Delivering complex digital business change projects within strict, often unpredictable legislative deadlines presents significant challenges, particularly for public sector organisations.
These challenges are myriad and exacerbated when project delivery begins before legislation is finalised or when proposed changes encounter resistance from affected stakeholders. In such cases, delays can often carry legal and operational sensitivities, underscoring the importance of meeting deadlines with precision and reliability.
Similarly, the private sector faces mounting pressures in today’s uncertain economic environment. Businesses must improve their service offerings to stay competitive and meet shifting customer expectations. Delays to service or product delivery not only jeopardise market position but can erode trust and reputation.
Addressing these challenges requires a structured and responsive delivery approach, which needs to be designed to manage uncertainty, tight timelines, and external pressures, whilst maintaining a focus on value.
Our Core Principles for Successful Delivery
Through our work on national-scale public sector projects such as with Defra, DVLA, and DfT on Clean Air Zones, and with Scottish Government’s Agricultural Reform Programme, we understand the challenges of delivery through fluid and changing policy and legislative landscapes.
Our approach provides a structured, repeatable process that helps clients overcome these challenges, building in core principles that ensure projects deliver value, even when faced with fluctuating requirements or unforeseen external pressures.
Our principles are based on our InformedTRANSFORM™ methodology, which allows our clients to accelerate and de-risk business change, and has twice earned us the prestigious Queen’s Award for Innovation:
- Identify the real Needs of Users and Stakeholders: Early engagement with users and stakeholders is crucial. We begin by identifying their most pressing needs, concerns, and expectations. This early collaboration allows us to prioritise features that will deliver the highest impact and value. By understanding what matters most to users, we can create outcomes that resonate, drive faster adoption, and improve satisfaction.
- Focus on a Minimum Viable Product (MVP): The concept of an MVP is central to our delivery strategy. We work closely with our clients to define the MVP, focusing on the critical features that meet both legislative requirements and customer expectations. This approach enables us to deliver the most valuable functionality first, leaving additional features for later phases. By concentrating on what’s absolutely necessary, we can meet deadlines more effectively while managing stakeholder expectations.
- Be Open About Constraints: We understand that every project has unique constraints, whether related to external teams, budget limitations, fixed deadlines, or evolving legislative frameworks. From the outset, we work transparently with our clients to identify these constraints and develop practical workarounds. Incorporating these factors into our planning ensures we remain realistic and aligned with business goals, even when unexpected challenges arise.
- Maintain an Achievable Plan: A well-documented, realistic plan is critical. Our approach includes detailed roadmaps outlining key activities, timelines, and responsibilities. This aligns us with our clients but also allows for adaptive management in response to unforeseen circumstances. An achievable plan ensures everyone stays on track, even when dealing with shifting requirements or external forces.
- Be Responsive to Change: In the fast-evolving world of government and business transformation, change is inevitable. We embrace flexibility, knowing that the most successful projects are those that can quickly adjust to new information, shifting deadlines, or unexpected challenges. Our planning process is dynamic, so when change occurs, we can assess the impact and adjust the plan to maintain momentum, ensuring continuous progress towards project goals.
- Keep an Eye on the Big Picture: While tactical execution is essential, it’s equally important to maintain focus on the broader strategic vision. We work with our clients throughout the project to ensure the evolving landscape, both external and internal, remains aligned with the original objectives. Regularly discussing strategic goals and adjusting our approach as priorities shift helps us deliver value, while accommodating the changing environment.
- Continuous Engagement with Users: Successful delivery isn’t just about meeting deadlines, it’s about engaging users throughout the process. We prioritise ongoing communication, setting clear expectations and collecting feedback at every stage. This iterative approach ensures that any issues are identified and addressed quickly, improving the likelihood of a smooth rollout and higher levels of user satisfaction.
- Phased Service Rollout: A phased approach to delivery is often the most effective way to manage complexity. By rolling out functionality incrementally – whether to a small user group or with limited features initially – we can gather valuable insights and resolve any issues before full deployment. This iterative release process helps minimize risks and ensures that when the service is fully launched, it operates smoothly and meets all the intended requirements.
From Uncertainty to Success
Delivering complex projects in challenging environments demands an approach that adapts to uncertainty, prioritises critical requirements, and focuses on achieving meaningful outcomes. Whether working to tight legislative deadlines, responding to market demands, or navigating intricate stakeholder landscapes, the right methods and expertise can make all the difference.
By applying proven strategies and fostering collaboration, organisations can overcome these challenges, ensuring timely and effective delivery while staying aligned with their goals. With the right preparation and adaptability, even the most demanding projects can achieve successful outcomes.
Talk to Us
Get in touch for more information on how we can help you accelerate and de-risk your digital business change: https://www.informed.com/contact-us/
