Driving Complex Change in Large Complex Systems: A Case Study on

Transforming Government Communications

Not to be Circulated

Dr. Karuna Ramanathan, Senior Principal OD Consultant, PSD

Mr. Clarence Chia, DD(OD), PS21 Office, PSD

4/5/2016 1

Transformation of Government Comms (TOGC)

4/5/2016 2

Changing Comms Landscape

• Nature of information

• Audiences

• Platforms

• Definition of government comms

Public Sector Transformation – One Trusted Public Service with Citizens at the Centre

4/5/2016 3

• TRUST • ONE PUBLIC SERVICE • CITIZENS AT THE CENTRE •

Singaporeans believe that

we care, are honest and

capable, and provide bold

and effective leadership

for Singapore.

We partner

Singaporeans as citizens

with roles,

responsibilities and a

stake in Singapore.

4/5/2016 4

We understand the diverse

experiences and needs of

Singaporeans.

We work with

Singaporeans and harness

their perspectives to do

our jobs better.

• TRUST • ONE PUBLIC SERVICE • CITIZENS AT THE CENTRE • 4/5/2016 5

1

We work as a team to

formulate policies and

solutions that are in the

best interests of Singapore

and Singaporeans.

Our values of Integrity,

Service and Excellence

underpin what we do as

the Singapore Public

Service.

• TRUST • ONE PUBLIC SERVICE • CITIZENS AT THE CENTRE • 4/5/2016 6

Why do change projects fail?

Acceptance of

people Low High

Effective Change Unsuccessful Change Successful Change

Quality of technical solutions

Good Good

4/5/2016 7

The Truth about Change

Er = Qt x Ap

Effectiveness of

results

Quality of

technical solution

Acceptance of

the people

4/5/2016 8

There is great power in

thinking whole system,

and in being a whole

system as you think.

Roland Sullivan and John Scherer

4/5/2016 9

The fundamental differences between

Compliance Commitment vs.

The simple fact is that most management-driven strategic efforts do not require commitment; they are built around compliance.

Deep changes – in how people think, what they believe, how they see the world – are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve through compliance.

The Dance of Change: The Challenges to Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations Peter M. Senge, et al (1999) 10

4/5/2016

Comms Community as a System

Membership Roles and competencies

Change Fatigue Dynamics

Cultural

Structures

Personalities

Identity

4/5/2016 11

Phase One – Diagnosis and Engagement

Entry & Contracting

Community Engagement

Formalise Change

Structure

Deep Dive and Action Planning

Community Engagement

Jul 2013 Jul 2013 Aug 2013 Sep 2013 Feb 2014

4/5/2016 12

Phase Two - Implementation

Set up of Transformation Office and work

groups

Supporting Internal MCI HQ

in Leadership and Strategy

MCI Strategic Retreats & Leadership

Conversations

(Jun-Nov 2015)

Supporting the Transformation Office in Engagement Design

and Facilitaton Govt Comms Conf

(Nov 2015)

Supporting CGC/MCI in WoG Comms

Planning and Narrative Creation

SkillsFuture 1&2

(Nov 15 & Mar 16)

Supporting and Strengthing MCI’s

Centrality

DigiGov & Smart Nation

(Apr –Jun 16)

Mar 2014 Apr 2015 Jun 2015 Nov 2015 Mar 2016

4/5/2016 13

Supporting Internal MCI HQ in Leadership and Strategy

MCI Strategic Retreats & Leadership Conversations (Jun-Nov 2015)

4/5/2016 14

MCI Strategic Retreats: Bringing Strategy to the Ground: The Collaboration Challenge

To support the leadership group (MCI and agencies) to become “stronger” and “fitter”, to meet present and near future WOG information and communication challenges, as collectively developed, collaboratively expressed and engaged through vision, mission, values strategy, focus and workplan. • 4/5/2016 15

“Becoming Stronger and Fitter”

4/5/2016 16

Current Reality

Gaps, Issues, Challenges

Desired Future

Action Steps

Indicators & Timelines

“Creating The

Container”

“Creating Vision & Transforming

Structures”

“Sustaining Change”

DESIGN FRAME INTENT DESIRED EFFECT

Making “Meaning” out of the Present

Giving “Voice” to Influence Outcomes

Connect to “Co-Create” Collective

Destiny

“Contribute” & “Be Impactful”

Task Focus

Part adapted from Mee Yan Cheung-Judge’s “Front Room Principles” and Daniel Kim’s “Three Phase View of Organisational Change”Models.

