Best practice for a major government department

How do we prioritise and make progress in the face of huge complexity?

Our client, a central government department with large-scale, high profile delivery objectives, needed help to translate complex policies and operational challenges into strategies and designs to deliver effective change. As a result of running a large number of interdependent programmes concurrently, many projects risked stalling. The client needed a partner who could understand and manage a saturated change landscape, tackle both long-term strategic and short-term improvement projects, prioritise and successfully kick start numerous projects. With tight timeframes, departmental silos, and challenges across varied and complex operational teams, we had our work cut out.

We built structure and momentum to deliver rapid change

Side by side with our client, we pinpointed priorities by getting to grips with their goals and ongoing change programmes. We translated high-profile policies into transformation strategies, future-state designs (including process and technology designs), agile technology delivery and quick operational wins. Breaking down unwieldy programmes into manageable and discreet packages, we brought structure and action plans to drive change and build momentum. With embedded teams, we fostered collaborative relationships and new ways of working between design, digital, data and technology to guide change programmes through seamless transitions into delivery. By translating urgent legislative change into deliverable plans we executed faster than the department had ever managed in the past.

From the outset, we put people first, taking an empathic, user-centred approach to finding the right outcomes. We ran interviews to really understand users, create personas, uncover process pain points, specify requirements and design user journey maps. Looking to embed an ethos of continuous improvement into our client’s teams, we tested solutions, incorporated feedback and created new iterations. To leave a lasting project impact, we ran team-based training and coaching, building internal skills and capabilities and boosting engagement. We bridged gaps between siloed teams, involving operational stakeholders and technology delivery teams early on to ensure successful long-term change.

Measurable programme progress and the foundations for future success

In completing these projects with our client’s teams we’ve driven measurable benefits for the Department and raised its credibility to deliver with ministers. This has included: managing and implementing 14 high profile policy change projects; identifying over 100 operational efficiency opportunities; and delivering new technology capabilities and business process designs to benefit over 10,000 staff who use the systems on a daily basis. We’ve equipped client teams for future success, instilling the mindset and skills to make progress even in the face of huge and complex programmes. Our best practice design methodologies have been adopted by teams beyond those we worked with. And crucially, we’ve raised not only the department’s ability to deliver complex legislative changes but improved how the system works for some of the most vulnerable citizens in society.

Find out how we help our clients in Government

"You are fantastic to work with and you consistently demonstrate very high standards across all design work, which is diverse and varied which has been widely recognised across the directorate as best practice."

Head of System Design

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