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Digital Strategy & Execution

Implementing Digital Transformation

Government and Public Sector

'The investigation deserves traces': more (digital) forensic traces...

Forensic investigation visibly a leap forward

Forensische opsporing zichtbaar een sprong vooruit

'The investigation deserves traces': more (digital) forensic traces, with more interpretation and available faster. 
With this motto, one and a half years ago the Dutch National Police launched the program 'Repositioning and Intensifying Forensic Investigation', or Program FO for short. The goal of this program is to bring the forensic investigation in the field of learning-development-quality, personnel &amp; organizational development and information to a higher level. The program makes meters and results are visible: new learning paths, implementation of mobile ICT tools, innovations in investigation techniques and actually 'testing' and measuring the effects of new techniques and process improvements in practice. And this in the chain of investigation and prosecution, because there is close cooperation in this program with the Netherlands Forensic Institute, the Public Prosecution Service and market parties such as The Maastricht Forensic Institute (commercial lab for, among other things, DNA research). VKA participates in this program in the roles of Strategic Communication, IV Architecture and Knowledge Sharing, Process Design and Project Management. Below we explain two projects, which are part of the program: 'Local DNA' and the 'Development Square'.

William Swaters

Netherlands

<title>Forensic investigation visibly a leap forward | Highberg</title>

Digital

Strategische communicatie

According to Highberg, a strategic use of communication serves the success of your IT project. After all, in our view, it is the people who must realise the intended change. This means that within the change programme, we enjoy working with them. The success of many a programme or project is therefore determined by enticing, connecting, telling. By patiently explaining and giving voice to the human side of change. Our approach to strategic use of communication is closely aligned with modern project management methods.

Strategische communicatie afbeelding

'The investigation deserves traces': more (digital) forensic traces, with more interpretation and available faster.
With this motto, the National Police launched the program “Repositioning and Intensifying Forensic Investigation. Highberg (formerly VKA) is participating in this program.

Who has an interest in the ICT project and who can influence its outcomes? These are your stakeholders. In step 2, we position them in a stakeholder matrix, as is common within the MSP project management methodology. One axis represents importance and the other axis represents influence. Where interest and influence coincide, we have your strategic co- or adversaries to deal with. That's where regular face-to-face contact is paramount. You need to be alert to that. In the interest of good governance, we agree with you: who is allowed to know, talk or decide about the ICT project and change?
The result of step two is thus a clear force field in the form of an (MSP) stakeholder matrix and clear governance agreements.

First, we look for the scope of the change. What lead times, budgets and organizational impact are you thinking about? Are there other projects that take up
on your people? Whose work will actually be affected? This group is your main target group for the change. What behavior do you expect from them and what minimum knowledge do they need for this? Will there be resistance? Where does it come from? With what interventions would you remove this resistance? And finally: which manager will be the owner of the results of the ICT project, when these come down to the standing organization?
The result of this first step is a sharply defined picture of the scope of the project, the preconditions and the responsibilities.

Every change project involving ICT has good reasons and a beckoning perspective. But how do you get people on board? For this we use a core session. Here we find out what really touches people, what words and arguments matter to them. For the core session, we ask a small, committed group to think along about, for example, the impact of the project or about a means of communication. The subject of the core session is only the vehicle.
The real goal is to find out what people are afraid of and what words are appropriate. In the core session we ensure mutual recognition, involvement and the first bit of support. This is no coincidence, but well-considered 'by-catch'. The core session is the impulse to get things rolling.
The outcome of the core session are so-called core messages that clearly express the change. We now know what the real issues are and how they are discussed and thought about. We share these results with you as the client and with the project manager.

Key messages are the foundation for directed communication about the ICT project. Whether it is a line intranet or an organization-wide meeting. We make change as concrete as possible. We have narration for real, credible messengers, with all the rational and emotional arguments that matter according to the core session. Think of someone from the target group or just a former critic. We support the communication with extremely simple imagery, line drawings and animations. We communicate at natural moments. And we provide visible support from a patron with prestige to underline the importance of the project. Everything is aimed at ensuring that the target audience recognizes the change and easily experiences it for themselves.
The result of step four is broadened recognition and acknowledgement of the change and realization: what does this mean for me?

ICT projects often suffer from attempts at adjustment from unexpected quarters, especially in political environments. This then requires lightning fast action and response to new circumstances. That is why we require a firm mandate from you and the project manager in advance so that we can act when necessary. We make agreements about the availability of the right, capable manpower for communication, about sufficient budget to develop resources quickly if necessary. We also ask for backing in approaching and keeping the strategic stakeholders involved. The project manager represents the results of the ICT project; with strategic deployment of communications we ensure that he and you continue to prosper.

The result of step five is clear agreements on the division of roles between client, project manager and communication. About budgets and results.

Is the communication effective? And does it actually pave the way for the results of the ICT project? We measure this by periodically gauging the attitude of the main stakeholders and the target group. On a small scale, together with the project manager and you. We keep the development transparent in a stakeholder monitor. This is a dynamic overview of the direction in which the project's environment is moving.
The result of this step is that we always have an up-to-date picture of the main opportunities and threats for change. To specifically manage and influence stakeholder expectations.

