Even though the aspiration might be to move central government to a more strategic, lean model, the reality is that more management capacity and attention (‘bandwidth’ as it is so cringingly called) will still be needed in the short-medium term.  Successful transitions take time and require sustained effort to ensure that the new operating model is implemented.  

As a general rule of thumb, in times of intense change, organisations need about 1/3^rd more management capacity to manage change on top of everyday running of the business.  The challenge is that it is difficult to sustain energy and momentum when the implementation of a change is protracted over a number of months, even years.  In addition, the spare capacity (and capability) required to managed change is often not immediately at hand.  And contractors, consultants, interims and the like are not longer a viable option in most cases at the moment.

So what can be done?  Well, actually, plenty can be achieved without looking beyond your current management team.  Here are some suggested approaches which have been proven to work:

Stick to the basics.  There are some basic rules of change management which absolutely remain current in today’s environment.  Don’t try to radically overhaul systems and processes at the same time you change the organisation’s structure.  Also remember that a change programme can either be driven by cost, deadlines, benefits or sustainability – but not all of these at once (at the most two of these drivers!).

Plan ahead.  It is always tempting to wait until the ‘lay of the land’ is clear before reacting.  In truth, this clarity is often not forthcoming.  Taking key milestones and working back to understand the implications for different parts of the organisation is vitally important.  Sharing these plans allows functions (e.g. Communications) to be proactive and understand what they need to do (and when) to support the change.  These plans also act as a valuable tool for managing expectations of senior management in terms of how quickly implementation can happen.

Use crisp, clear communications.  At a time when you need to work extra hard at engaging people, use creative approaches.  Avoid the written word if you can, deliver difficult messages face-to-face if possible and don’t be afraid to take a different tack.  Visual media can really help get the message across.  And do remember to build in pauses so that everyone in the organisation can absorb the new message and understand the implication for them.

These pointers apply to virtually every change programme but it is surprising how often they are over-looked.  Obviously they don’t guarantee success but, if given careful consideration, they will markedly reduce the chances of failure.