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Strategies for navigating government transitions

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Digital transformation is now a cornerstone of modern government, helping it adapt and respond to the evolving needs of the people it serves. Transitions of government—whether prompted by elections, leadership changes or shifts in policy—present unique challenges that can disrupt continuity in the transformation journey.

As we’ve seen in the most recent government transition in the United States, leadership changes create an uncertain environment, testing the adaptability and expertise of delivery teams across government departments. Ensuring continuity and alignment between policy and service delivery becomes even more critical during such times. Organisations are forced to navigate the complexities of evolving priorities while maintaining effective governance and operational efficiency. These moments of political transition require tailored strategies and a deep understanding of government operations.

Service delivery teams in government face a range of challenges during transitions, but there are strategies they can use to mitigate the impact of sudden shifts. These apply not only to government transitions but to any disruptive event or crisis. Rather than seeing disruption as a setback, effective teams recognise it as an opportunity for improvement. 

At Public Digital, we have worked through many political transitions and gained valuable insights along the way. Here are some of the key lessons we’ve learned.

Strategies for navigating government transitions more effectively

To show value early, the delivery of new services should start small, through pilots and exemplar services. User adoption should grow organically and at a sustainable pace. New ways of working should be embedded and adopted as the new norm. To allow for these changes to transcend government shifts, policy design must support and scale these practices. As such, there are a number of things teams can do in order to support an ongoing digital transformation.

  1. Prioritise institutional knowledge: As political appointees and senior leaders exit, teams often lose contact with stakeholders who were critical to driving initiatives forward. This can result in a lack of clarity regarding priorities and objectives, leaving a gap in leadership support. Prioritising knowledge management, performance data and clear roadmaps are some of the ways in which knowledge can be preserved. Making delivery roadmaps public and open enhances clarity and accountability, ensuring new leaders stay focused on delivering impactful outcomes.
  2. Keep championing user-centred design in spite of shifting priorities: Policymakers must understand the real-world impact of their decisions. Service delivery teams can play a critical role by exposing leaders to user interactions and feedback to highlight gaps and opportunities. Teams must navigate this uncertainty while advocating for the value of their work. The best way to do this is to show how users (ie: real people) respond to government services and products.
  3. Learn to navigate political sensitivities and continue championing an agile approach to delivery: Teams must carefully navigate political dynamics, avoiding any perception of favouritism toward the outgoing administration while building trust with new stakeholders. Existing policy, data and user research can be used to leverage any potential disruption in priorities. Designing flexible and scalable solutions allows teams to pivot in response to new directives without significant disruption. Teams should also demonstrate to new leadership what can be delivered in the first 100 days using existing structures.
  4. Reposition important initiatives:New administrations may resist continuing initiatives seen as associated with their predecessors, regardless of the projects' merits. Teams should position ongoing initiatives as opportunities for new administrations to demonstrate quick wins, aligning them with the incoming leadership’s agenda. This can be done by identifying ways that the existing project saves money, helps key stakeholders or advances the mandate of the new leadership.
  5. Build relationships early: Teams should engage with both outgoing and incoming leadership to establish rapport and ensure alignment. This includes understanding the priorities of new leadership and tailoring messaging accordingly. Learning their lexicon and emphasising how the team’s work meets their needs is essential.
  6. Embrace the critical role of data: In the midst of a government transition, having a solid grasp of data is crucial. It’s important to prepare early because, while the necessary data might be available, easy access to it is not always guaranteed. The type of data needed will vary depending on the mandate, but it is generally essential for providing a clear, objective view of what’s working, what isn’t and where things stand with key initiatives.

Transitions amplify the need for alignment between policy and service delivery. For government delivery teams, this means ensuring:

  • Continuity: Teams must remain actionable and effective despite leadership changes. This requires robust documentation, knowledge transfer and institutionalised processes.

  • Collaboration: Time and resources cannot be wasted on unclear or conflicting objectives. Aligning efforts with new priorities ensures teams continue to deliver value.

  • Trust building: Maintaining smooth and visible progress fosters trust with both government stakeholders and citizens.

Government transitions are a critical test for teams working within the public sector. By prioritising sustainability, fostering adaptability and aligning efforts with evolving priorities, teams can navigate these periods successfully. 

Governments and their workers alike must embrace the tools for resilience and progress, ensuring sustainable outcomes during times of change. Through strategic planning and user-centred approaches, teams can turn the challenges of transitions into opportunities for impactful collaboration.

If your organisation is facing a challenging transition and needs support in identifying and seizing the opportunities it presents, we’d love to help. Get in touch below.

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