Working at Senior Leadership Levels

• Becoming “Stronger” – to align better vertically, so as to secure stronger internal and external presence, in order to be able to offer exceptional value to WOG Info and Comms

• Becoming “Fitter” – to collaborate better horizontally, in order that the community becomes more responsive and agile to external demands and challenges to WOG Info and Comms

4/5/2016 17

Supporting the Transformation Office in Engagement Design and Facilitation

Govt Comms Conf (Nov 2015)

4/5/2016 18

WOG Transformation of Govt Comms

• Situation - As a WOG Comms horizontal, need to ENGAGE stakeholders/community to encourage change and adoption of change ideas, new capabilities, best comms practices and standards

• Intent – To support the comms community to understand, co-create and adopt data driven comms as a core process, by working with the DOIs as the change leadership group

4/5/2016 19

Willingness to “embrace change” (i.e. Commitment) -strengthened through Collaboration (Connectedness), built on Cooperation (Coordination) – Hansen, 2014

DOI’s Change Leadership

Curiosity

Choice

Commitmt

Calibratn

4/5/2016 20

• 1.Curiosity – DOIs “soak” and clarify

content

• 2.Choice – DOIs “co-create” DDC as a

core process

• 3.Commitment – DOIs lead MMs/IOs in

adoption

• 4.Calibration – Agencies, DOIs and MMs

provide feedback

Change Leadership can be described as “transforming and aligning an organisation through its people to drive for improvement in a new and challenging direction”

(Lueneburger, 2014 “A Culture of Purpose”)

Plan

4/5/2016 21

Curiosity Choice Commitment

Allowing the DOIs reasonable time to “SOAK” in/up the

proposed Doctrine, and to develop the

“Executive Summary” together

Convening the DOIs to “VOICE” their issues/concerns

and to develop the DDC as a “Core

Process” together

½ Day Facilitated Meeting, for clarification

and requesting submission of “what is

not clear”

2 X ½ Day Facilitated Workshops, to

collectively derive the Core Process

Leveraging on the DOIs to

“Demonstrate” to the MMs the DDC as a Core Process in a simulated WOG Comms Exercise

1 day Large Group Intervention , followed by ½ day After Action Review to consolidate

lessons learnt and adjustments to DDC Core

Process, Doctrine, and Exec Summary

Assuring the wider Comms Community

that adoption is in place

1 day Large Group Intervention , for

MMs to “train” them in the DDC process , using simulation and

discussion design, with DOIs present

Interviewing the DOIs Interviewing the

Principals Interviewing the MMs MM Feedback

Nov 15 – Feb 16 Aug – Sep 15 Jul-Aug 15

CLARIFY CONTENT & TO

PROJECTS

DOI’s CO-CREATE CORE PROCESS

DOI’s LEAD MMs IN DEMO PRACTICE

COMMUNITY CALIBRATION

Calibration

Feb 16-Jun 16

Assuring the wider Comms

Community that adoption is in

place

2 X 1-day LGI’s Scenario Based

with AARs

Ou

tco

me

/Eff

ect

s

Inte

nti

on

Se

ssio

n(s

)

Info

Proposed Approach

4/5/2016 22

Helpful Mechanisms: Incorporating the Foresight

Developing the Methodology, Tools and SOPs (IM7 etc)

Rationalising the Structures

Now and Near versus Longer term

Change Leadership: Ministry DOIs and

others

Purpose of Change First the Internal Team(s), then the expanded groups

Stressing the Rewards: Future IO Career Path,

Competency Framework, DDC Training and Early Adopter

Strengthening Relationships

DOIs, Agencies, IOs

“Change Narrative”

“Emergent Structures” “Core Change Team”

“Tools & Processes” “WIIFM”

“Community”

Government Comms Conference 2015

• Intent: To support participants learning, to increase their awareness (of issues), understanding (of challenges) and application (of ideas) around WoG Comms.

