30 September 2002

Organisational Change Strategies for eGovernment

By Jerry Routh

The eGovernment agenda is bringing a rapid change in the use of IT technologies at all levels of government both central and local. Effective change takes time, persistence and commitment; resources and results rarely come immediately or spontaneously. Planning is critical and plans will need to be modified as needs and circumstances alter. Planning needs to be systematic. Management of these changes at an organisational level must be carefully considered and become an integral part of the overall plans of IT-driven projects and programmes.

The aims of any eGovernment strategy must be very well defined at the outset of any programme of changes. It is critical that the correct amount of analysis, consultation and thought goes into constructing these aims, such that they can be implemented consistently without the need for revision at a later stage. Declaring one set of objectives and actually doing another is a recipe for disaster. They should also be clear and concise, with little or no scope at all for ambiguity or different interpretations. Honesty as to the reasons of the aims within the particular organisation is vital throughout. Once agreed, it is also imperative that they are properly backed at all levels.

Failure to accomplish this at the outset brings, almost invariably, a substantial risk that the aims will need to be adjusted during the course of the change programme, with the prospect of what may be potentially catastrophic consequences in terms of project success, both technically and organisationally. Ensure old bad habits are not maintained. When conducted properly, the full commitment of everybody involved can be obtained and the process of change becomes much simpler. Yet this is only the beginning.

Realistic project plans now need to be drawn up for the implementation of these aims. These plans should include not only the technical project, but also communication, education, training and user acceptance testing, as well as any restructuring, that is, anything that effects staff must be included. This element of the plan must be managed with as much rigour and care as the technical project. Not getting the timing right in preparing the staff for change could either lead to staff losing interest and motivation or them not being ready.

Conducting these activities in a way that inspires and motivates staff will help to ensure that the successful delivery of the project or programme. Ensure that all stakeholders are properly empowered.

Having said this, I add an important proviso: the resulting solution must be an improvement on the previous one and furthermore, live up to expectations. One of the major pitfalls which has ensnared public sector projects is the overselling of the benefits of IT applications in terms of what they will achieve and secondly, weaknesses in the education and training process which result in poor motivation and frustration, factors which lead to failure. Don't oversell the expectations.

There are also a number of other pitfalls associated with organisational change implementation:

	·	Using fashionable organisational trends that are not suited to the organisation
	·	Unclear or unrealistic change expectations
	·	Assuming the only those parts of the organisation changing require training and not others
	·	Not ensuring that interfacing parts of the organisation are also changed to fit.
	·	Not staying with the original scope of the change.

Before any changes or restructuring takes place, the objectives and role of departments need to be clearly defined. Similarly, it must also be clear what a department is not responsible for, which also applies to the individuals within those departments. Care must be taken to ensure that the right employees are given the right roles, and decisions might not always be obvious.

Organisational change requires substantial skill and business awareness training. Effective education is vital at all levels, especially the sponsors, such that they fully understand any new working practices and take ownership.

Change can only be achieved through people and any changes must address their needs. During any change performance very often gets worse before it gets better, and so reassurance must be given that this is normal.

Through the process, support must continue until confidence is gained. Find people who will champion the changes from within the organisation - these individuals could be anyone.

Jerry Routh is a freelance researcher with many years' experience of successfully delivering IT and organisational change projects within the public and private sectors. Email: newvision.technology@ntlworld.com