Service Transformation Branch — Kelsey’s year-end reflections 2023
In the spirit of transparency and candour, Service Transformation Branch members publish reflections on the what and why for their team — here’s Kelsey’s reflections on 2023 and musings on what’s to come in 2024.
An evolving branch
The Service Transformation Branch (STB) in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV) was established in 2021. When I reflect on the course of the branch, our work and my approach as Executive Director, some themes emerge. The why of our work hasn’t shifted, but the what and the how have — which is great. This means we’re adapting to the environment we’re working in, and adapting to change is a key tenant of service transformation. I think of service transformation as an approach that brings together various methods to help organizations adapt to constant change and complex problems. So, it makes sense that our team’s transformation approach has evolved over the years as well.
As I look back on the evolution of our branch, I see parallels with the Wardley Mapping approach that charts the evolution of a product or service over four stages, each with corresponding characteristics:
- Genesis — novel, different, uncertain, rare
*STB formed! - Custom — emerging, learning, conceptual, slowly increasing
*2022–2023, likely into 2024 - Product (+ rental) — common, good practice, increase in use
*starting later in 2024/years ahead (TBD) - Commodity (+ utility) — widespread, accepted, best practice, stable
*not sure if we’ll ever get here, maybe that’s when we hand pieces off to an Information Management Branch (IMB)
Phase 1) Genesis of STB: The branch was created in 2021 with the goal of introducing novel approaches to service delivery into ministry program areas (like the re-launch of BCParks.ca and camping reservation system). Through 2021–2022, the branch helped identify common service delivery challenges and opportunities for ministry digital transformation, seeding the Environmental Protection Digital Services work and Compliance and Enforcement case management services. The team acted as ministry surge capacity, focused on priority projects and was deeply embedded on ministry digital teams.
Phase 2) STB introduces custom approaches across the ministry: In 2023, the branch maintained its explorer and novel mindset, while also taking custom-approaches to build the capacity of divisions to take on service transformation and digital initiatives. Some examples include the operationalization of the Environmental Protection Digital Services team, the Director, Digital Services role piloted at the Climate Action Secretariat and the CleanBC Digital Experience team coming under the umbrella of the Service Transformation Branch.
It’s hard for me to quickly ‘sum up’ the state of service transformation across ENV as it encompasses such a broad, nuanced scope of work and teams. This is an indicator of success. The work is now led by various teams outside of the Service Transformation Branch — it’s permeated the organization! New divisional roles have been introduced to support service transformation and I would suggest there’s a growing view that there is is ‘an advantage’ to trying out these novel approaches.
The custom approach is seen in how STB works with divisions as both ‘doers’ and advisors. As a leader in this context, I work with our team to identify where we can add value by acting as a ‘doer’ and actively showing what ‘good looks like’, or where we can accelerate work by advising on procurement, team setup and governance. It requires that our team is comfortable wearing multiple hats and transitioning on and off program work — which isn’t always easy or smooth. I’ve learned we need more supports for the on-and off-ramps, be clearer on roles and responsibilities and try to plan more for the long-term to help our team know what’s coming next.
Across our spectrum of roles, it’s sometimes actually easier to be a doer — you’re closer to the work and actively involved in the day-to-day, so it can be quicker to see what needs to be done. As an advisor, you can be more removed from the team or program context, which leads to more work to catch up/understand the problems to be solved and key people involved — while at the same time trying to engage in a way that builds capacity and empower others to take action instead of STB doing the work. The advisory capacity requires more trust and coaching, which is also hard when you’re juggling multiple files and deadlines. This is where I think we (both myself and the branch) need to hone our skills and provide more supports/structures to help make the work run more smoothly.
On this advisory theme, in 2023 we established some structures that start to move away from the custom approach, position the branch more as advisors and help ‘normalize’ service transformation approaches:
- Establishing new communities of practice for ENV designers and delivery managers (build human-centred design capacity/awareness of product management discipline).
- Introducing a new annual digital services planning process for divisions to identify their service transformation opportunities, not just digital support needs.