• Content Areas: – 1. CPF Board WOG Comms Campaign

– 2. DOI’s Reflections on MND Comms Campaign

– 3. PGO’s Sharing on Engagement as an integral part of Govt Comms

– 4. MCI’s Comms Competency Framework – Strengthening the Comms Community

4/5/2016 23

Govt Comms Video

4/5/2016 24

Supporting CGC/MCI in WoG Comms Planning and Narrative Creation

SkillsFuture 1&2 (Nov 15 & Mar 16)

4/5/2016 25

Issues & Challenges

• Began in 2013 to grow and support the govt comms community: Data driven comms, Targeted Marketing, Use of Technology, Career Development and Training

• Requires MCI as the central agency to engage partners, stakeholders and community

• 2015/16, critical aspect is mindset change and the info community’s willingness to embrace change – Data driven communications as central methodology, hence core process – Ministry DOIs are central to mindset change, and thus to adoption and

adaptation of data driven communications – Understanding the “Why” at different levels is critical to embracing

change – MCI positioned as Central agency in now and near term, and in longer

term, to operate as Centre in the TOGC

4/5/2016 26

Mindset Change- “Inviting the individual’s willingness and motivation to cooperate with the change process as opposed to imposing it upon them. Potentially you are asking the individual to change at a deep level so it will require integrating with their values and beliefs. Ultimately their heart will need to be in it not just their mind.” – 2015 Global HR Report

Framing the 2016 Plan

• What is DDC?

• Why do this?

• L3 WoG Comms & Narratives

Coherence

• DOIs at center of Community

• From First Adopters to Best Practices to Lessons Learnt

• Growing Communities of Practitioners

• MM IOs as Voice of Community

Commitment • WoG Framework

• Training and Education

• Work Based Learning and Development

• Formative Evaluation & Competency Based Learning

Competency

4/5/2016 27

Transformation Change Strategy

Break In (2015) Build Up (2016/17) Break Thru (2017)

MCI

DOIs

Entities

Community

Partners

Change Team Formation

Doctrine Finalisation

First Adopters & Examples

Competencies & Future Skills

SKILLS FUTURE Narratives

Project Completion

SMART NATION Narratives

Change Leadership, Mentorship & Coaching

Best Practices & Lessons Learnt

Aligning Training & Education

WoG L3 Narratives

Disciplined Measurements & Validations

Technology Leverage

DOIs owning the Systems, Processes & Practices

Community based sharing and transfer

processes/protocols

Promoting Work based Learning and Development

Bridged/Coherence Policy-Ops-Comms-Engagement

“Levels”

“Stages”

Monthly CoPs

4/5/2016 28

2016 Engagement Plan

Change Team Formation

POD/RD - SKILLS FUTURE Narratives & Comms Plan

TO/IODF - Project Tracking, Reporting and Completion (To be detailed by TO), e Newsletter, Info Ops Plan Workshops, Adhoc SME Workshops

POD/RD - SMART NATION L3 Comms

Change Leadership, Mentorship & Coaching

Best Practices & Lessons Learnt

CT/COP/CSC – Strengthening and Aligning Training & Education

POD/RD- RETIREMENT ADEQUACY L3 Comms

TO/IODF – MCI Google Joint BP

CT/COP/CSC- Designing and Promoting Work based Learning and Development

Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec

TO – Bi-Monthly CoPs (With DOIs and MM IOs)

4/5/2016 29

03 Mar SF R2

01 Mar SN R1

28 Jan HCS SN

XX Sep SF R3

XX Jul SN R2

GCC2016 SPSLs Seminar

Update to COPS

GCC2016 Community

Design

POD/RD- Future of US and Future

Economy

TO/FO/IODF – Revised DDC Doctrine

Future of US R1 “C

om

mu

nit

y”

“En

titi

es”

“Lea

der

s”

“Pro

j Tea

m”

Organisational Narratives • A spoken or written account of actual or fictitious events that

are, or appear to be inter-connected

• Offers meaning, potentially translating values and purpose into explicit message

• When developed well, often strengthens alignment horizontally and vertically

• As a “live” draft, deliberately requires continuous thinking and adapting to ambiguity, complexity and uncertainty

• Often necessary reference frame nested between Intent/Strategy, and Comms/Engage Plan

