Visualization

Challenge

The business of Government is in a state of constant change in order to assure  delivery of services to its customers, stakeholders, constituents and partners. This is a  challenge I face as a Management Consultant working with public sector clients. To  modernize service delivery, you require an understanding of the problems and  expectations of these groups in aligning business efforts to achieve operational  effectiveness. Problems and opportunities could range from I) a new technology being  introduced and a requirement to enable the roll-out through a re-alignment in  processes and people; II) a complete re-design of the business due to a change in  mandate and service delivery partners; III) implementation of recommendations from  the Auditor General. By assessing the current state, deriving measures for success and  establishing design principles; I ensure delivery of an aligned business future state  that meets the expectations of my clients.

Selection

Visualization, as a tool, is important in my practice because I, as most of my clients,  am visual. It provides a succinct, relatable representation of the business to highlight  current and future areas of discovery. It helps in depicting inter-relationship between  entities, shows accountability and value drivers from services provided and how the  business contributes to the overall organizational mandate. Consulting is both about  discovery and telling a story, taught through images it can be very compelling. The  science of decoding and interpreting signs is a non-linear process; visualization takes  participants back to their innate learning urges allowing them to engage in asking  questions and contributing to the discovery process.

References:

1. http://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm- binaries/23938_Chapter_3___Creating_Program_Logic_Models.pdf

2. https://www.axelos.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=cbf5524d-2d6b-4ac9-ad5c- c0e1bd6e2899

Application

Application

The challenges described above are best assessed from a visioning-strategic intent-  desired outcomes perspective. Once the project brief has been confirmed, analysis of  the current business environment can begin with a review of documents, stakeholder

interviews and data gathering exercises. The iterative process of review and  validation with stakeholders is supported through the use of several visualization  tools.

The 1st is a high-level value chain analysis tool which can further be transposed into  contextual models. In charting a core service for example, a Supplier Input Process  Output Customer (SIPOC) sheet is assigned each business then promoted to illustrative  representations as Service Integration Accountability, Contextual Business and  Program Logic Models. These models show the core service offerings of the business,  entities involved end-to-end, the consumers of the service and the final valued output  from a service.

A 2nd is a functional analysis framework which shows the continuum in the delivery of  a program from the development of a strategy, planning through piloting,  implementation, to operationalization, control and decommissioning. This helps  identify responsible, accountable, as well as information and consultation partners for  specific activities or tasks. It also helps businesses understand within their own  existing ecosystem critical activities not “owned” by a business partner, those co- owned, why and at what level of engagement. This can be mapped in a workshop  setting with partners assigned color codes in identifying opportunities and challenges  by having partners identify their “play areas”.

Insight & Approach

At best, these are tools to aid the facilitation of discussions and the grasp of ideas/  concepts to lead to better understanding and collaboration. Their effectiveness is  dependent on the subject matter, perceived usefulness by stakeholders in attaining a  common ground of understanding in delving deeper and providing insights. In every  engagement I have encountered, establishing the common ground is a necessity in  bridging and bringing different perspectives, experiences, learning approaches  together.

For example, in describing a service to a business partner, I have taken the liberty of  drawing out and end-to-end process only to be told it was somewhat rudimentary.  In  sharing this with another business partner, they saw a lot of value in the  representation and where able to provide further details to the process. Though the  process diagram did not stimulate conversation with the initial business partner, it did  stimulate further brainstorming scenarios in asking and answering the “What ifs”.

A variety of toolsets is certainly required!

