News

SDLC change consultant, David White, introduces a comprehensive change programme into the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) which has transformed the way its Business Relations team implements organisational change.

There are few environments more buffeted by constant change than central government. Whether it be ministerial or policy changes, headcount reductions, shrinking budgets or public demand for more professional services, staff are often left feeling they are on the change treadmill. Regular efficiency and effectiveness reviews are a fact of life and it is often the case that new initiatives are launched before the previous ones are fully embedded.

The pace of change, coupled with a lack of change management skills, often lead to staff feeling demotivated and disengaged from the change process. People going through change may feel they are lacking effective leadership and a clear sense of purpose. But does it always have to be this way? 

Not according to Elspeth Woods, Head of Operations, Business Relations, at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Elspeth decided to do something about it and, as a result, she is now part of a team which is transforming itself into one where effective staff engagement and management of change underpins all of its business activities.

A well-trodden path is to bring in external consultants who have the necessary skills and experience to implement change but once the consultants have gone, the organisation often finds itself no more capable of managing the next change. Elspeth believed a more innovative and sustainable solution would be to work in close partnership with an external provider with a view to not just implementing a particular change but to improving her team’s own capability to effectively manage change. Her aim was to have a deliverable that staff felt they owned and which could easily be tailored for future use across BERR, formerly the Department for Trade and Industry, and other government departments.

David quickly realised that for the BERR Business Relations change programme to be a success, it was important for him to effect a genuine knowledge transfer, rather than simply deliver training and development events. As a result, David engaged with a group of BERR Business Relations staff to develop workshop materials and champion change in the workplace.

Leading and embracing change
Proposed workshop facilitators were immersed in an intensive event to develop their understanding of change theory and good practice and to develop their facilitation skills. After five days, they emerged with two clearly defined learning and development modules – Leading Change and Embracing Change.

“Leading Change is designed to enable managers to more effectively plan, implement and reinforce change in the workplace. Embracing Change is designed to give people an understanding of the nature of change, the emotional journey it entails and to enable them to explore their own reactions to change”, said David.

Embracing Change was soon being delivered entirely by the BERR Business Relations facilitators, some of whom were also co-facilitating Leading Change alongside David. The takeup rate for both sessions surpassed even Elspeth’s expectations and proved to be the most successful training programme that BERR Business Relations has run to date.

So what of the outcome?
Elspeth concludes, “Good practice has now become embedded in key functions of the organisation, such as business planning, communications and developing organisational capability and there has been an observable change of behaviour both within the staff and senior managers. Management are now more focused on engaging staff in effecting change and are responding to the desire for greater clarity of purpose and stronger leadership.

 “People now feel more confident about their role and are not afraid to ask difficult questions of their managers. They have learnt a lot about themselves and are uncovering capabilities they had not previously been aware of.”

Sir Brian Bender, Permanent Secretary, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, concurs, "This programme provides an excellent case study of how to manage significant change without impacting on service delivery or disaffecting staff.  It achieved this by positive engagement with staff, encouraging them to take the initiative, and to get the most out of the changes for themselves and for the Department."

If you would like more information about this change programme, please contact Pete Stock or David White at SDLC Solutions.