• Grounded on Believability, Acceptability, Deliverability

• Necessarily ASPIRATIONAL – but it is Not the Strategy

– Strategy and Implementation are timing specific

• Underscores SIGNIFICANCE – but it is Not the Message

– Messaging is audience specific

• Driven by Comms Plan

• Supports COHERENCE – but it is Not the Answer

– Coherent Comms depends on Coherent Strategy

• More Complex the Strategy, Greater the number of parties involved, Greater the Need for a single overarching narrative

4/5/2016 30

Types of Narratives Types Description & Effects

Common Current account and or description of events that help us explain and/or understand a situation or phenomenon. May have evolved, and is In-Use. Often formed through consistent and patterned based interpretation of formal and informal messages. When nothing has been deliberately done to build the narrative, the story evolves into common narrative.

National The national and grand story for a large national programme, to help everyone understand its bigger importance to nation building and/or regional/international competitiveness. It is necessarily aspirational, and historically anchored. The meta-narrative will draw direct relevance from the national narrative.

Meta Future forward pitch of the current narrative into an inspirational frame, carrying important messaging, to support strategy, communications and or engagement. Wide enough to allow for multiple entities/agencies to “hook-on”. Future distanced enough to allow for multiple entities/agencies to “grow-into”.

Macro One level down from the Meta-Narrative, applies to the main story messaging frame for a cluster, which is a collection of entities/agencies by design. Must visibly “hook into” the Meta Narrative.

Micro Two levels down from the Meta Narrative, applies to the messaging frame for an entity/agency, with distinct connection to the parent organisation/ programme/effort by design. Must visibly allow for “growth into” the Meta Narrative. Directly references the Macro Narrative.

Team/Group A direct derivative from the micro-narrative as it pertains to the team or group. The team is formally constituted while the group may be informal. This narrative type can be called a shared vision!

Personal An individual view of the “why”, often gained from a deeper sense of alignment from the national to the meta to the macro, then micro and team/group. When not in alignment, the personal narrative becomes problematic.

Counter A deliberate effort to build and spread a counter story, in order to correct/adjust/influence a common narrative.

4/5/2016 31

SkillsFuture Comms Retreat Video

4/5/2016 32

Supporting and Strengthing MCI’s Centrality

DigiGov & Smart Nation (Apr –Jun 16)

4/5/2016 33

Strategic Coherence & Alignment • Need for strategic coherence

– WoG involvement - SN and DG are two mega WoG programmes, managed as separate streams, reporting to HCS, involving multiple government agencies • How are SN & DG initiatives linked? • How are IDA’s technology initiatives

linked to SN & DG?

• Need for stronger alignment – Current Comms works fragmented -

International comms by IDA, National comms by MCI teams, Internal comms by PSD • What is the Big Story linking SN, DG

and Technology initiatives? • What are the Major Stories around

SN & DG & Technology? • What are the Agency Stories?

4/5/2016 34

Coherence Strategy – Effective Comms

Strategy & Plans

Communications & Engagement

Policy and Comms working together, and

not in a vacuum

Narratives Comms Plan StratPlan

What are we DOING?

What are we SAYING?

What is our STORY?

“POLICY” “COMMS”

Proof Point Based Aligining Core Reasoning

WoG Strategic Coherence in major programmes such as Smart Nation and Digital Government is a pre-requisite to WoG Communications Effectiveness (Level 3). Collaborating towards a set of directions and priorities that bind major programmes together, having a common end. This goes beyond simply grouping or categorising the different efforts of the 16 ministries and 50 plus statboards, to give them a sharper definition and a higher level impetus coherence. It requires that we are able to understand who is doing what?, appreciate who is seeing what?, and be able to reinforce who is saying what? To do this quickly, a common (meta) Narrative and WoG Comms plan, and a content strategy, which needs to be measured and reported in order that its effects, or non effects are measured, and how the data drives the comms.

Prepared by Karuna Ramanathan, PSD 14 Mar 2016

4/5/2016 35

WOG SN, DG & Technology Comms

07 Mar 1hr

Small Room

18 Mar 2.5 hours

Small Group

XX May SN Retreat

XX May Senior

Leadership Inputs

22 Apr ½d DG Comms Retreat

Intent: To establish

commitment from the

principals to press ahead

with developing a

common narrative

Focus on 1.Domestic

Comms, 2.Int’l Comms and

3.Proof Points.

