Enabling Change Design through research & analysis

Leveraging research & analysis to rapidly identify & review service improvements

We know that if we are to respond to the financial pressures and increasing demand on many of our services, we need to focus much more on improving the delivery of our services and pinpointing where we can reduce demand on them.

We’ve developed a programme brokering support from universities to carry out 2-3 month projects and one day “research sprints” to:

Carry out research to understand the issues & opportunities, pinpoint improvements from the insights and develop and test actionable solutions with staff and users

While we’ve worked on challenges that have applied this approach, we now want to align the support to Lambeth’s most important transformation priorities, in particular supporting the Change Design stage of the Change Lifecycle. As such, we propose that the: 1. Strategic Transformation Board sets out the priorities & issues that the universities work on 2. Policy & Communications manages the relationship between STB and the universities to

ensure the analysis is carried out effectively

Service design moves quickly from understanding demand to designing & validating improvements…

…and as such fits in well with our strategic objectives of reducing the demand & complexity of our services and the Change Design phase of our gateway process

Portfolio Governance Framework – April 2016

Strategic Development(Identification)

Change Design(Definition)

Change Delivery(Implementation)

CloseTransfer to business

as usual

Gateway 0

Gateway 1

Gateway 2+

Gateway 3

Strategic Transformation Board(aligned to other partnership governance arrangements if required )

Documents§ Outline change proposal (concept) -

high level benefits forecast, costs, risks & timeframe.

§ Prioritisation Assessment

Documents§ Final business case§ Implementation Plan§ Benefit Realisation Tool§ Risk, Issue, Dependency Register§ Prioritisation Assessment

DocumentsCurrent Delivery Documents covering:§ Business case§ Implementation Plan (focus on change implementation and

transfer to business as usual to optimise benefits)§ Benefit Realisation Tool § Risk, Issue, Dependency Register

Documents§ Lessons learnt and

recommendations § Benefit Realisation

Tool

Prio

ritisa

tion

Prio

ritisa

tion

Project Delivery Teams

Programme/Project Boards

Project Design Teams

Resource allocation Resource allocation Resource releasedResource allocation

PRE-GATE ZERO

Strategic Transformation Board (+Cabinet if required)

Aligned to other partnership governance

arrangements if required

DMT / CMB

Authorisation for initiative to move from concept to design phase

Authorisation for initiative to move from design phase into delivery / implementation

Authorisation for initiative to “go live”. This maybe more than one gateway point depending on the size and scope of the initiative. E.g.

gateway point for programe tranches

Decision for formal closure of the initiative,

release of resources

Change idea discussed at DMT and CMT. Decision made to take concept forward for Gateway 0 decision at STB.Prior to Gateway 0, options appraisal, if required, completed and desired option selected

Documents & Reporting ToolsTo be agreed by STB based on priority, value and risk but as a rule would include:§ Highlight reporting by exception (through PMO) § Benefit Realisation Monitoring (through PMO)§ Assurance at critical milestone points (outside of gateway 2)

CMT / Cabinet / CMB

Some change initiatives will emerge as part of pre-existing corporate decision making processes through CMT and Cabinet. For example these could include:

§ Activity agreed under Financial/Budget Planning§ Activity that is linked by decisions already made in regard to existing transformation

programmes.

In these cases, the decision making process followed could act as the strategic development phase and gateway 0. In this instance the initiative, subject to its authorisation under this process, would move forward into the Change Design phase and Gateway 1. Resources for the design phase, if required, can be allocated by STB to support this. However with large, complex or high risk initiatives, further development of the concept at the strategic development phase maybe required. The final decision on this would lie with CMT or STB

Risk-based Assurance to STB

The change idea is something that...§ is a genuine transformational

shift in what the service or wider organisation delivers and how it goes about it, in order to achieve strategic priorities, outcomes and financial objectives

§ requires an aggregation of capacity and capability to deliver its objectives

§ is tackling a business critical function or issue and, or, is delivering capability that one or more strategic priorities need

While we’ve focused on challenges that help citizens take responsibility and move to online services...

How can we help long term unemployed & disabled to meet their needs online?• Proposition on how to better target services at people most in need

and make process more efficient, as well as self-service resources

How can we make it easier for customer centre visitors to transition online?• Blueprint for how to join up processes between face to face & digital

and reduce steps for customers in accessing information & services

How can we help Street Champions increase their impact?• Resources for Street Champions to get to grips with their role and get

people involved on their street

Our universities have the specialist expertise that can tackle the type of issues that STB deals with…

• Understanding how people get into the informal economy and how this affects their lives

Understand who most needs our support

• Model budget forecasts and overspendIdentify why projects don’t meet their targets

• Model the journeys of young people at risk of becoming NEET and track the impact of interventions

Identify when to target prevention

• Develop integrated information systems to monitor & predict economic stability & growth

Forecast demand to inform service planning

• Develop ways to join up processes across service channels and simplify the customer experience

Simplify processes to make them more efficient

• Help understand which fire stations to close based on areas with highest risk of fire

Rationalise & better target service provision

• Use nudges to increase council tax collectionTest interventions to influence people’s behaviour

• Use open data on college performance & social background algorithms to help young people identify how hey are likely to fare on their preferred course

Make it easier for people to meet their own needs

Through agreeing expectations from the start, we’ve been able to manage & track outcomes throughout

• Defining the outcomes & outputs needed• Defining the stakeholders to be engaged• Identifying current gaps in knowledge• Agreeing what background research & access

to staff the service will make available• Agreeing activities the university will carry out

We have developed a process that manages expectations & maximises impact

Resource required over three months

STB: 3 HoursP&C: 15Service involved: 14

The process ensures that the partnerships are effectively managedRisks Mitigations

Relationships with university partners aren’t maintained effectively

• P&C manages partnerships• Carries out evaluation of each project• Identifies opportunities to bring in investment and

attract students to Lambeth to provide expertise to local services

Expertise of universities not relevant to meet analytical needs of strategic programmes

• P&C matches challenge & brief to university partners with relevant skills.

• Service responsible for the challenge & course director agree analytical work

Projects don’t deliver tangible impact

• Evaluation helps review impact of research projects on intended objectives

Projects don’t manage expectations of council or university

• Challenge template focused on defining outcomes/outputs, knowledge gaps, stakeholders & data the university can use and agreeing activities

Services responsible for the challenge need to adapt to process of working with universities

• P&C manages relationship with university research teams and runs introductory session for service responsible for the challenge