We view the public organisations we work with as partners. Although the depth of each partnership varies, the process of engaging with public sector partners involves consultation, co-creation and change management.

Our consultation process consists of a structured situational analysis that seeks to frame a shared understanding of the scope, scale and complexity of the capacity requirements. Various diagnostic techniques are available to complete the situational analysis. The selection of the appropriate diagnostic approach depends on the needs and the conditions that exist within the organisation and could range from the traditional SWOT analysis to sense-making methods relevant to complex, interdependent and dynamic organisational systems.

The co-creation process is premised on the notion that the appropriate organisational responses and ideas will be found within the organisational context. It assumes that public sector partners have the know-what, know-how and know-where to devise the appropriate interventions, but often require external facilitation to focus the efforts of the organisation on surfacing the relevant ideas, approaches and interventions. Our role in this process is that of facilitator (facilitating the emergence of appropriate solutions) and knowledge provider (infusing the process with knowledge gained in different contexts and previous experience).

Change management follows the implementation of the desired intervention. It is based on effective communication to ensure that the relevant stakeholders are informed and engaged in the change process; capacity building to ensure that the appropriate skills are developed to operationalise and manage the changes resulting from the implementation of the intervention; promoting cultural capabilities through changes in behaviour able to sustain the changes.