Planning a structure requires the generation of critical success factors, design options and a risk assessment. The purpose of a restructure is to align the organization to better achieve its strategy. Critical success factors are important to define, because if they are met, they will ensure success for the new structure and by implication the strategy. Although identification of these key factors is an important prerequisite to any restructuring, this task is not necessarily clear-cut. The factors themselves will depend on the organizational strategy, its culture, its market, its infrastructure and its internal processes.
We give an example from a local government authority that needed to reorientate itself to have a much greater customer and citizen focus. One of the explicit strategies was to restructure the organization in a way that would dissolve the traditional departmental boundaries and their associated destructive tensions and unhelpful silo mentality.
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR A LOCAL AUTHORITY
Public service users (and relevant stakeholders) not providers are the focus
Will this structure result in clear, measurable deliverables to the customers and citizens?
To what extent have we consulted with our customers?
New working relationships are accommodated such as community leadership, neighbourhood working and political management arrangements
Does the structure reflect and support key changes in the political arrangements and thinking?
A realistic interaction is demonstrated between policy planning in all its forms, business development and financial planning at every level
Does the structure enable clear links between the different types of plans and the relevant timescales?
Better prioritization of objectives and decision making on workloads and resourcing can take place
Does the structure enable clarity around the authority’s strategic objectives?
Are there linkages across the organization?
Is there clarity as to who is accountable for what?
Are there supporting processes that manage potentially conflicting priorities?
Individuals are clear about their responsibilities and accountabilities and can act in an empowered way
Does the structure enable better application of the performance management system?
Are individual and team development needs identified and resourced to meet business outcomes?
A performance and feedback culture is developed across the organization, internally and externally
Does the structure help strengthen the performance and feedback culture?