When the city of Surprise, Arizona, decided to improve its development review process (planning, engineering, and building) in 2006, it wasn’t too surprising that the city hired a consulting firm to help with the analysis. The “surprise in Surprise” was management’s commitment to implementing the recommendations to ensure employees were involved and that things got done. This winning combination of a well-executed analysis phase coupled with strong leadership focusing on implementation has resulted in an improved process for customers and a much stronger city staff team.