Decision details

The Chair welcomed Laurence Ainsworth, Director of Strategy and Innovation, and Joanne Byrne, Service Design Lead, to the meeting.

The report and PowerPoint presentation provided information on developing a Change Management Strategy. It was noted that a refreshed approach to managing major organisational change was being finalised, which would also align to the forthcoming Council Plan and Medium Term-Financial Strategy. A copy of the PowerPoint presentation is appended to these minutes.

Comments and queries raised from the committee were as follows:

· Further information was requested on what the future of local government looked like, the cultural changes needed and how it would be supported, and for this to be circulated to members of the committee.

· The recent staff conferences were well-received, and there was a growing acceptance of change among county council staff. Additionally, there was a continued focus on involving staff in the change process, with plans to introduce change clinics and toolkits.

· How the county council currently used Artificial Intelligence technologies, and how it compared with other local authorities was discussed. It was noted that the county council had developed a comprehensive digital strategy following significant engagement with services and users, with Artificial Intelligence being a key component of that strategy. Additionally, the Digital by Design programme had been initiated, which includes the application of Artificial Intelligence technology using an agile approach. It was suggested that a more detailed plan outlining the council's current position and its future direction be presented to the committee as part of a future update on the digital strategy.

· It was also noted that the county council participated in the Local Government Association's Transformation and Innovation Exchange network, which provided an opportunity for councils to share best practice in relation to major change. It was suggested that a briefing note be circulated to the committee on how the county council was using the network to carry out benchmarking with other local authorities.

· What a 'lean and agile' county council looked like was discussed and it was noted that there was a need for a one-council approach and greater interaction between different council services. The importance of equipping the workforce with transferable skills, including digital literacy and change management was also highlighted.

· The need for ongoing staff development and training to adapt to changing circumstances, and for better information exchange across departments to enhance effectiveness was also highlighted by the committee.

· The staff conferences were open to all staff, held in various locations around the county, and were broadcast live for wider accessibility. Feedback from the conferences was being reviewed to improve future sessions.

·  The committee emphasised the need of involving frontline staff in the change management process to ensure practical and effective solutions were being developed. It was also noted that the agile approach method being used included real-time feedback from staff at all levels.

· The committee requested that further information on the role and function of the Change and Digital Officer Board be provided at a future meeting. It was noted that change clinics were planned to be introduced in the new year, which would provide face-to-face sessions for staff to discuss and test new ideas and aimed to enhance staff engagement and gather practical feedback for ongoing projects. A request for more information on how the change clinics would work be provided to the committee at a future meeting.

· The role of elected members in reviewing the change strategy was discussed. It was noted that the committee had previously examined different elements of the strategy, and updates on these elements could be followed up at future meetings. It was therefore requested that the committee's work programme align with key milestones of future change programme going forward.

· It was noted that a variety of people across the organisation, such as Cabinet Members, directors, senior officers, and the change service team were key change architects, and there was an emphasis on the collective role of these individuals in driving change across the council.

· The importance of keeping members informed about the change programmes was highlighted by the committee. It was felt that members could be kept informed in various ways, including following up on work previously done by the committee or by arranging Bite Size Briefings on individual programmes.

The Chair thanked the officers for their attendance and answering the committee's questions.

Resolved: That

  i.  Briefing notes on the following be circulated to the Committee:

a.  Further information on what the future of local government looks like, the cultural changes needed and how this will be supported.

b.  Further information on a narrative that explains the change agenda and the future of the organisation.

c.  Further information on officer governance arrangements to support change.

d.  An overview of how wider change outside of the change portfolio will be supported (including the role of the Change Influencers Network and proposed 'Change Clinics').

e.  How elected members will be kept engaged as individual programmes progress.

ii.  The Committee consider the county council's approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital change at a future meeting as part of progress against the digital strategy. 

iii.  The Scrutiny Management Board be asked to support the engagement and encouragement of member involvement, and challenge through effective forward planning of scrutiny activity –

· Ensuring that work programme timetables were aligned to key milestones of programmes within the change portfolio.

· Ensuring that members and all organisation leaders be engaged, as work progresses, as to the major change portfolio as a whole in order to maintain sight of inter-dependencies and overall delivery.