Public Sector Service design
Better Ways of Delivering Public Sector Services; Human Learning Systems
Looking at public service as a whole system allows you to understand the complex issues with your current service design and delivery. This then allows you to trial new approaches and evaluate the best way forward. Look at the way that your staff work together, and develop improved collaboration and seamless end to end service outcomes.
Successful change in the public sector has been tried several times, by successive governments over the past decades.
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But…
It does not seem that things are getting better, Demand is still rising, Some things are getting worse, Its not a great place to work anymore, The principles of New Public Management are not working... So what should we do next?
What actually works? |
Person centred service design, using systems thinking
The answer, as proven by local government around the world, is to make our services better by designing to maximise the value delivered to people, and reduce the waste activity.
A Council has recently redesigned how their enforcement services engage with the public.
They did three simple things;
- understand how their current workflow works,
- realign their understanding of the work outside-in,
- then redesign their service with their staff, using the new understanding
They did three simple things;
- understand how their current workflow works,
- realign their understanding of the work outside-in,
- then redesign their service with their staff, using the new understanding
The outcomes were:
- Permanently designing out the waste in the work flow. Activity reduced by 38%.
- Repeat demands fell to 2% from 71%.
- Scores from customers were 9.2 out of 10.
- Empowering staff to do the right thing when they should.
- What was recorded was only what was needed to record.
- Managers had new systemic tools to manage their service differently.
- Developed a learning culture, rather than blame.
- Developed a team based approach to work, smashing silo working.
- Working as one with other services, integrating the workflow, and reducing ongoing referrals.
- Permanently designing out the waste in the work flow. Activity reduced by 38%.
- Repeat demands fell to 2% from 71%.
- Scores from customers were 9.2 out of 10.
- Empowering staff to do the right thing when they should.
- What was recorded was only what was needed to record.
- Managers had new systemic tools to manage their service differently.
- Developed a learning culture, rather than blame.
- Developed a team based approach to work, smashing silo working.
- Working as one with other services, integrating the workflow, and reducing ongoing referrals.
Human Learning Systems, HLS
Human Learning Systems is a collaborative initiative to pull together examples of novel and systemic redesigns in the public sector. It rejects New Public Management, that has been the underlying princiiples governing the UK public sector now for the past two decades. HLS uses a set of principles that recognise the complex systemic nature of human interactions, that are key to designing public and local government services.
Collaborative, partnering, hubs, joined up person centred working that works sustainably...
GDS and One Team Gov
The Government Digital Service GDS, since 2011, has quietly been creating a new mind-set and way of managing and working in central government. They have transformed some highly transactional central services, that have made it far easier for the public to use, and costs have been slashed. This One Team Gov set of principles demonstrates what can be achieved with the right leadership and approach.
The challenge is to use that expertise to design local council services that are more complex, and cannot simply use Gigital as a solution. The answer is a two stage process:
1. Design the service itself to create an effective workflow.
2. Use Digital to automate and engage with the public where it is appropriate to do so.
The challenge is to use that expertise to design local council services that are more complex, and cannot simply use Gigital as a solution. The answer is a two stage process:
1. Design the service itself to create an effective workflow.
2. Use Digital to automate and engage with the public where it is appropriate to do so.
