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Transforming services and capacity to deliver on ambitious growth plans
Australia
At a glance
Develop an operating model that improves the organisation’s Management of Operations, Processes and Systems (MOPS).
Develop an operating model that improves the organisation’s Management of Operations, Processes and Systems (MOPS).
The challenge
The Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) specialises in delivering tailored and ethical leadership development programs and initiatives to rural, regional and remote communities.
The organisation was granted funding to create and deliver the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund: Drought Resilience Leaders program. The program includes a suite of personal and professional development opportunities designed to equip people working with skills to lead their drought impacted communities into the future. This grant accelerated several changes within the organisation and highlighted the urgent need for transformation of its MOPS to build capacity for growth and enable digital transformation objectives.
Through our partnership with ARLF, GHD Digital was engaged to support ARLF in developing its MOPS transformation plan and establishing key areas for improvement across the operating model.
The organisation was granted funding to create and deliver the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund: Drought Resilience Leaders program. The program includes a suite of personal and professional development opportunities designed to equip people working with skills to lead their drought impacted communities into the future. This grant accelerated several changes within the organisation and highlighted the urgent need for transformation of its MOPS to build capacity for growth and enable digital transformation objectives.
Through our partnership with ARLF, GHD Digital was engaged to support ARLF in developing its MOPS transformation plan and establishing key areas for improvement across the operating model.
Our response
Recognising people are at the heart of complex systems, our approach to the MOPS transformation plan and operating model design was outcomes-focused, with a strong emphasis on people, culture, and behaviour changes.
The project entailed a phased approach across a period of over twelve months, during which our team focused on supporting the senior executives and the broader organisation in the transformation process.
Phase one: Foster curiosity for fresh thinking
We engaged stakeholders to establish a shared understanding of the barriers, and set the aspiration for a service-led operating model. Our technology workstream worked with information technology and system owners to validate the current applications portfolio and gaps.
At the end of phase one, we recommended a new operating model that positioned services at the organisation’s core. This approach supported ARLF to better communicate its value proposition to stakeholders, whilst internally, driving clearer operational accountabilities.
Phase two: Deep dive into the new operating design
Phase two involved the development of the new operating model design, in which detailed plans were outlined in response to the prompts: What will get done, where and by whom? How will the organisation align technology capabilities and needs? What is the overall change impact on the current organisation?
Our deliverables included a detailed operating model, functional role accountability and an organisational chart, a recommended enterprise information model, a target state technology architecture model, a change management approach and a high-level transformation roadmap.
Phase three: Provide flexible change and communication support
To help ARLF transition to the target operating model, our team collaboratively worked with key stakeholders to build alignment and prioritise organsiation-wide learning through focused change communication.
Over 30 staff were supported by communications and the new leadership roles and responsibilities were clearly understood. Throughout, our team facilitated sessions to unpack change challenges, behaviours and skill gaps, and assisted with the launch of the new operating model in the all-staff townhall.
The impact
Since March 2021, ARLF has nearly doubled the size of its team to take on more programs. The transformation plan and new ways of operating has positioned ARLF to align its unique set of capabilities and approaches to delivering the ambitious growth plans. Ongoing transparency ensures all employees see the benefits delivered through the MOPS transformation journey and resistance to this new operating model is not a roadblock.
ARLF is now building and delivering programs through newly implemented operating methods. Since project completion, ARLF has also procured a project management system to support this new operation approach. To further accomplish the MOPS transformation roadmap, several other enterprise systems and data transformation projects are on ARLF’s near horizon.
ARLF is now building and delivering programs through newly implemented operating methods. Since project completion, ARLF has also procured a project management system to support this new operation approach. To further accomplish the MOPS transformation roadmap, several other enterprise systems and data transformation projects are on ARLF’s near horizon.
GHD Digital guided the ARLF away from a small not-for-profit mindset to one of a business that is driven by rigorous process with the systems to support it. After working with GHD Digital we believe that we are more equipped to navigate change management communications, project management methodology and critically examine our internal processes to make positive improvements moving forward."