Transformation roundtable: Developing transformation capability and skills

5 March 2025

Facilitated by Tom Denman, Adviser, LGA

Speakers:

• Becky Colton, Senior Transformation Officer & Suzanne Moore, PMO Lead, Hull City Council
• Matt Clarke, Head of Change Delivery, Nottingham City Council

Tom Denman hosted the LGA transformation roundtable focused on developing skills and capabilities for effective change in councils. The session highlighted the importance of workforce agility, the LGA transformation capability framework, and creating the environment for skills growth and knowledge-sharing to improve service delivery. Presentations from Hull and Nottingham City Councils explored training and development strategies. 

Suzanne Moore from Hull City Council outlined the creation of their Project Management Office, which was established in response to an audit that highlighted the need for improved risk management and financial reporting. This led to the development of regular project management practices across various departments to address identified skill gaps.

Becky Colton discussed a Six Sigma project that evaluated the effectiveness of PRINCE2 training within the council. The findings revealed significant variations in how the training was applied across the council, prompting the development of a more tailored and cost-effective in-house project management course.

The new course incorporates both waterfall and agile methodologies, aligning with the council's specific project types. It focuses on robust governance; risk management aligned with council standards and provides practical tools for effective project planning and management.

Matt Clarke, Had of Change Delivery at Nottingham City Council, discussed their significant organisational transformation, starting from a point without a developed project management and business analysis team. Over the last five years, through their Change Academy initiative, developed in partnership with PwC, the council has upskilled its staff significantly in these areas through a ‘grow your own’ model. This internal training programme has promoted a robust internal capability to manage and deliver substantial change projects and savings programmes, crucial for the council's financial stability.

The Change Academy was a key element in their transformation journey, recruiting staff from various council departments, focusing on personal skills and capability over experience and providing extensive training, resulting in a strong, cohesive team skilled in modern project management techniques. This initiative has not only contributed to extensive savings but also significantly transformed the council's culture towards a more change-oriented and efficient organisation. Looking forward, the council plans to expand this successful model to other areas and potentially collaborate with other public sector entities to further disseminate this impactful approach.

Does the Nottingham have a team for each directorate? How does work get prioritised for delivery?

Matt explained that Nottingham does not have a team assigned to each directorate. Instead, work is prioritised through a framework that is being reviewed to improve its efficiency. There are four major change programmes, with three aligned to specific directorates and one focused on corporate, cross-cutting initiatives. The prioritisation matrix helps the organisation understand the necessary artefacts, governance structures, and resource requirements for the various projects within these programmes, which mainly focus on savings. The matrix ranks projects on a scale of 1 to 4 across various categories, including strategic impact, customer benefits (both internal and external), financial benefits, statutory requirements, process improvement, urgency, and the availability of in-service capability. This approach ensures that projects are effectively prioritised for delivery.

How was the buy-in obtained for colleagues to be released from their day jobs for significant training, considering the limited capacity across the sector?

Matt explained that the buy-in for colleagues to be released from their regular duties was achieved through a structured approach. Colleagues were seconded for a 12-month period into the Transformation Office, starting with nine weeks of training. This arrangement, agreed with their substantive managers, allowed colleagues to focus on transformation without disrupting core responsibilities. Suzanne highlighted that buy-in was also secured by demonstrating direct benefits, such as quicker decision-making and better audit trails. Becky stressed the importance of top-level engagement, particularly from assistant directors, the chief executive, and councillors, who supported investing in staff development. The urgency created by a financial challenge further facilitated buy-in for transformational changes.

Does the organisation employ Organisational Development (OD) principles to help lead culture change?

Matt explained that the organisation has developed some OD principles focused on organisational behaviours and operating practices. However, the real focus now lies with the new OD & Culture function within the Change Delivery service. This function is responsible for ensuring that these principles are not only communicated effectively but also embedded throughout the organisation. The aim is to create a deeper alignment with the organisational culture and behaviours that support transformation and sustainable change.

How has Nottingham managed to change its culture?

Nottingham has made significant progress in changing its culture by involving colleagues in mapping the existing culture through surveys and workshops. Based on these insights, several initiatives have been implemented, including the evolution of the Change Network into the Change Community to drive engagement. Colleagues' work on Individual Performance Reviews (IPRs) has improved performance management. Additionally, cross-cutting programmes, projects, and governance structures have been established to break down silos and promote a more collaborative culture.

Could you share more about the digital solutions training opportunities and what has been developed?

Nottingham Council created a series of training opportunities to encourage the adoption of digital solutions. The Digital Solutions 101 training, developed by the Process Improvement team, focused on digitising processes through tools such as digital workflows, RPA, and AI. The Change Delivery team also created Business Analysis 101, offering a practical introduction to business analysis techniques. Both trainings have now evolved into a monthly Digital Showcase, allowing colleagues to stay engaged with the latest digital developments and their real-world application.

How did you manage the costs associated with the Change Academy, particularly in partnership with PwC, and is it a sustainable model now?

Matt explained that the partnership with PwC included the training costs as part of a broader package, so the specifics weren't isolated. Now, training and knowledge-sharing are managed internally, leveraging local resources to build on the initial investment, aiming for consistency and sustainability without ongoing costs. 

Is there anything you're willing to share, such as templates?

Suzanne and Becky expressed their willingness to share resources made using basic tools like Word and Excel. Their current practices include managing the capital program with in-house created templates, underscoring a self-sufficient approach that doesn't rely on sophisticated software.

How do you prioritise projects, especially distinguishing between major transformational initiatives and continuous improvement?

Matt detailed that prioritisation involves clear criteria assessing financial benefits, customer and staff impacts, statutory requirements, delivery urgency, and resource availability. This structured approach helps determine the necessary oversight level and allocate appropriate resources to projects based on their strategic value and complexity.

During the roundtable discussion, participants discussed the challenges of implementing effective project management frameworks within budget constraints and exploring new software trials on Microsoft Teams and their potential impact. The conversation also touched on the difficulties of aligning priorities across different service areas with conflicting needs and the efficacy of prioritisation matrices and visual kanban boards.

Participants also emphasised the importance of securing leadership buy-in to foster a culture of project management across organisations. MC shared strategies for engaging communities through business partners linked to specific service areas to facilitate regular health checks and best practice sharing, aiming to embed project management practices relevant to various departmental challenges.

The discussion also examined the role of Programme Management Offices (PMOs) in providing consistency and standardised templates while recognising that PMOs might restrict the autonomy of officers to manage projects based on unique departmental needs. This led to exploring different PMO models and project management frameworks designed to enhance flexibility and empowerment.

Overall, the roundtable underscored the extensive challenges faced by local government in integrating advanced project management tools and strategies with limited budgets and diverse organisational cultures. Participants highlighted the need for adaptable frameworks that address the specific requirements of different service areas, promoting an inclusive project management culture across organisations.