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This article will look at change in both the public and private sectors, with the aim of creating a robust change model for the public sector.

World renowned change expert, John P. Kotter introduced his 8 step model in ‘ Leading Change’ in 1995. These 8 steps necessary for successful change in an organisation, be it public or private sector. The literature on change management was reviewed for each of the eight steps defined in Kotter's model, to review how much support each of these steps had, individually and collectively, in 15 years of literature. The review found support for most of the steps, although no formal studies were found covering the entire spectrum and structure of the model. Kotter's change management model appears to derive its popularity more from its direct and usable format than from any scientific consensus on the results.

Change in public sector has been driven largely by social, political and economic factors. As the public sector prepares for the deepest budget cuts in a generation, the question remains over whether its senior managers are up to the challenge. According to Penny de Valk, chief executive of the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), the public sector offers a “mixed bag” of some managers who are fully capable and ready for the huge-scale change, with others less experienced and more anxious about what lies ahead. Time delays have been identified as an issue in implementing change for the public sector - and we both agree that the biggest reason for this due to legislative issues and government policy. Following a review questionnaire completed by a Northern Ireland public sector director a review within a relevant area was deemed urgent  and the process of review to implementation took ten years.

Proposal for the model – a 6 step model for the public sector

The decision for change has been made by forces external to the org, i.e. government minister. The decision will have been made following consultation with stakeholders and public consultation. We propose that for the public sector organisation to successfully change, the following steps should be followed.

1.	Need for change – influenced by political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental factors in macro environment

2.	Create the vision for change A vision for the future, what will we be doing in 5 years’ time? Vision and mission statements motivate people, simplify decisions they are also part of a larger system including strategies, budgets and plans. Key objectives should be established.

3.	Form an accountable coalition Bring together a team of people with appropriately mixed skills and expertise in their area, as Kotter suggests in his 2nd step this team should have a strong leader. The team is ultimately going to be important to the success of the org. Given they are in roles of power and decisions can impact on public, they must understand they are accountable for decisions. The team should consist of executive and non-executive directors. This accountable body are responsible for stages 1 and 2, if they feel there has been a sufficient time lag to this point then they are responsible for re-investigating points 1 and 2 to ensure they meet current needs and the plan is still fit for purpose and fulfilling the need for change.

4.	Communicating the vision embracing cultural change Any opportunity to communicate the vision should be seized i.e., meetings, emails, staff newsheets etc. Ensure that everyone is aware of the impending changes and the vision for the future; the sooner staff are aware the sooner you can answer questions, smooth out anxieties and deal with those resistant to change. By involving staff earlier in the process and involving them via workshops can motivate and reduce resistance to change Traditional “top down” approaches are unlikely to achieve the necessary change. Instead, using a case study of an Irish public sector organization, this argues that direct participation, involving frontline staff, can play a key role in ensuring acceptance of change and in creating the conditions for employees to make effective contributions to their organization. Kotters 8th step includes embracing cultural change, however having taken the above into consideration and from our own experience, participation and embracing cultural change must be considered earlier in the change process. Failure to embrace cultural change can have a detrimental effect. Goleman, Boyatazis & McKee when reviewing change in a US hospital found ‘the hospital’s leadership team forgot about the primary foundations of change: attention to the emotional reality and to the culture. They failed to recognise how the staff felt about the change process itself. They imposed change from above…within two years, the hospital was on the brink of spiralling downward…’

Private sector uses proof of concept testing before implementation therefore this should be trialled in-house using data replication so that test cases are based on a realistic view through information received and end users input. Proof of concept testing occurs before the prototyping stage and is a method for testing the idea – rather than the product or service. It usually involves asking members of the target audience to assess, rate and/or refine the product concept.

5.	Making it happen Create short-term wins. Research shows that companies that experience short-term wins within the first 14-26 months are more than likely to complete the transition. The use of annual service delivery plans will outline key actions the org will take in order to achieve its objectives, planning and achieving for the short-term will help contribute to long term success of the org. Planning in this way can also allow the org to deal with external pressures e.g., budget cuts as result of difficult financial climate or increased demands on service

6.	Sustain and build on change (Embed & Develop) Recognise the organisations achievements, reward achievements made by individuals, teams, successes will be visible and prove new ways are better than the old.