Delivering Change: Agile in Public Sector Projects

Following the UK’s departure from the EU, a key central government department needed to transition from an EU-led subsidy model to a domestic approach. The new programme aimed to financially reward land managers and farmers for implementing environmentally and socially beneficial practices, such as improving air and water quality, reducing carbon emissions, and enhancing biodiversity.

The ambitious programme targeted funding up to 82,500 farm holdings by 2028 through a set of innovative schemes. Delivering this programme required extensive planning, workforce alignment, and a shift to Agile methodologies to address the inherent complexities of its implementation.

Reed Professional Services (RPS) partnered with the department to address three critical areas: programme planning, workforce management, and Agile delivery consultancy.

1. Programme Planning:

• Conducted a thorough review of planning functions to establish governance and consistency across all sub-programmes.
• Developed comprehensive plans and tools, including programme roadmaps, to ensure oversight and transparency.
• Established processes to facilitate knowledge transfer and build internal planning capability.

1. Workforce Planning:

• Designed a scalable resource management plan to meet current and future programme needs.
• Implemented tracking mechanisms and reporting cycles to provide senior leadership with actionable insights on workforce allocations.
• Delivered monthly updates to align resource planning with programme priorities.

1. Agile Consultancy:

• Supported the transition from Waterfall to Agile methodologies, fostering a user-centred service delivery culture.
• Enhanced collaboration across policy, operations, and delivery teams, ensuring alignment and improved service ownership.
• Delivered training and mentoring to embed Agile principles across teams.

RPS employed a phased, collaborative approach to address the programme’s challenges:

• Engaged with stakeholders across multiple government departments and external organisations to ensure alignment with strategic goals.
• Developed and refined programme-level plans, creating a clear roadmap for project delivery.
• Designed workforce models to ensure scalability and alignment with future demands, incorporating scenario planning and forecasting.
• Adapted Agile methodologies to suit the programme’s needs, focusing on user-centric service delivery.

• Enhanced Programme Governance: Delivered robust planning frameworks that ensured consistency and long-term success.
• Scalable Workforce Solutions: Implemented effective resource management processes to align workforce capabilities with project demands.
• Successful Agile Transition: Supported the adoption of Agile practices, fostering continuous improvement and user-focused delivery.
• Timely and On-Budget Delivery: Achieved project milestones within set timelines and budgets, despite complex and evolving requirements.