What is a unit-based team?

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009

A unit-based team (UBT) includes all of the participants in a natural work unit, or department, including supervisors, union stewards, providers and employees. Members of a UBT work as partners and participate in:

• Planning and designing work processes
• Setting goals and establishing metrics
• Reviewing and evaluating team performance
• Budgeting, staffing and scheduling decisions, and
• Proactively identifying problems and resolving issues.

UBTs give frontline supervisors and staff responsibility and accountability for delivering high-quality service to members. Instead of managers seeking employees' input into how to solve a problem, for example, the UBT works on the problem together from the beginning, and everyone has a say in determining its solution. UBTs will enable the process of continual improvement to permeate every department.

Why are they important?
Unit-based teams are a key component of (and defined in) the 2005 National Agreement between the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and the Permanente Medical Groups.

According to the National Agreement, UBTs are expected to be fully deployed as the operating model for Kaiser Permanente by 2010.

Related Material:

• LMP training courses
• Unit-based teams overview
• Southern California T-UBT website (KP intranet)