Problems and operational improvement
Reduce Waiting and Duplication in a Process
Observe the setting where the process is used, and identify stalled handoffs and steps that can be removed.
- People
- 4–30
- Session time
- 195 minutes
- Format
- In person
English session plan
Original program status: draft. Source safety category: Low; this is not a guarantee of safety.
Preparation: More preparation. Facilitation team: Three operating roles.
What this session can decide
Propose improvement candidates and trial scope. The responsible person finalises system changes, staffing reductions, and changes to official procedures.
Outside its scope
- Do not label something wasteful without observation.
- Do not make safety checks targets for reduction.
- Do not aim to reduce staffing.
Primary caution: Do not label something wasteful without observation.
Before starting
- Question and scope
- Observe the setting where the process is used, and identify stalled handoffs and steps that can be removed. Before starting, state the subject and time period in one sentence.
- What this session decides
- Propose improvement candidates and trial scope. The responsible person finalises system changes, staffing reductions, and changes to official procedures.
- Output recipient
- The Recorder stores the final minimum-procedure proposal, clarifying mandatory checks and candidates for reduction.
- Participation and information boundaries
- Offer speaking, writing, or passing as participation choices. Keep personal information, confidential information, and attribute-based evaluation off the record surface.
- Operating roles
- Assign Lead facilitator, Recorder, and Timekeeper before starting, and confirm who announces switching and stopping.
- Next review
- Set a review date, viewers, and the person responsible for the next decision on the minimum-procedure proposal.
Who takes responsibility
- Lead facilitator
Keep Reduce Waiting and Duplication in a Process within its purpose and exclusions, and announce the start and end of each stage.
From before the start through the end
- Recorder
Record observations of use and work, the process-handoff map, and minimum-procedure proposal at each stage, then hand them to the recipient at the end.
From preparing record surfaces before the start through storage after the end
- Timekeeper
Notify the Lead facilitator 3 minutes before each stage ends and when switching to breaks or buffer time.
At the start of every stage and 3 minutes before its end
Session flow
Minutes are measured from the session start. Method time, transition time, breaks and buffer are shown separately; they are not additional overlapping activities.
0–78 minutes
Observe actions and waiting in the actual setting
Method: Simple Ethnography · 0–75 minutes. Transition: 75–78 minutes (3 minutes).
Limit the target scene and record users' and staff actions in chronological order. Do not infer reasons; mark where waiting, enquiries, and returns for correction occur.
Responsible: Lead facilitator; Recorder; Timekeeper
Output: Observation record of use and work
Handoff: Pass marked scenes to the stage for organising the process's handoff points.
This stage may be shortened only in accordance with the stated conditions.
78–126 minutes
Map stalled handoffs
Method: Handoff Stations · 78–123 minutes. Transition: 123–126 minutes (3 minutes).
Arrange process handoff points and write required inputs and completion conditions. Attach observation records to stages where returns for correction or duplicate entry occur.
Responsible: Lead facilitator; Recorder; Timekeeper
Output: Process-handoff map
Handoff: Pass reduction candidates and mandatory checks to the stage for deciding the minimum procedure to retain.
This stage is not marked as shortenable.
136–174 minutes
Decide the minimum procedure to retain
Method: Min Specs · 136–171 minutes. Transition: 171–174 minutes (3 minutes).
For each process element, ask whether removing it would undermine the purpose. Retain only essentials, fixing safety, legal, and rights-related conditions separately.
Responsible: Lead facilitator; Recorder; Timekeeper
Output: Minimum-procedure proposal
Handoff: Pass the minimum-procedure proposal to the authority responsible for the system and the trial owner.
This stage is not marked as shortenable.
What is retained and who receives it
Observation record of use and work
Owner: Recorder
Retain waiting, backtracking, duplication, and workarounds as facts.
Process-handoff map
Owner: Recorder
Match inputs, recipients, completion conditions, and returns for correction.
Minimum-procedure proposal
Owner: Recorder
Clarify mandatory checks and candidates for reduction.
Materials and setup
Material names, quantities, groups and handling instructions retain the fixed draft's original helper-derived guidance. Where a format is marked “Source material specification”, the entire bound English source material entry takes precedence over the old helper-derived format guidance. This format-only correction does not resolve other instruction or safety concerns. English names are not substituted into a Japanese-keyed lookup.
Everyday tools
- Observation record paper and writing tools
Quantity: 1 set per person
Format: A4 copy paper or a notebook already available, and a black or blue pen
Provide a set for each person so they can record observed facts on the spot. Use it alongside the observation guide to avoid mixing facts with interpretations. There is no need to buy special notebooks.
- Dark writing implements
Quantity: 1 per person
Format: Dark broad-tip pens or whiteboard markers
Check that ink flows and place them within participants' reach. Avoid pale-coloured pens.
