By Clara Yates   /

Last Thursday, SPP partnered with IPAA Victoria to host a fantastic event focused on driving public sector impact within a resource-constrained environment.

Our Managing Partner, Phil Noble, presented inspiring case studies showcasing how public sector organizations are delivering exceptional results for citizens with minimal resources.

Phil was joined by an outstanding panel of senior leaders: Lee Miezis, Sonja Ruddock, Melissa Martino, and Brent Duffy. They shared invaluable insights and actionable strategies for optimizing public sector impact.

Key Takeaways

Create a Supportive Environment for Continuous Improvement & Innovation:

  • Establish a strong organizational culture around continuous improvement and innovation to ensure these practices become part of your organization’s core capabilities
  • It’s important to create a safe environment for people to share ideas and to “fast fail
  • We heard some fantastic examples of major organizational improvements driven through initiatives like hackathons and innovation hubs

Leverage “Low Tech” Solutions:

  • Major technology transformations aren’t always necessary to deliver a major impact. Significant improvements can often be achieved using your existing technology environment or through a low or no-tech approach
  • Examples included Swindon Borough Council’s use of robotic process automation to handle increased demand for free school meals during COVID-19, North Yorkshire’s AI-powered knowledge management system that reduced administrative load on social workers, and the Victorian Department of Health’s use of WhatsApp to enhance communication in diverse communities

Put Your Customers at the Centre:

  • A key thread emerging through the case studies and examples shared at the event was the involvement of citizens and critical stakeholders in developing impactful solutions
  • We heard about Court Services Victoria’s use of a lived experience panel to inform program development and improve citizen experience

Empower Your People:

  • Your best source of ideas for improvements and innovations is likely your staff. Engage them in identifying potential enhancements and consider a collaborative co-design approach for developing solutions
  • Investing in people is crucial for fostering innovation. Prioritize learning and development and nurture internal talent for leadership roles

The Importance of Leadership:

  • Leaders are vital in fostering the right culture, and they can either build or diminish staff confidence
  • To embed a supportive environment for continuous improvement, leaders must celebrate both successes and the behaviours they want to encourage, such as trying new approaches and learning from fast failures

A big thank you to our distinguished panellists and all attendees for making this event a success!

How have you seen public sector organizations deliver meaningful outcomes with limited resources?

Key Contacts

Clara Yates  /  Principal

Clara Yates is a Principal at SPP and works closely with organisations to tackle their major strategic challenges. Clara brings particular expertise in the Education sector having worked with Universities, VET providers, Online Education Providers, Research Institutes and education...

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Phil Noble  /  Founder and Managing Partner

Phil Noble is the Founder and Managing Partner of SPP. He is an experienced General Manager, Consultant and Entrepreneur and has worked in a wide range of industries including financial services, telecommunications, infrastructure and Not for Profit.  Phil has...

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By Clara Yates   /