28 Jan HCS & CGC

Chat

Intent: Appraised HCS of challenges re challenges of separate Comms plans for SN and DG, & updated on SkillsFuture Narrative work

Focus on a Common and

Compelling Story linking SN and DG, and Proof

Point based WoG Comms.

“Entry & Commission”

Intent: To bring the key agencies working on SN

and DG to share their strategies, key

deliverables in the next 1-1.5 years, and their

current comms efforts. Then to examine the current SN narrative.

Focus on 1. Listing of Proof Points 2.Major issues and Challenges

3.First stab at the current Narrative 4.Who else needs to be in the

room.

Intent: To bring ALL agencies working on SN and DG to build the common (meta) narrative, and to then build their agency

micro narratives. To also be sensitised to the WOG issues and challenges to comms work in SN

and DG, and to share the first WoG Content Plan.

Focus on 1.Building the Common (Meta) Narrative 2. Building the

Agency Micro Narratives 3. Sharing the Draft Agency Comms Plans 4. Commenting on the WoG

Content plan in relation to the Narratives.

“Contracting” “Diagnosis and Design” “Intervention” “Evaluation” “Finalisation”

Intent: Present Narrative and

Content Strategy. Also present the

“Proof Point” related comms measures for

discussion.

Focus on 1.Clearing the

Meta Narrative 2. Clearing the

Content strategy 3. Key Measures.

Focus To generate through multi-agency collaboration:1. “Meta Narrative” for Smart Nation2. “Macro Narrative” for DG 3. WoG DG comms plan4. DG Content Strategy

Outcome: Urgency &

Sponsorship

Outcome: Commitment and Scoping

Outcomes: Identifying the Proof

Points and the need for a strong storyline

Outcome: The Smart Nation Meta Narrative,

WoG Comms Plan and the Content Strategy

Outcome: Adjustments to Narrative and WoG Comms

Plan

Outcome: Working Narrative and Key Messages ready for

Senior Leader inputs

10-14 Jul World Cities Summit

4/5/2016 36

Intent: To examine the

current SN Narrative and Messages post-IRP (18 Apr), in order to infuse

DG into SN and strengthen narratives,

comms and content

My Reflections & Takeaways

4/5/2016 37

System vs Social Complexity

4/5/2016 38

“Sys

tem

Co

mp

lexi

ty”

“Social Complexity” Low

Low

High

High

“Badlands”

Tame Problems

Messy Problems

Wicked Problems

“Learning and Leading through the Badlands” David Berdish, 2001

1. “Understand the System, Don’t Control It”

2. “Know the Relationships in the System”

3. “Strengthen Human Relationships”

4. “Understand Others’ Perspectives”

5. “Determine What We Stand For”

6. “Determine our Trust and our Trustworthiness”

7. “Be Humble, Courageous and Vulnerable”

8. “Find Soul Heroes”

Organisational Effectiveness • “Organizational effectiveness, defined as the capacity

to achieve the goals of the enterprise, depends upon the capacity to build and maintain an identity congruent with environmental realities (Rowsell and Berry, 1993).

• Management of meaning is then a continuous process whereby leaders within an organization, through words and deeds, communicate an "integrating ethos" (Selznick, 1957) in order to focus energy towards collective identity and joint purpose.

• Ethos so transmitted must embody the interests of numerous organisational sub-units, for it will be accepted only in so far as it reflects the multi-coloured "mosaic of organizational realities" (Morgan, 1986).

4/5/2016 39

Wh

at w

e “

SEE”

W

hat

we

“SA

Y”

Wh

at w

e “

DO

”

“Change Support Cycle”

1.Champion

2.Content

3.Context 4.Culture

5.Calibration

4/5/2016 40

“Initial Diagnosis of Change Support”

“Build Narratives & Strategy ”

“Nudge Plan” “First Results & Adjust Plan”

“Results & Evaluation”

“SEE”

“SAY” “DO”

“KNOW”

“GROW”

Copyright Dr.Karuna Ramanathan 2016