The Story of Delivery under Blair

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The Story of Delivery under Blair
Michael Barber
Moscow Higher School of Economics December 2009
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A mandate for reforman instruction to
deliver Tony Blair, on the meaning of the
General Election he had just won by a landslide,
8 June 2001.
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CAUSES OF FAILURE IN BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS

• Complacency
• Lack of guiding coalition
• Underestimating vision
• Under-communicating
• Not removing obstacles
• No short-term wins
• Declaring victory too soon
• Not changing the culture

SOURCE John Kotter
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CAUSES OF FAILURE IN GOVERNMENT

• Cynicism track record of failure
• Multiple small projects
• Watered-down compromise
• Lack of persistence
• Institutional inertia
• Poor design
• Lack of clarity about goals
• Incompetence

SOURCE Instruction to Deliver
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A MAP OF DELIVERY
Boldness of reform
Quality of execution
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AND DEVELOPING AMONG STAFF AN UNDERSTANDING OF
WHAT DELIVERY REQUIRES
Ambition
Focus
Clarity
Urgency
Irreversibility
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TEN STEPS TO DELIVERING RESULTS
1. Determine priorities 2. Set targets/ define
success 3. Understand the challenge 4. Plan to
deliver milestones, data and trajectories 5.
Understand the delivery chain 6. Build capacity
at every level including the centre 7. Create
routines 8. Solve problems as they arise 9.
Establish the right relationships 10. Persist
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An Asian government relied on collaborative
workshops and surveys to develop shared
aspirations

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Refine existing or define new aspirations
A series of surveys with Cabinet Ministers were
used to develop an initial list of six priority
areas
then the six areas were tested again through a
second set of surveys with Cabinet Ministers
The aspirations were finalized as part of a
two-day delivery workshop
No response
National aspirations
No
Crime
Yes
Do you agree with the following aspirations?
AGENDA DAY 1
Corruption
Welcome Session 1 Working group Break Share
out Lunch Session 2
900 915 1000 1100 1115 1200 100
National government in Asia
Education
Poverty
Transport
Crime
Educ-ation
Corr-uption
Pov-erty
Trans-port
Basic infra-structure
Basic Infrastructure
Because key officials were involved throughout
the process, the system leader knew aspirations
were widely shared
Numbers are not actuals SOURCE McKinsey
delivery team
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TEN STEPS TO DELIVERING RESULTS
1. Determine priorities 2. Set targets/ define
success 3. Understand the challenge 4. Plan to
deliver milestones, data and trajectories 5.
Understand the delivery chain 6. Build capacity
at every level including the centre 7. Create
routines 8. Solve problems as they arise 9.
Establish the right relationships 10. Persist
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KEY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER IN A DELIVERY PLAN

• What is the service delivery chain?
• Who is accountable at the top . . . and all along
  the delivery chain?
• What are the key actions (milestones)?
• What is the timetable?
• Who are the key stakeholders? How will they be
  brought on board?
• What are the major risks? How will they be
  managed?
• What impact will the actions have on the key
  outcomes (trajectories)?
• What data do you need? Will it be early enough
  to act if progress is off track?

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CONSTRUCTING A TRAJECTORY
Constructing a trajectory
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POLICY DELIVERY TRAJECTORIES
High trajectory (policy has an immediate impact)
Mid-term delivery goal
Long-term strategic goal
Historical performance
Starting Point
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
0
97
98
99
00
01
02
96
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
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A key tool in evaluating the activitys
implementation is a delivery chain analysis
Example delivery system analysis for national
literacy strategy in the UK
Department
National Agencies
Local Agencies
Frontline
Users and Citizens
Inspection and Reporting
School inspection unit
Department of Education
Policy Direction
School 18,500
National Strategy
School district
Parents
180
Pressure for improve-ments
Independent Provi-ders Other Schools Networks
Pupils
Advice and Support
Provided National Testing Regime
Testing authority
Head Teachers Subject Leaders
Principal training agency
Provided Training
Newly qualified teachers teaching assistants
Teacher training agency
Built Strategy into Training
SOURCE USEDI Delivery Handbook
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TEN STEPS TO DELIVERING RESULTS
1. Determine priorities 2. Set targets/ define
success 3. Understand the challenge 4. Plan to
deliver milestones, data and trajectories 5.
Understand the delivery chain 6. Build capacity
at every level including the centre 7. Create
routines 8. Solve problems as they arise 9.
Establish the right relationships 10. Persist
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A delivery units purpose, organization, and
activities all must be directed at helping the
system achieve its aspirations
Purpose
Organization
Key activities

• Implement the aspirations defined by the system
  leader
• Promote urgent and visible action
• Amplify system leaders authority over actors in
  the system
• Ensure forward momentum toward aspiration,
  despite of bureaucratic inertia

• Small, highly capable, responsive group of people
• Reports directly to the system leader and has
  leaders visible backing
• Strong performance-driven, results-oriented
  culture

• Monitor progress toward aspirations
• Collect and analyze relevant data
• Coordinate individuals to make sure results are
  on track
• Report regularly to system leader
• Take corrective action as necessary to achieve
  aspirations

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TEN STEPS TO DELIVERING RESULTS
1. Determine priorities 2. Set targets/ define
success 3. Understand the challenge 4. Plan to
deliver milestones, data and trajectories 5.
Understand the delivery chain 6. Build capacity
at every level including the centre 7. Create
routines 8. Solve problems as they arise 9.
Establish the right relationships 10. Persist
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Consider what is necessary to build support for
aspirations at each level of the system
Members of the guiding coalition act as the first
set of core supporters and push others in the
system to support the aspirations
1
Finally, the guiding coalition members help
ensure that end users and the public see the
impact of the change
4
2
Guiding coalition members interact directly with
mid-tier leaders, helping develop their
commitment and capabilities to achieve aspirations
Guiding coalition members model change and
communicate to the broader workforce, who have
day-to-day responsibility for driving progress
toward aspirations
3

