Building on better service for citizens: HMRC reform and modernisation

What it was:

Round table discussion, focusing on HMRC as a case study, attended by a range of people involved in the transformation of public services and public bodies, hosted by Reform at their Westminster office on 23 July 2018.

What I learned:

HMRC is engaged in ambitious transformation program:

  • HMRC compares well as a revenue authority but still working to close the tax gap.
  • Three objectives of the programme: improve service to customers, be more efficient, close the tax gap. Doing so by making tax digital for individuals and businesses.
  • Significant internal change programme, organising more along customer lines, plus location rationalisation, and upskilling
  • Original plans had arguably optimistic about the speed at which both HMRC and customers would change their behaviour
  • Approx £400M annual savings from the baseline achieved

Key lessons learned by HMRC:

  • Digital processes have to be end to end, look at the whole costumer journey, otherwise don’t really improve things or make savings.
  • Also important to look at the end to end journey for employees… If they don’t have the right tools as part of the process then things don’t improve
  • Sometimes it is not about technology, it is about changing behaviour or process or policy
  • Overall, end to end approach is key

Other points:

  • RPA seen as a tool to accelerate change.
  • Don’t neglect the role of public servants to engage the public and drive change.
  • NHS has challenges in that expectations of patients are changing, and NHS is federation of organisations not a single organisation.
  • An important factor is arguably the strength of connection between the leadership and the customers. At times organisations have got ahead of customer expectations for digital, sometimes they have fallen behind.
  • Involving the customer is key, some organisations are reorienting their structures around customers groups rather than their products.

What I will aim to do differently as a result:

  • Aim to hook our digital and data transformation programmes to wider change programmes, otherwise there is not a strong enough driver for change.
  • Try to ensure that our efforts bake in the principle of end to end transformation and design of services, and how we will support that. How do we support the early design and exploration of services?
  • Work to understand and define how digital and data capability are accessed by customers, how is that capability made available to them?

CIPR Webinar – Change Communication

What it was:

CIPR Webinar on Change Communication presented by Alison Arnot.

Source: http://bit.ly/1El4UJS

What I learned:

Overall points from the webinar:

  • Change is a normal part of business process so a successful business must be able to do it sustainably and repeatedly.
  • People naturally wary of change. It is experienced differently by different people
  • The change curve is superficially similar to the grief curve!
  • Communicators job is to help people move through the change process
  • Those closely involved in the change process typically have a different view as they have more insight and empowerment in respect of the change.
  • Ultimate goal is to get people engaged and motivated to help deliver the future
  • Measurement / evaluation is key. You can’t influence what you don’t understand
  • Measure effectiveness, understanding, feelings, engagement and behaviour
  • Can use e.g. Bench-marking and demonstration of objective evidence of actual changes in behaviour

Detailed points:

Change communication strategy needs to include…

  • Why communicate? Who communicates with whom and about what?
  • What channels? When?
  • AND Consequences and measurement?

Analysing stakeholders needs to ask…

  • What is it like working with us? Who influences them? Who do they influence
  • What is our place in their aspirations? What is their view of our future? How can we help each other?
  • What is their motivation/agenda?

Stakeholder mapping – “Power vs. Interest”

  • High power low interest: Keep satisfied – A threat if they don’t understand
  • High power high interest: Engage – Can make or break your programme
  • Low power low interest: Monitor – Inform but don’t overload
  • Low power high interest: Inform – An advocate and ear to the ground

Communication content needs to address….

  1. STRATEGIC Information
  • Vision, values and direction
  • Rationale and benefits of the change
  • Comms outcome: Sense of purpose
  1. CORPORATE Information
  • How we are progressing?
  • Is the change helping?
  • What success is being had?
  • Comms outcome:  Sense of progress
  1. OPERATIONAL Information
  • What we need to start, stop and continue doing to make the change a success
  • Comms outcome: Sense of control

Messaging needs to address the three following needs…

  • Personal needs – a realistic (not evangelical) appraisal of the situation and what it means for me
  • Operational needs – where we are, where we need to be, what we need to do
  • Strategic needs – the big picture

What I will aim to do differently as a result:

I will conduct a stakeholder mapping exercise (identifying them all, then mapping power vs interest) for my digital transformation programme.

I’ll tailor our programme comms to ensure it covers the Strategic / Corporate / Operational content-types outlined in this briefing.

I’ll ensure that our messaging is better at addressing the three “needs” i.e. Personal / Operational / Strategic.

I will design a system of bench-marking for the programme – potentially a maturity model. For example %age of people that agree with each of the 10 statements in the digital vision.