Item #:
21.08-008
Item:
Operating Model Refresh project update
To:
Electoral Commission
For:
Board meeting 18 August 2021
Prepared by: Mandy Bohté, Business Change Manager
Recommendations
It is recommended that the Board
note the progress being made with the Operating Model
Refresh project and next steps.
Purpose
1.
The purpose of this item is to provide the Board with a status update on the Operating
Model Refresh project, including overall process and activities undertaken to date.
Background
2.
The project has undertaken to report on progress to date with the operating model to the
board.
3.
The Operating Model Refresh project will define the Commission’s future operating model
to understand the gap between this and the current state and what actions it needs to
take to give full effect to its strategic direction and priorities in the longer term to 2030.
4.
Other objectives of the Operating Model Refresh project are to:
•
get a high level of alignment between managers in different functions or business
units about how they are going to work together for the benefit of the whole
organisation.
•
proactively manage a range of risks that might impact staff health and safety and
performance, particularly those relating to workloads, overreliance on key persons,
and expertise bottlenecks, especially in election year.
Progress to date
5.
The project brief has been approved through the project’s Steering Group with weekly
meetings and fortnightly reporting established to ensure robust oversight.
6.
A communications plan is being implemented with multiple channels used to ensure
consistent and meaningful staff communication. This includes fortnightly emails, people
leader communications, briefings, drop-in sessions (in person and digital), along with a
chat channel and an email address for questions or feedback.
7.
We will also be utilising the forthcoming staff engagement survey as an opportunity to
allow the entire organisation to input into information gathering.
8.
PwC held a successful training session with SMT and key staff from within the organisation
recently. The session covered understanding of what an operating model is in the context
of PwC terminology, and what tools and models are used to help establish an
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understanding of the Commission’s current state and then identify options for the future
operating model.
9.
It was also agreed to establish a “Design Council”, which would be made up of SMT, the
Operating Model Refresh project team, and some key advisors from across the
Commission. This group will meet twice during the project, where the project team will
present preliminary findings for guidance, thoughts, and opinions.
10. The project team is working together in a project space and is available for staff to drop in
and ask questions or view the outputs of work. These will be presented on the walls
around the space, as they are completed.
11. As we start the Discover phase PwC has been interrogating our strategic documents and
pulling information from the capability review to analyse and populate a raft of outputs in
preparation for the first workshop session with the project team on Friday 6 August.
Next steps
12. The first of two workshops will be held on Tuesday 17 August with SMT and key staff from
the organisation. This will be the first opportunity for a wider group to challenge the
information, identify gaps and to have the information gathered so far presented and
tested.
13. Further updates on the above sessions will be provided verbally at the Board meeting.
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