- Coordinating ministry access to UX design and design research tools (Figma, Airtable) and starting to build a ministry design system.
- Introducing new roles across the ministry (various Product Manager roles, new Sr. Solutions Architect, new Director, Data Strategy)
- Availability of strategic support and coaching for the ministry’s six agile product teams and various service transformation initiatives *this will always remain a bit custom and see us transition to ‘doers’ sometimes
Phase 3) Looking ahead to product approaches: I always say that ENV is such a fascinating place to work because of the variety in context, scope and maturity of service transformation within ministry divisions. This reflects the need for custom approaches — but, what I’m starting to see is that in 2024 and the years to come our branch and team will be able to evolve to the third stage: Product (+ rental).
Looking ahead, this means shifting from the recent rapid increase in learning about service transformation to rapid increase in doing the actual work of service transformation across the ministry — whether that means working in Agile, conducting design research, modernizing legacy applications or managing our data more strategically. We can already see this happening with the six capital IM/IT initiatives across the ministry, and I expect it to continue to grow. It will mean service transformation has become a good practice, not just an emerging practice.
This will require refining the structures we’ve introduced in 2023 that help accelerate the work, and make our team better advisors and program areas better ‘doers’. These structures will continue to increase access to digital tools, help teams access ‘digitally’ classified roles, clarify procurement options, manage vendor contracts, help teams refine problem statements and support program areas to build multi-skilled teams.
There will always be parts of an organization where service transformation approaches may remain novel or emerging. But, looking back at 2023 it feels like we’re starting to see real traction and acceptance for these ways of working and in future years us shifting into a different phase of work.
Phase 4) A future of commodified services: In the final fourth stage of evolution, Commodity (+utility), service transformation would be accepted as best practice across our ministry and sector. To get there, we’ll need more partnership and collaboration across our sector and government on the structures that support service transformation.
Potential examples of this include the management of common components developed by central government teams (public engagement platforms, centrally managed SaaS tools, BC Wallet and verified credentials, continued evolution of BC Box object storage and CHEFS forms), more design leadership roles across government and growing support for hiring IS-classified roles outside of IMBs.
I don’t think STB would actually be the right team to deliver these types of commodified or widespread services. The enterprise delivery of these services is a better fit for shared IMBs (via NRIDS for sector and/or CITZ at a corporate level). Most of the examples above are actually already delivered by these sector and corporate teams. Our STB sweet spot is the novel, custom and product space — close to program areas to understand and support their needs, and nimble enough to change our approach, as needed.
All in all, the branch’s evolution shows we’re learning, trying new things and growing. As Executive Director, I’m continually thinking about when we need to continue to push novel approaches and lean in as doers, and when to step back and give program areas the space to take on accountability and try out new ideas on their own.
Personally, in 2023 I felt like I landed in my role (I became permanent in March) and also juggled the multiple hats I wear as mother, partner, individual and community member. An agile leadership course in June reminded me of the role of a modern leader — to provide guidance and support. My husband and kids continued to remind me to carve out time for family and myself. And, Amy offered opportunities to work across our division and collaborate with colleagues on complex natural resource issues (like cumulative effects!)— my goal for 2024 is to bring STB members more into these discussions and work that I can sometimes keep a bit too close.
A few 2023 highlights
Zooming in a bit from the evolutionary curve of the branch, 2023 brought many highlights and learnings. We made progress on many of the points we highlighted in our 2022 Team Retro!
In addition to that work, here are a few 2023 standouts:
- Launching Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and Beta services: In 2023 we launched the Site Remediation Services MVP and the Elk Valley Water Quality Hub. Both services aren’t perfect, which is kind of the point — as soon as a product or service is launched, we should be already have a backlog of improvements and work to be done. Deliver and iterate.
- Building ENV connections via ENV Agile Open House and design/delivery communities: An Agile Open House in June showcased Product Teams work with lots of great in-person discussions, energy and relationship building across the ministry. Kevin initiated a ENV-designer meet-up for design critiques and Karen Li and Lindsay Mcfarlane kicked off the Delivery Guild to build awareness of product management approaches across ENV.