- Floor tape
Quantity: 1 roll per group
Format: Low-tack masking tape
Check removability on an inconspicuous part of the floor or wall. Keep edges flat and do not obstruct routes.
- Black writing tools
Quantity: 1 per person
Format: Dark broad-tip pens or whiteboard markers
Check that ink flows and place them within participants' reach. Avoid pale-coloured pens.
- Pen for identifying items to delete
Quantity: 1 pen per group of 4–7
Format: A red pen already available. If unavailable, use a black or blue pen.
Mark items to delete with a double strikethrough and the word “Delete”. Even without red ink, distinguish them from other edits through line style and wording.
Sheets to prepare by hand
- Observation guide
Quantity: 1 card per person
Format: A4 copy paper
Divide the sheet into 2 fields, “Observed facts” and “Interpretations drawn from them”, so facts and interpretations can be written separately. Write observed facts and interpretations in separate fields.
- Table linking observations to actions
Quantity: 1 sheet per small group
Format: Two A4 sheets placed side by side; join with masking tape if more space is needed
Divide the working surface into 3 fields: “Observed facts”, “Interpretations drawn from them” and “What to try next”. Write each heading in words rather than relying on colour alone.
- Headings for handoff points
Quantity: 1 per stage per group
Format: Source material specification: One station card per group for each stage, approximately A3 size
Source-bound format display correction; the other fixed helper-derived guidance is unchanged.
Write one work handoff point per sheet. Leave space to add sender, recipient, item handed over, and the state that counts as complete.
- Stop-condition cards
Quantity: 3 per station per group
Format: Sticky notes about 75 × 75 mm, or A4 copy paper cut into 4 pieces
Do not buy special cards; write Stop condition at the top of paper pieces. If participants fill them in, put one entry on each card and handwrite the necessary headings before starting.
- Individual paper
Quantity: 1 card per person
Format: Source material specification: One individual sheet per person, A5 or larger
Source-bound format display correction; the other fixed helper-derived guidance is unchanged.
Write “Individual paper” at the top. Leave enough space to arrange sticky notes or paper slips without overlap, and use lettering that can be read from a distance during whole-group sharing.
- Maximum-specification list
Quantity: 1 sheet per group of 4–7
Format: Source material specification: One A3 maximum-specifications list per group of 4–7
Source-bound format display correction; the other fixed helper-derived guidance is unchanged.
State the content, creation date, and person who checked it. If distributing it, also prepare a large-print version or viewing data with identical content.
- Whole-group consolidation surface
Quantity: 1 per venue
Format: Source material specification: One whole-group consolidation surface per venue, at least 120 cm wide
Source-bound format display correction; the other fixed helper-derived guidance is unchanged.
Write “Whole-group consolidation surface” at the top. Leave enough space to arrange sticky notes or paper slips without overlap, and use lettering that can be read from a distance during whole-group sharing.
Information to gather before the session
- Actual outputs handed between stages, or safe substitutes
Quantity: 1 per stage per group
Format: The actual output; if it cannot be moved, use a photograph, sample, or A4 sheet stating its name, key points, and storage location
Prepare the output actually handed over at each stage. Only if it cannot be moved for reasons such as confidentiality, safety, or weight, make a substitute that lets the next person judge its content. Do not replace it with a blank sheet.
Available at the venue
- Shared table for displaying collected practical adaptations
Quantity: 1 surface
Format: Existing venue equipment, such as a table or shared display table
Use venue equipment rather than buying items. Before the session starts, check the quantity needed, passageways and space for wheelchair turning.
Setup for each method
Simple Ethnography
- Observation sites, such as other rooms in the building, reception, or offices: provide one site for each pair
- One shared table near the entrance for displaying practical artefacts on return
Handoff Stations
- Groups of 3–6; 1–5 groups
- 3–6 floor stations per group, in process order and at least 3 m apart
- One passage per group, at least 1 m wide, allowing people to carry the output through all stations
Min Specs
- Provide one table per group of 4–7, with group sizes differing by no more than 1 person
- Space in front of the consolidation surface to arrange each group's list, at least 30 cm wide per group
When to switch or stop
Fallbacks
- There are more than 5 types of observation scenes.
Detail only one scene with many occurrences.
Method guide: Simple Ethnography
Stop conditions
- Personal information or confidential documents appear in observation records.
- Stop recording and delete information that cannot be anonymised.
- People try to remove checks for law, safety, or protection of rights.
- Fix those conditions and exclude them from improvement targets.
Sources, rights and limits
This site has composed this programme's purpose, connections between methods, facilitation, roles, outputs, and switching conditions. See each method's individual page for its sources and licence.
Original source records and their required notices are retained below. Their presence does not mean a new legal or cultural-safety clearance. Original citation titles are kept in their source language.
