ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
Overview of findings So , what was learned ?
It should be noted right up front that there was no “ aha moment .” Nothing was said that would lead one to think , “ Why aren ’ t all municipalities doing this ?”
A key finding was that the variability between municipalities was more about the levels of service offered and how these services are provided . As noted above , this links directly to the quality of service and the perceived performance of the municipal government .
Overall , there are several general observations and conclusions that are worth noting :
• Defining and understanding the organizational strategy and target outcomes are seen as important in the design of any municipal organization . They provide the direction and focus for the design effort . However , it was also commented that they are not always explicitly defined and / or widely communicated ;
• There are different approaches used to design municipal organizations yet there are commonalties between them – understanding the current organization and operating context , confirming design principles and developing and evaluating options iterating to the preferred design ;
• People are seen as critical in the successful implementation of the final design yet there were questions raised as to when to consider existing staff in the design process ;
• Leadership is felt to be important in terms of providing visible and ongoing support to the design effort but also as a stakeholder that needs to buy-in to the final product ; and
• Engagement and communications are felt to be critical , and increasingly important , to the overall success of any design initiative even though the approach to engagement can vary
These findings along with a number of common themes are discussed in more detail below .
Detailed results
Change is the most common driver of organizational design The key drivers of organizational design that were identified are what one would expect : change in staff , changing circumstances or demands leading to issues , gaps or new opportunities in service delivery , regulatory changes , changing council priorities , a new strategic plan ; and / or the need to reduce costs . The list could go on . No surprises here .
One particular issue that was seen as a key driver of organizational change is a perceived lack of clarity in organizational roles , responsibilities and / or accountabilities . Concerns include potential duplication and overlap in service delivery .
Several factors are seen as critical to successful design The senior leaders identified several critical success factors in organizational design :
• Be clear on why the review is being undertaken , how the review will work and the expected or target outcomes , all of which is supported by visible and ongoing leadership ;
• Ensure that the leadership team understands , buys in and is supportive of the review and potential changes ;
• Plan for and engage staff at all levels in the organization and at different stages of the review within defined boundaries that clarify what is expected and how the information will be used ;
• Leverage potential champions of change while anticipating and planning for potential opposition ;
• Develop a comprehensive communications plan which addresses the needs and expectations of the various stakeholders throughout the process ; and
• Move expeditiously to achieve visible and measurable results
There are various forms of stakeholder engagement Having identified stakeholder engagement as critical to successful design , the question then becomes , what is the most effective form of stakeholder engagement ?
Face-to-face engagement was still seen to be one of the most effective engagement tools , whether it is interviews , focus groups , staff meetings or town halls . Cross-functional teams who are actually involved in the design were also seen as another effective and productive engagement technique .
One other comment on engagement : it appears that there is much greater emphasis today on the extent and level of engagement . The management team , and potentially a crosssection of staff , has always been part of any organizational review . There now appears to be a much higher expectation that staff at all levels will be consulted throughout the review process . As noted in the previous point , the terms of engagement , and how information will be used , need to be communicated and understood .
Surprisingly , the various forms of social media were not seen as effective input tools but more as potential channels for sharing information and ideas , and soliciting feedback , as the organization moves through the design effort .
There are potential challenges and issues that need to be considered and addressed The potential reaction to change was seen as the number one challenge . As commonly known , people do not react well to change . The means to overcome , or at least reduce , resistance include engagement and communication strategies with clear messaging on purpose , approach and expected results .
Other identified concerns include management capacity ( to deliver on the new organization ), affordability ( of the proposed changes ) and the time and effort required to complete an organizational review . All of these issues need to be considered in the planning and implementation of an organizational change .
More pragmatically , it was also noted that in planning for implementation the organization may need to address certain basic but important requirements , such as changes in accounting and reporting requirements or space planning .
22 Q2 2015 www . amcto . com