- Success classifying (and hiring!) new service transformation roles: To build multi-skilled teams you need to create the appropriate job profiles, which requires introducing new accountabilities and ideas to the Public Service Agency and BC Employees Union that oversee job classifications. In 2023, we had some success across the ministry classifying multiple Product Manager roles to lead digital services, a Director, Digital Services role within the Environmental Protection Division and a new Director, Data Strategy role. And, we were able to work with our partners at the Natural Resource Information and Digital Services (NRIDS) to open up hiring for service design roles into ministries. These are foundational changes that support the evolution of service transformation across ENV.
- Growing and maturing product teams: The Compliance and Enforcement Digital Services team got running this year — they hired a development vendor (Parc Systems) and got out into the field on user research and design. This service has so many layers of interest — including shared governance, technical architecture for case management, product design and leadership/team changes. The Service Transformation Branch has been deeply involved in this work since its inception, so it’s rewarding to see the team hitting their stride (MVP to come in 2024!). Kudos to Harry Olson for all his work setting up the design system and practice with this team!
- Funding for two new capital IM/IT projects: I think about capital IM/IT initiatives (time-limited funding to build a specific digital product or service) as trojan horses for service transformation. They create the space, provide the money and demand clarity on purpose to deliver on their promises. The real magic happens when you can sustain these ways of working past the funding period. In 2023, ENV added a joint capital project with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food to develop a new laboratory information management system, as well as a multi-year initiative to support digital services development in the Conservation and Recreation Division. The genesis of this work has been exciting — in 2024, we’ll need to work on the custom and product approaches needed to sustain it in the long-term.
- The CleanBC Digital Experience team joined our branch: After supporting this work tangentially for many years, it’s been great to bring the strategic leadership of this work back into ENV — especially with some great partners at the Climate Action Secretariat and with Lindsay Macfarlane leading the team.
- We piloted a Director, Digital Services role in the Climate Action Secretariat: While this role wasn’t continued, sometimes you learn more when things take a different path. It was a good reminder on the need to cultivate the conditions for new approaches and roles to take root.
- Participating in our division mission/goals discussions: Over 2023 our Strategic Service Division branches came together to shape our collective mission and goals. It was great to connect with our colleagues and hear their take on the work we do — and the need for us to plain language our service transformation jargon!
- Working with talented, supportive and fun folks: To echo Kevin, the culture at ENV is great. We attract talented folks (a big welcome to our new Director, Data Strategy, Henry Ngo!) and across the ministry there is an openness to new ideas and approaches. It’s been a great year working with the extended Service Transformation Branch family, ENV Executive and teams. And, we’ll miss you Kevin — good luck on your new role — thanks so much for your energy, smarts and enthusiasm over the years.
Looking ahead
A few thoughts on where the puck may be heading in 2024 and where we’ll be investing some extra time and energy:
- Thinking about what a ‘digital ministry’ looks like — how does this intersect with traditional ideas of separate Information Management Branches in government?
- Finding new ways to fund and sustain digital development teams. How can we find operational funding for technology and digital service teams?
- Walking the talk of good shared governance and identifying common principles that we can champion and build on. This means introducing new governance models for Compliance and Enforcement Digital Services and other shared tools/services.
- Delivering service transformation training and workshops to ENV staff to help embed it in the culture and support capacity building. (We’re scheming a second Agile Open House later this spring with a focus on skills development)
- Understanding and exploring AI within ENV. As government develops its draft AI guiding principles, I’m looking forward to working with ENV teams to grow their understanding and ideas for what the responsible use of AI could look like in our ministry.
- The value of a strong community and network to support service transformation — and the people driving the change. I’ve found invaluable support and wisdom through my colleagues and peers over the last years and want to ensure I’m giving back just as much as I receive.
Here’s to an exciting and fun year ahead!