Sources and required notices for the 3 methods used
Simple Ethnography
- Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026): Simple Ethnography — Henri Lipmanowicz / Keith McCandless / Nancy White — Adaptation under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes made
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Source: Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026): Simple Ethnography — Henri Lipmanowicz / Keith McCandless / Nancy White | https://www.liberatingstructures.com/simple-ethnography | CC BY-SA 4.0 adaptation; changes made
- Source: CC BY-SA 4.0 | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
- Attribution: Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless; Keith McCandless and Nancy White | Original-source author and contributor credit
- Attribution: Taiwa no Fumen Editorial Team | Japanese adaptation and this site's own diagrams
- Changes and adaptation: Adapted as a Japanese facilitation score; changes made
- ShareAlike: Provided under CC-BY-SA-4.0
- Cultural caution: open-method screening complete: No closed, ritual, or sacred cultural practice is used as a source; declining participation, sensitive information, and power differences are addressed in each method's limits and branches.
- Limits of this record: Adapted with changes as a Japanese facilitation score under CC BY-SA 4.0 and provided under the same licence. Only the current page is covered; material from June 2026 or earlier, official icons, and third-party material were excluded.
Handoff Stations
- 対話の譜面編集部: 引継ぎの駅 — Original description and diagrams
- Source: Taiwa no Fumen Editorial Team: Handoff Stations | Original description and diagrams
- Attribution: Taiwa no Fumen Editorial Team | This site's text and diagrams
- Cultural caution: open-method screening complete: No closed, ritual, or sacred cultural practice is used as a source; declining participation, sensitive information, and power differences are addressed in each method's limits and branches.
- Limits of this record: The editorial team independently created the text, procedure, and diagram. No exclusive rights are claimed over general dialogue operations or ideas themselves.
Min Specs
- Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026): Min Specs — Henri Lipmanowicz / Keith McCandless / Nancy White — Adaptation under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes made
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Source: Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026): Min Specs — Henri Lipmanowicz / Keith McCandless / Nancy White | https://www.liberatingstructures.com/min-specs | CC BY-SA 4.0 adaptation; changes made
- Source: CC BY-SA 4.0 | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
- Attribution: Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless; Keith McCandless and Nancy White | Original-source author and contributor credit
- Attribution: Taiwa no Fumen Editorial Team | Japanese adaptation and this site's own diagrams
- Changes and adaptation: Adapted as a Japanese facilitation score; changes made
- ShareAlike: Provided under CC-BY-SA-4.0
- Cultural caution: open-method screening complete: No closed, ritual, or sacred cultural practice is used as a source; declining participation, sensitive information, and power differences are addressed in each method's limits and branches.
- Limits of this record: Adapted with changes as a Japanese facilitation score under CC BY-SA 4.0 and provided under the same licence. Only the current page is covered; material from June 2026 or earlier, official icons, and third-party material were excluded.
Historical fixed-draft notes
The original fixed draft notes are retained without deletion as historical records of those fixed source versions. Current material format corrections are separately identified above; these notes do not imply that other concerns have been resolved.
- The whole-group consolidation surface sourceRaw requires at least 120 cm width, while the display format names large paper or a whiteboard without dimensions. The original size requirement remains in exact sourceRaw metadata.
Japanese resources and historical source records
Original Japanese plan and its print view · Japanese operation pack or starter materials
An English print edition is not provided here. The linked plans, print views and operation materials are Japanese resources.
Historical recorded publication holds
The following original hold statements are retained verbatim with their fixed source versions. They are not a statement of current acceptance, nor does this historical label resolve a source-specific restriction.
- English translation and rendered-page independent acceptance pending
- Method dependency source/text SHA binding and current source-specific rights verification pending
- Publication not cleared
Historical fixed-source and English-draft provenance
Japanese program SHA-256: 5e4e037ce41d533457995710bd332e09cbdce0df4c84473d1acf6d96babb50c5
Fixed source context SHA-256: aff486d6bd26a8f4981e00d2f3180416d5b708cf095c9d1d786c875b23511cd4
English draft SHA-256: fc451bebb63fa29aa8b74bb502a8d1ac33cc7664aae3c24e16b866cd18e7e7a6
- handoff-stations: source
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ffdba770d0c9e8734e91916b6a5c245669130dfb618f9b06ac483b345f1338b3; English draft56a0e5e841cba86a01d33745981a04c48d90977a377ff0dd65c6c7193281c07a - simple-ethnography: source
48c452c40b30b416e74895c53e0fe593e63c31d112c4445dcc747454a66a876f; English draftb27622526366ecaa054a8030bbebec81d11041e742b5c427ce66232c9b3a90bd
These hashes identify the checked inputs; they do not grant independent acceptance or publication clearance.