Delivering public service for the future

Human Services Capability Diagnostic and Improvement: Mapping the journey toward providing the best possible outcomes for families and children

Human Services

Creating a roadmap for improved performance in human services

In a turbulent environment of economic upheaval, complex social challenges and shifting demographics, human services organizations have a twin mandate – to help individuals in crisis while guiding families and communities into self-sufficient and sustainable futures. If they are to achieve these goals, they must take action now to improve their capacity to deliver efficient and effective services over time.

Accenture’s Capability Diagnostic and Improvement model has been developed to help human services leaders with this critical transformation. As they evolve toward providing an ever-expanding horizon of outcomes, our model begins by defining and creating a common understanding of their current

business and operational capabilities. It then helps human service leaders determine where they would like their organizations to perform better, and the changes that will need to be made within the organization for them to do so. The final step of the diagnostic presents them with a variety of options – or a roadmap – for change, tailored to their specific priorities, constraints, risks and desired outcomes.

Once the human services organization has selected the path that best suits its needs, it’s ready to initiate a long-term transformation program that will allow it to move from “rescue and recovery” mode to improved performance and preventive activities that break the cycle of dependence on social services.

The end result – and the purpose of our model – is the development of organizations that can focus on providing the best possible outcomes for families, children and the communities in which they live.

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Business domains that underpin agency performance

The business of human services organizations is to develop and deliver individualized solutions (see callout box on digitalization). To accomplish this on a mass scale, they need hundreds of processes, all with multiple dependent and independent variables. It’s functionally complex and hugely challenging. Against this backdrop, agencies have to be able to answer vital performance-related questions from their various department leaders.

“How do I know what I’m doing is right?”…“Is there something else I should be doing?”…“How can I validate the plans we’ve currently put in place?”

Before they can provide accurate responses, agency leaders need to understand how the organization is really performing. We believe the best approach to tackling questions such as these is to adopt a structured approach – our Capability Diagnostic and Improvement model – that can identify existing inefficiencies and highlight solutions in each of the core domains that underpin agency performance (see box-out below).

We define business domains as the distinguishing traits and qualities that, collectively, represent an organization’s ability to create value by producing outcomes and results. To take just one example from the 8 domains listed below, “Performance Measurement and Management” plays a key part in creating a culture of accountability. It does this by defining metrics and standards at every level of the organization. Because the contributions of individual employees can be monitored, their role in achieving program mission outcomes is obvious.

This is the ideal. However, in most agencies, there are still no accurate or consistent measures in place. Outcome measurement is limited in its ability to predict the quality of future casework, performance data is confined to federal reporting requirements and nobody can tell, in real time, how many children are actually in the agency’s custody. In other words, there are no clear indicators of how well, or badly, the agency is performing.

Core domains underpinning agency performanceStrategyHow agencies define and fulfill their mission to serve constituents, including their prioritization of resources and development of critical capabilities

GovernanceThe system of policies and processes by which agencies are directed and controlled

Performance Measurement and ManagementThe development, tracking, analysis, and reporting of qualitative and quantitative metrics to assess an agency’s effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its desired outcomes

Talent and CultureHow agencies manage their talent and culture, including the recruitment, deployment, development, engagement and assessment of employees at all levels

TechnologyThe tools, systems and processes that facilitate an agency’s pursuit and fulfillment of its desired outcomes

InfrastructureThe core physical and support resources utilized by human services agencies as they service the community

OperationsThe collection of activities and processes that create the necessary logistical conditions and relationships for agencies to pursue and fulfill their missions

Customer ServiceThe process of ensuring customer satisfaction through service delivery and interactions between beneficiaries and providers

The digitilization of our economy has provided new opportunities for public service providers:

• Customization of individualized services

• Instant or near real-time feedback and response

• Intuitive, anytime, anywhere self-administration

• Digitalization of existing services and development of innovative new services

• Transparency in process

• Quick adaption and adoption of new services

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The Human Services Value Curve

We do this by plotting each domain at a point on the Human Services Value Curve (HSVC). Developed by Accenture in conjunction with the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center at Harvard and Leadership for a Networked World and the American Public Human Services Association, this is a framework for describing a human services organization’s journey through transformation toward maturity (see Figure 1). It is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather

a guide to help leaders understand existing capabilities and visualize the journey they need to take toward improved performance.

