Problem

Teams unknowingly work on similar tasks or projects, wasting time and resources due to a lack of coordination.

Workshop Title

"Working Smarter: Eliminating Duplication of Effort"

Objectives

• Identify areas where duplication of effort occurs.
• Understand the root causes of duplication and its impact.
• Develop strategies to improve coordination and avoid redundant work.

Materials Needed

• Flipchart or whiteboard.
• Sticky notes and markers.
• Task and Project Lists template (optional).

Process

1. Welcome and Icebreaker (10 minutes)

Activity: Who’s Doing What?
↳ Ask participants to share one task or project their team is currently working on that might involve input from other teams.

2. Identifying Duplication (20 minutes)

Activity: Where Are We Overlapping?
↳ Divide participants into small groups. Each group lists tasks or projects their team is responsible for.
↳ Groups then review other teams’ lists to identify overlaps or duplicated efforts.

3. Understanding the Causes (15 minutes)

Activity: Why Is This Happening?
↳ In the same groups, discuss potential causes of duplication, such as:

• Lack of communication between teams.
• Unclear roles and responsibilities.
• Redundant processes or workflows.
  ↳ Groups share their insights with the larger team.

4. Brainstorming Solutions (25 minutes)

Activity: Coordination Strategies
↳ Provide each group with a template to brainstorm solutions for reducing duplication. Include prompts like:

• How can we improve communication between teams?
• What tools or processes can we use to track work more effectively?
• How can we clarify roles and responsibilities?
  ↳ Groups present their proposed solutions to the larger team.

5. Creating a Coordination Plan (15 minutes)

Activity: Action Plan for Alignment
↳ As a whole team, develop a plan to implement the solutions. Include:

• Shared tools or platforms (e.g., project management software).
• Regular cross-team check-ins or status updates.
• Clear documentation of roles and responsibilities.
  ↳ Assign owners and timelines for each action step.

6. Closing and Reflection (5 minutes)

Activity: Commit to Collaboration
↳ Each participant shares one action they’ll take to support better coordination (e.g., “I’ll regularly update the shared task tracker”).

Facilitator Notes

• 1. Welcome and Icebreaker (10 minutes): Purpose is to highlight the interconnected nature of work and set the stage for better coordination.
• 2. Identifying Duplication (20 minutes): Debrief on where duplication exists and its impact on efficiency and outcomes.
• 3. Understanding the Causes (15 minutes): Keep focus on solutions, not blame.
• 4. Brainstorming Solutions (25 minutes): Surface recurring themes and prioritize practical, low-lift ideas.
• 5. Creating a Coordination Plan (15 minutes): Output is a clear "Coordination Plan" with owners and timelines.
• 6. Closing and Reflection (5 minutes): Reinforce that sustained collaboration and transparent updates prevent rework.

Follow-up

Schedule a follow-up in 4–6 weeks to review progress on the Coordination Plan and address any new or ongoing challenges.