Independent Critical Conscience

Stakeholder Management

Agile program management

Value-driven portfolio management

Strategic project realization

New customer requirements, increasing competition, changing legislation... Your organisation needs to innovate again and again. Computerisation offers opportunities, but the business lives with today's requirements; not waiting for change. More efficiency over time has its price. You probably know the stories about time-consuming decision-making, IT projects that drag on and implementations that take up scarce human resources. Change does not come naturally. You often see complex programmes with innovative IT projects emerge, separate from the standing organisation. The latter watches over continuity. Before you know it, this leads to 'us' and 'them'.

Make your IT project a success by using communication strategically

Clients like to have an estimate even if the work is going to be done "agile".

How do I estimate my agile project?

Hoe begroot ik mijn agile project?

Clients like to have an estimate of functionality (still) to be built, even if the work is going to be done "agile". This seems perfectly justified to me. To estimate, two approaches are common in ICT: working with function points or working with story points. Function points have been around since the 1970s. Working with story points is relatively new and has grown in popularity, especially through agile working. It is sometimes claimed that one method works and the other does not. But this is a lot more subtle. 
When does what work best? Here are my insights on that question and my tips from practice.

Ed van Doorn

Declining trend on the public business case: Think before you begin no longer necessary?

Think before you begin no longer necessary?

Society is changing faster and faster, as we all see around us. Is your organisation changing fast enough? Is the technical basis for this change in place? Is digitisation the solution to my employee shortage? Making choices is necessary, not everything can be done at once, how do I ensure a successful digital transformation? Large long-term transformations in the public sector have a low success rate or are not always successful. From experience, we know how digital transformation can succeed for your organisation. In this blog, Ed van Doorn and Joeri Olierook highlight some findings based on AcICT's advice in recent years. Remarkably, in the past year, the focus on the risk aspect business cases has decreased and the number of findings on good procurement practices has increased. How do we explain this from our digital transformation practice?

Joeri Olierook

For serious algorithms a mistake can cost lives or mean social discontent.

Algorithm transparency saves lives

Who does not use them: Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri? Smart voice recognition apps with intelligent software that learn from your questions and therefore come up with better and better answers. Unfortunately, the answers now are sometimes awkward, ignorant or even wrong. For a simple question to turn on the radio AND take out commercial breaks, she does not come out even after many repetitive questions. Why, how and what? Really no idea because it is not made transparent. This is no big deal for funny applications but for serious ones, a mistake can cost lives or mean social discontent.

Is Agile Programme Management the solution for 'getting a grip' on changes?

Agile MSP: getting a grip on change

Jo szczepanska 5ai Rb5f464 A unsplash

Darwin observed this 200 years ago: not the strongest or the smartest but the most agile survives. In times of disruptive technologies and changing business models, complex -and long-term- change requires a more agile kind of management.   

So is Agile Programme Management the solution for 'getting a grip' on these changes?

Agile working or agile software development is not new. Four praticle tips how to manage.

Four practical tips for Agile management

Benjamin child G We0dl VD9e0 unsplash

Agile working or agile software development is not new. Many types and forms of Agile software development have been used over the past 25 years. Each of these types brought a certain focus. Such as Rapid Application Development (RAD) in the 1990s with the bringing together of design and development and Extreme Programming with, among other things, the four eyes principle. Since the millennium, Scrum as an Agile approach has increased in popularity. Scrum is a form of incremental work in which working software is always delivered in small teams in a short time. A working piece of software then takes precedence over producing (a lot of) documentation.

A Highberg case study about the digitalization of trains

The digitization of trains

Digitalisering treinen

Whereas thirty years ago on every train the final destination was marked on the side of the train with a "course roll" that was manually turned by the conductor, today trains are increasingly digitized. "Telemetry data comes from hundreds of sensors spread across hundreds of trains," says Wim Liet, who has worked as an IT manager at NS (Dutch Railways) for 27 years. "We can use this telemetric data to create new possibilities all the time. NS is a company that constantly wants to stay up-to-date. Therefore, because we live in fast times, constant developments and innovations are needed.

Business Agility

ed-van-doorn

Partner Digital Transformation

Ed is a Partner at Highberg with over 25 years of experience in driving successful digital transformations. He serves as an independent critical advisor for large ICT and change projects, including assignments for the Dutch Tax Authority, UWV, and Kadaster. He also has extensive expertise in developing sourcing strategies and successfully delivering multiple European tenders.
With more than 25 years of experience as a Program Manager and Independent Critical Advisor, Ed specializes in implementing complex change projects involving ICT in politically and organizationally challenging environments. He has a wealth of experience in auditing strategic ICT projects. For instance, he developed the AVP program plan for the Dutch Police in 2014, reviewed the FMS, and conducted periodic efficiency and feasibility risk analyses for the core system of Kadaster as a quality reviewer. Within Highberg’s consulting practice, Ed ensures that complex ICT projects meet the standards of the Advisory Board for ICT Assessment (AcICT).
Ed also leads Highberg’s experienced team of program managers and communication professionals. He has a decade of experience advising and delivering complex ICT and change projects in politically sensitive environments, including projects for the Dutch Police, UWV, Municipality of Amsterdam, Rijkswaterstaat, KPN, CMG, ProRail, NS, and SVB.

Want to know more? Connect with Ed on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-van-doorn-7590592/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a>.

Success through strategic communication

Make your IT project a success by using communication strategically

Ed van Doorn

Highberg in practice

Forensic detection a leap forward

The 6 focal points of strategic communication

Stakeholder analysis

Change ambition

Core of change

Spreading the story

Mandate

To measure is to know

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