory. It explains the relationship between three critical project elements: money, time, and scope. Picture a stool with three legs. Adjust one and the other two must be altered in order to maintain balance. Without that critical balance you’ll find yourself wobbling… metaphorically or otherwise.
Let’s say you want to save money on a home remodel project, so you embrace your Inner Bob Vila and Joanna Gaines. Armed with a shiny new sink, some specialized tools and YouTube tutorials, you dive in. Then it hits you… you don’t actually know how plumbing works. After two months of trial and error (and a trip to urgent care involving a wrench and your big toe), the cost savings vanish. Meanwhile, your spouse fumes as dishes pile up in the bathtub, and junior’s bath toys take on a spaghetti-sauce hue. It may have been cheaper and faster to just call the plumber. Efficiency wasn’t achieved—it was delayed.
Cutting costs doesn’t have to mean cutting people or services. Instead, it’s about rethinking how work gets done. If there’s no new money, no extra staff, and no shiny new technology, the solution lies in fixing processes. Imagine government employees slogging through mountains of paperwork, performing duplicate tasks and struggling with outdated systems. Automating repetitive tasks (like data entry or scheduling) can save countless hours, freeing employees to focus on meaningful value-added work. Imagine the time savings that will come with Artificial Intelligence! Why not invest in systems and workflows that make the government run smoother and faster?
The beauty of the Triple Constraint is that it’s not about sacrifice—It’s about tweaking the system to achieve harmony. DOGE has the chance to rebrand our government as a beacon of innovation, collaboration, and optimization. Efficiency isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing better. With smarter processes, balanced priorities, and a little creativity, we can all achieve more with what we have. So, let’s trade red tape for red carpets of change. Because, if the government can’t become more efficient, even the DMV (the place where you need three forms of ID to prove who you are but can’t get an ID without proving who you are) might run out of patience.
