Large scale transformations don鈥檛 happen overnight, and digital transformations in local authority and the public sector are no exception.
But what is realistic when it comes to transformation, and how can you make sure you manage stakeholders through it?
Join Headforwards and Cornwall Council for an on April 17, from 9:30am until 10:30am, discussing the joint lessons of the Cornwall Council digital transformation so far.
Headforwards has worked with Cornwall Council for five years as the technology partner through their digital transformation and Headforwards鈥 product manager, Owen Hodge, has been along the whole ride. Here, he shares some of the lessons and learnings from the process so far:
For both parties, relationship is the key to everything
Most businesses, particularly in the technology sector, will refer to themselves as a 鈥榩artner鈥. It sounds a lot better in your marketing materials than saying you鈥檙e a 鈥榮upplier鈥, but genuinely being a partner to your clients is exceptionally difficult to achieve.
When it comes to digital transformation, especially in large, complex and traditional organisations like the public sector, procuring a partner and building a strong and effective relationship with them can be the difference between success and failure.
For Headforwards and Cornwall Council alike, the strength of our partnership has been critical. You need your technology partner to be invested in delivering a great outcome for you, and working with you to deliver the reports you need, manage stakeholders, and navigate budgets.
For example, Headforwards has just transferred two budding developers across to Cornwall Council having brought them on within our own teams to accelerate their learning, expose them to a broader range of projects and get them up to speed before transferring them across. This is the kind of project a true partner will do for you.
Pace and complexity
Large scale transformations in local authority take time. It鈥檚 not the message people want to receive, but within large and complex organisations, it鈥檚 the reality.
In the immediate aftermath of the recent Post Office scandal, former chief digital officer for the 海角视频 government, Mike Bracken, wrote a brilliant article for the Financial Times, emphasising the pitfalls of 鈥楤ig IT鈥 projects. He laments the waterfall approach to projects, which make big bets on technology before engaging properly with users and their needs, and doesn鈥檛 deliver useable value quickly in the same way that Agile does.
Gareth Davies, chief executive of the National Audit Article recommended 鈥渕anageable projects compared to gigantic, overambitious attempts to change the whole world with one IT system.鈥 Ultimately, digital transformations are delivered through the snowballing effect of a series of smaller projects. We鈥檒l be discussing in our online event how you resource enough to see the pace.
The danger of shiny things
Innovative, shiny things are often what organisations are sold, but they are not necessarily the bits that make the most difference.
Getting the right foundations in place and identifying the areas that underpin your wider transformation can take time and be a bit invisible, but in the long-term, they are the more sensible place to start. However, there are politics and Politics in all organisations across the private and public sectors, and working with stakeholders to deliver the projects they need and want to see can鈥檛 be ignored, so balance is often the key.
Join Owen Hodge, product manager from Headfowards and Jenny Payne, head of Customer Experience and Improvement at Cornwall Council in conversation as they discuss the Cornwall Council transformation on April 17, from 9:30am until 10:30am. Sign up online .
