Scaling, Digitising & Maturing NZ Public Sector Shared Services

The goal of any business, particularly a large-scale operation, is to be as efficient as possible, delivering the best possible services whilst expending the least number of resources, thereby maximising profit. For large institutions with long histories, changing behaviours and becoming more efficient is often particularly difficult. But not impossible. However, like every organisation of significant size, there are constant roadblocks. The finance team, in particular, they are constantly involved in “firefighting, managing our backlogs, solving problems, and coaching our people to be more efficient, though there’s never enough time to actually develop our people.” The goal of course is …

Enhancing Interoperability and Management Operations through ICT

Enhancing Interoperability and Management Operations through ICT

Understanding the Impact of Covid-19 on NZ Public Sector Procurement

In procurement circles, people often “use the terms SRM and contract management interchangeably, but they are not the same thing.” Contract management is all about delivering the services or goods outlined in the contract. In many cases, this is procurement 101. SRM however is “about generating new value that goes beyond what’s written in a contract.” It is about performance and relationship management and “if we focus on that, then we will see value generated through continuous improvement and innovation over time.” This is particularly relevant now because, after events like “earthquakes, floods, security threats, and COVID-19, there is a …

The Automation Change Management Puzzle

Automation, in the many forms it comes in – machine learning, robotic process automation, artificial intelligence – is on track to make a bigger impact on business and society than any previous technology. With the ability to make connections, see relationships and react faster and more efficiently we’re on the cusp of something huge. Ultimately automation at any level isn’t a technological journey – technology is easy, you just turn it on – automation is a psychological journey, one that goes hand in hand with a change management journey, with the brutal truth being that it doesn’t matter how much …

Designing and embedding a seamless and innovative end-to-end service

At the recent Service Design and Delivery event, we heard from the Department of Health as they dive into how to connect the real world experience to policy making. In this article we explore: In the Department of Health, one example of the way policy has always been traditionally developed is in the field of mental health. Unlike other conditions, where it is usually quite clear if there is an issue – like a broken bone for instance – mental health conditions “are complex and they can be very different from person to person.” When developing policy, it is therefore …

State of Identity in a Post-Covid World

Obviously the pandemic has been and continues to be “a period of profound geopolitical, technological and societal change.” As part of that though, it has also been a “truly a fantastic opportunity to build more digitally enabled services, but these solutions and approaches must come hand in glove with ensuring that innovation remains secure-by-design, with cyber security practices and methodologies embedded into the process.” More than that, cyber security has become “an organisational imperative” because there’s been a surge in internet traffic and activity which has led to criminals “seeking to strategically disrupt critical infrastructure and global supply chains to …

Assessing Technologies Driving the Future of Corporate Function - Q1 2022 National Insights Series, Virtual Event

With the Federal Government’s Digital Economy Strategy allocating of $15.3 million to The Shared Services Program as part of the Modernisation Fund (2017) to support the transition of agencies to more “modern and sustainable operating models”, $89.5 million across three years to consolidate and streamline back-office corporate functions in the Australian Public Service, and further funding for Services Australia to design, build and operate the GovERP platform, public sector back-offices are now making tracks toward becoming efficient, intelligence enabled decision-making hubs. Building reliance on digital skills and capabilities, all finance functions are now encouraging modernised business processes and transformed government …

Strategic Workforce Planning

At the recent Strategic Workforce Planning event, we heard from Jeanne Weissl, Director, Strategic Human Rights, BC Ministry of Children and Family Development as she dived into how to align your workforce with the future direction of your organization. A people plan, a people and culture plan or an HR plan are all part of the same thing. Yet some organizations claim that they “don’t have time for such a plan, or it’s too much work.” It is true that the process to create a plan can be lengthy, but it is equally true in almost all cases that not …