We had a lot of interest in our blog about building our Business Design skills at DWP. We’ve recognised that working towards a joined-up business design – a clear description of our future customer proposition and the way we’ll organise ourselves to deliver it – will be critical to realising our transformation ambition.
Joining up like this across our people, technology and processes is challenging for the Department, and so we have had to quickly build our capability to design the business. We need great people, and we’ve been developing our own people, recruiting, and hiring on an interim basis.
A community across DWP
Designers and architects are operating in many different areas around DWP. This year we have formalised within our transformation group a departmental Business Design team, which includes some of our Business Designers, and a Business Architecture Services team. And there are many related roles around the rest of DWP, for example in our technology organisation, major change programmes, and in operations. All these people need to share an understanding of our transformation ambitions.
But what kind of person are we finding makes a great Business Designer?
What do we look for in a Business Designer?
Business transformation advocate – Act as an “ambassador” for our transformation journey; tell a compelling story of our future vision which engages our stakeholders. Get feedback and build it into our transformation story.
Strategically aware – Understand the unique purpose of DWP, its financial responsibilities, and its strategic goals. Apply strategic thinking and understand the detail. See the potential of business models and digital opportunities from the outside world, and use this knowledge to challenge DWP to deliver even better services.
Desiger and developer of content – Bring designs together in our transformation roadmap; understand and shape design deliverables. Use business and technical understanding to align product and technology roadmaps. Understand our change lifecycle. Be able to use a wide range of tools and techniques to arrive at a consistent business designs, with the minimum effort required; recognise when to bring in experts.
Problem solver and creative thinker - Blend analytical, critical and creative thinking; help business areas identify and work through difficult design choices and build consensus around solutions; work with different specialisms in multi-disciplinary teams; challenge constrained thinking.
Communicator - Engage and relate to different audiences; communicate upwards, downwards and outwards; comfortable working with people at all levels within DWP; explain complex messages in an accessible way. “Do the hard work to make it simple.”
Flexible - Adapt our tools and frameworks where necessary. “If it works, do it. If it doesn’t, don’t”.
It’s hard to find great people who can be all these things. But DWP can offer a compelling environment for those who can rise to the challenge.
Ultimately we’re looking for designers of great user experiences (which put people at the heart of our services), and designers of operating models (which form the basis of a modern DWP). Our job is to create something new, efiicient and exciting, not just to create a slightly better version of the same organisation.
After all, we’re part of the best digital startup in the country!
If you're interested in joining us, all of our permanent roles are on Civil Service Jobs, and don't forget to follow @DigitalDWP on Twitter for announcements and updates.
Keep in touch by following Andrew @abesford on Twitter.