A blueprint for collaboration and integration

Halle Town Council and Social Services wished to reinforce the collaboration before the two authorities. Möbius was asked to give their support.

Strategic Challenge

Halle Town Council and Social Services wished to reinforce the collaboration before the two authorities. Möbius was asked to give their support in the following challenges:

Investigate the possibilities of working together: Explore the options for a more structural partnership and determine the most appropriate form of collaboration for the two authorities.
Specify the desired form of collaboration: Define a common ambition and clear ‘ground rules’ for the collaboration desired.
Shape the new organization: Design an adapted structure for the organization(s) to suit the desired form of collaboration.
Gain support for changing to the desired form of partnership from the stakeholders concerned (managers, staff and the politicians involved in both organizations).

The collaboration with Möbius was most efficient. The quality of their work is excellent, the communication was smooth, timings were respected and their professional approach results in solutions that suit the organization’s specific needs.

Sonia Christiaens Town Secretary at Halle

Approach

At the start of the project a broad individual survey was conducted among the managers and the key political stakeholders in both organizations. This analysis demonstrated that there was wide support, both at Halle Town Council and Halle Social Services, in favour of establishing the partnership in a single integrated organization.

All steps that followed aimed to include a mix of interaction and involvement. Various methods were used: brainstorming sessions with secretaries, workshops with the management teams from both parties, bilateral discussion, info meetings, formal approval sessions, etc.

Möbius facilitated this project and shared good practice based on expertise gained from similar projects conducted at other local authorities. Halle was encouraged to think ‘out-of-the-box’ with an inspiration day, held on the premises of another local authority.

Result

The strategic choices and results from this project have been gathered in a blueprint (a joint vision document), which serves as a commitment and collaboration agreement between the two authorities. The blueprint is gradually being extended, and is a footing on which to make specific progress, without losing the ‘creative room’ to discover new insights along the way.

The following tangible results have been accomplished:

A full inventory and analysis of the current operations and processes in the two authorities
An implementation plan with actions related to collaboration in the short term (‘quick wins’).
A clearly defined ambition framework (covering objective, scope, rate of change), clear basic principles for continued collaboration, the specification of potential benefits for clients/staff/the organization.
A joint vision of the new organizational structure, the management principles, bottom-up clustering of coherent core processes and a new organigram for the integrated organization. Internal transition managers have been appointed for the further shaping of new departments in the organigram.
The development of a new culture in the relationship between the two organizations towards an environment in which people get to know and appreciate each other, learn to work together and become enthusiastic about positive change.
The evolution towards an organization that is empowered to grow gradually in this change and to take charge of its elaboration.