• Working from the center, the guiding coalition
  gradually
• Builds a widening network of relationships to
  deliver the systems aspiration
• Develops leadership capacity throughout the system

SOURCE John Kotter Michael Fullan, The Six
Secrets of Change
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Consider both immediate and long-term
communication needs, as stakeholders concerns
likely will evolve
In the UK PMDU, stakeholders perspectives
evolved over the course of the delivery effort
Prime Minister
Ministers
National government in Europe
Top civil servants
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The problem of Autumn Grinding out improved rail
reliability
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RAIL PUNCTUALITY VARIES SEASONALLY AND REACHED AN
ALL-TIME LOW AFTER THE HATFIELD CRASH IN OCTOBER
2000
National actual PPM (period data)
Hatfield crash
Source Department of Transport
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RAIL PUNCTUALITY VARIES SEASONALLY AND REACHED A
POST-HATFIELD PEAK THIS YEAR
National actual PPM (period data)
National Public Performance Measure (PPM)
actual data against Moving Annual Average (MAA)
National moving annual average
Source Department of Transport
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RAIL PUNCTUALITY VARIES SEASONALLY AND REACHED A
POST-HATFIELD PEAK THIS YEAR
National actual PPM (period data)
National Public Performance Measure (PPM)
actual data against Moving Annual Average (MAA)
National moving annual average
Source Department of Transport
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RAIL THE MESSAGES ARE CLEAR
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THE ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK ENABLES THE LIKELIHOOD
OF DELIVERY TO BE PREDICTED
Likelihood of delivery
Department .
Recent performance
PSA Target
Judgement
Rating
Rationale summary
Degree of challenge
Likelihood of delivery
Quality of planning, implementation and
performance management
Capacity to drive progress
Stage of delivery
Red
Highly problematic - requires urgent and decisive
action
Amber/Red
Problematic - requires substantial attention,
some aspects need urgent action
Amber/Green
Mixed - aspect(s) require substantial attention,
some good
Green
Good - requires refinement and systematic
implementation
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ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK EXAMPLE
Evidence for assessment
Version 0.3
Recent performance
Jul-04
Department
Dept A
Performance has lifted from 91.1 for the month
of January 2004 to 94.3 for the month of April
2004
Area
PSA 4
Level
PSA level
PSA level / PSA sub-
target level / 2005
Delivery Goal
Judgement
Overall rating
Rationale summary
The target is a complex one. This is due
primarily to the agreement on a 5-point plan (to
Clarify the Target, Improve Incentives, Refocus
Support from Agency , provide tools to improve
and strengthen Leadership Performance) which is
now being actively and effectively implemented.
Recent progress in two other areas further
supports this reassessment. The xxxxx paper for
launch in May will put the weight of the colleges
behind the change in attitudes and new ways of
working required in order to deliver the target.
The publication of the xxxx review also sets a
clear direction. Together they effect a step
change in ability to overcome the key blockages
impeding target delivery.
Degree of challenge
VH
There is now a single plan based on the core
5-point plan agreed with PMDU, a single agenda
and a very solid infrastructure to the programme
which ensures control of all contributing teams
and strategies. Effective governance and rigorous
measuring and monitoring of deliverables and
performance are fully established alongside a
comprehensive and well directed programme of
intervention in challenged areas. The management
of risks and interdependencies is now well
underway. Existing plans just need refinement and
systematic implementation. Performance
management is already proving effective and will
be deployed increasingly as the target date
approaches.
Quality of planning, implementation, and
performance management
Likelihood of delivery
AR
AG
A very effective leadership team have ensured
that the right people, action plans, knowledge
and performance management are all in place for
continuing progress on the 5-point plan to be
assured. Further capacity to drive is
anticipated from the recruitment of an
implementation manager and being able to firm up
the long term contribution and commitment of key
resources. Phased incentives and the star ratings
plus clear focus on this have provided the
necessary levers and put capacity to deliver on a
firm footing.
Capacity to drive progress
AG
The stage is borderline 2/3. Programme and
project management and data collection and
monitoring are all fully established and there
is full confidence that all of the necessary
strategies are now in place as a result of
agreement on the 5-point plan. Stakeholder
communication is good and pressure and support
are being successfully combined to drive
implementation forwards.
Stage of delivery
2
Highly problematic - requires urgent and decisive
action
Red
Additional Comments
Amber/Red
Problematic - requires substantial attention,
some aspects need urgent action
We need to achieve 95 in June for the overall
rating not to move to amber/red
Mixed - aspect(s) require substantial attention,
some good
Amber/Green
Good - requires refinement and systematic
implementation
Green
N
Not enough evidence
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THE DELIVERY REPORT LEAGUE TABLE JULY 2004
Rank (out of 21)
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PROGRESS ON THE PRIME MINISTERS PRIORITIES CAN
BE SUMMARISED IN A LEAGUE TABLE
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A SIMPLE INDICATOR OF OVERALL PERFORMANCE CAN BE
DESIGNED
December 2003,
53
47
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BETWEEN DECEMBER 2003 AND JULY 2004 THERE WAS A
15 SWING FROM RED TO GREEN
July 2004,
38
62
30
AND BY DECEMBER 2004 A FURTHER 21 SWING FROM
RED TO GREEN
December 2004,
17
83
31
TRANSFORMATION WILL DEPEND ON COMBINING THREE
ELEMENTS