© The Centre for Effective Services 2015

Leadership to Implement Change in the Public Sector

National Disability Authority Conference

12th October 2015, Croke Park Conference CentreNuala Doherty DirectorCentre for Effective Services

About this Presentation

• Introduction to CES

• Mainstreaming – Challenges and Opportunities

• A Whole of Government Approach

• Leadership for Whole of Government working

• Case Study: Scotland Performs

• What does this mean for your work?

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Introduction to CES

• Established in 2008 with charity status• A multi-disciplinary staff team• Jointly funded by Government, Department of

Children and Youth Affairs and Atlantic Philanthropies

• All Island organisation, Belfast and Dublin.• CES is a ‘THINK AND DO’ tank which connects

research, policy and practice• To improve outcomes for communities, children

and young people.

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What informed the presentation

• Review of the international and national literature in:• Public Service Reform • Leadership and Change Management • Whole of Government / Joined up working• Implementation Science.

• Literature is rich in theory, poorer on outcomes evaluations on the effectiveness of various approaches.

• Drawing on our work with policy makers and services implementing change.

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What is Mainstreaming?

• Mainstreaming involves planning, designing and delivering services so that people with disabilities can engage fully and on equal terms with other citizens.

• The vision and goal: freedom, inclusion, enjoyment of fundamental rights for people with disabilities.

• Mainstreaming: a practical means to achieving the vision.

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Current Reform Context

• Good time for advancing mainstreaming:– Climate and culture of public sector reform North

and South – Strong focus on whole of government change – Strong rhetoric of service user participation– We have achieved all we can by working in silos.

• Challenging time for advancing mainstreaming:– Widespread cutbacks: Resources still very tight – Loss in organisational capacity and memory – Reform efforts cannot be focused solely on cost-

cutting. 6

Mainstreaming for Inclusive Public Services

• Mainstreaming of public services represents a serious whole of government challenge

• It means change throughout the service system. It demands and depends on commitment and connections at multiple levels:

• Political level• Government Departments and Agencies• Local government and local communities• Community and Voluntary Sector• People with Disabilities• Communities and members of the public

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Mainstreaming – A Whole of Government Approach

The NDS Implementation Plan 2013-2015 highlights the need to adopt a whole of government approach:

‘Systems can indirectly exclude people with disabilities if the architecture, policies, information or service delivery are not geared to include people with a range of disabilities’

‘If the physical and policy environment are modified with people with disabilities in mind, that can enhance freedom and participation and the enjoyment of fundamental rights’

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What is Whole of Government working?

• Working across department and agency boundaries to achieve a shared goal and an integrated response to generate outcomes that cannot be achieved by working in isolation.

• The needs of the citizen as the focus of services. • Joining together to achieve shared outcomes. • Recognising mutual dependence. • Getting out of ‘silos’. • New ways of working that rewards collaboration. • Leadership plays a crucial role in this approach.

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Leadership for Public Sector Reform

Vision Statement:

“To build a community of leaders that supports national recovery and builds renewal through

innovation and excellence, strengthening cross-organisational collaboration, supporting

continuous personal and professional development and inspiring others to achieve high

performance in a common purpose”. 

Senior Public Service leadership Development Strategy 2013-1015

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Leadership for Whole of Government Working

• Appropriate level of leadership required to reshape mandates and structures. Example: Cancer Strategy.

• Distributed leadership throughout the system.

Example: Smoking Ban• Consistency in leadership as a support to

implementation, as implementation takes time.

Example: Fixed term senior departments positions• A new type of leadership is needed which can attend

to the complexity of modern public service. • What does this look like?

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Leadership for Whole of Government Working

• Communicate a compelling vision

• Engage and Consult with Stakeholders

• Manage the Inter Dependencies

• Model and Incentivise

• Create a Learning Organisational Culture

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Skills of the ‘boundary spanner’

• Capacity to cultivate interpersonal relationships

• Communication and political skills

• Empathy

• Reciprocity and trust

• Seeing a problem from other partners perspectives

• Networking – the ability influence their external environments

Other Enablers of Whole of Government Working

• Leadership alone is not enough but is a catalyst for other enablers of whole of government working.

• Leadership plays a crucial role in activating enablers such as:

– Providing or securing adequate resources – Staff Capacity– Capacity to Implement– Implementation Teams and Plans – Monitoring and Evaluation.

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Learning from Scotland

• Case study on whole of government working

• Started journey in 2007

• Significant changes in structures to enable Whole of Government work

• National Performance Framework the means to measure progress

• Consistent leadership: Head of Civil Service and Strategic Leadership Group.

• The citizen as central to reform efforts, not just consumers of services. 14

Scotland Performs

The Vision

• Creating a fairer, more successful country, opportunities for all to flourish through creating sustainable economic growth.

• Seven statements of purpose including solidarity, cohesion, sustainability.

• Sixteen national outcomes including tackling significant inequalities, strong, resilient, supportive communities.

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Mainstreaming equality in Scotland

• Engage directly with communities to understand their concerns, priorities and perspectives.

• Use Equality Act 2010 and the performance framework to mainstream equality in the everyday work of Scottish Government– ensures equality is everyone's business.

• Using evidence and equality data to translate this into practical implementation.

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Summary Learning

• A new type of leadership is required which attends to the complexity of public services

• More about shared vision and outcomes than just structures.

• Boundary spanning relationships and influence• Co-produce with staff and citizens• Collect the data – evidence of progress is

empowering• Implementation takes time – sustained reform is

incremental • The time is now – whole of government is a core

part of the reform agenda. 17

What does this mean for your work?

• 20 years on from the Commission Report – where have we made most progress in achieving inclusive public services?

• What elements of leadership presented resonated with you?

• What does the information presented mean for how you and your organisation leads and collaborates?

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© The Centre for Effective Services 2015

Nuala Doherty

Director

+353 (0) 1 416 0500

www.effectiveservices.org

Thank you

Centre for Effective Services