Focused on improving outcomes, the HSVC provides a framework for us to communicate the journey to transformation – from the outcomes produced by an agency’s current business operating models, to a future state focused on generating outcomes that can grow healthy, self-sufficient and sustainable communities.

Organizations may find different domains of their operations at various degrees of maturity on the HSVC, depending on the progress of any particular program. In traversing the curve, a growing “outcomes orientation” drives innovations in both the organizational and technological models. The resulting increase in capacity enables the agency to mature and generate broader and more valuable outcomes.

FOCUS CHARACTERISTICS

Regulative Business Model:

Serving customers who are eligible for particular services while complying with categorical policy and program regulations

• Multiple, siloed views of the client• Traditional business processes• Paper-based case files

Collaborative Business Model:

Helping customers receive all services for which they are eligible by working across agency and programmatic boundaries

• Single view of the client (multiple systems of record)• Mix of traditional and modernized business processes• Electronic case files

Integrative Business Model:

Helping customers receive integrated services at an optimum level that address the root cause of need

• Single view of the client (single enterprise solution)• Modernized business processes with common intake etc• Electronic case files

Generative Business Model:

Collaboration and partnership across agencies all working toward the same vision • Services inventory• Outcomes beyond self-sufficiency• Supportive of life-long learning and capability development

Figure 1: The Human Services Value Curve –understanding and visualizing the journey to improved performance

Once we have understood the challenges faced in each of these domains, we assess each one against benchmarks, databases, standards and our experiential repositories to compare performance and identify improvement opportunities.

Human Service Value Curve – Journey to Success

The journey is transformational and fluid, human service agencies may find different domains of their organizations at various degrees of maturity on the Value Curve, but in all cases an ‘outcomes orientation’ drives innovation in both the organizational and technological areas.

E�ciency in Achieving Outcomes

Outcome Frontiers

E�ectiveness in Achieving Outcomes

Generative Business Model

Integrative Business Model

Collaborative Business Model

Outcome Frontiers

Regulative Business Model

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A structured process for achieving results

Summarized below (and in Figure 2), we’ve developed a three-step process for driving performance improvement:

Identify where an organizationstands against key businessand operational domainsof the HSVC

DiagnosticStep 1

Identify activities and tasksrequired to move up inmaturity for each domainon the HSVC

Transition PlanStep 2

Prioritize domains and activities based on impact. Determine needs and resources to work toward Generative Model outcomes

RoadmapStep 3

Step 2 – Transition Plan

What does a client have to do to mature up the curve for each domain?

Step 3 – Roadmap

What are the options for proceeding with the Transition Plan?

Step 1 – Diagnostic

Why is it so important for a human services organization to know where it sits on the HSVC?

Figure 2: Accenture Capability Diagnostic and Improvement – a three-step process

WHERE are you? WHAT do you have to do? HOW does organization improve?

Domain 8Domain 7

Domain 6Domain

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Domain

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Dom

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Dom

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Domain 2

Domain 3

Domain 4

Domain 5

Domain 6

Domain 7

Domain 1

Domain 8

ACTIONS

STRATEGIC ROADMAP

Having objectively identified an organization’s current state, a Transition Plan can be defined for each domain. Highlighting the specific actions that will be needed to move up the HSVC maturity curve, this Transition Plan strictly defines what must be accomplished. More likely than not, this will be an overwhelming amount of activity. No organization could be expected to undertake all the activities and tasks needed to achieve the improvement in every domain at the same time. The Plan simply lays out what needs to be done so that priorities can be defined, resources allocated and leadership decisions made.

With the Transition Plan completed, next steps can be prioritized based on operational constraints such as impact, immediacy of need and resources available. There will be different types of journeys available to every organization and various combinations of actions can be defined depending on whether an agency is in “crisis,” ‘improvement,” or “transformational” mode. Taking into account the preferred timeline for any initiative (short-, mid- or long-term) a grid of options can be proposed with an overlay of how to get the work done.

The Accenture Diagnostic provides the basis for an assessment of an agency’s performance on multiple dimensions (see Figure 3 on the following page). Placing the organization on the HSVC for each of its key business domains, this process signals the start of the journey. It does this by identifying where an organization currently stands against key business and operational characteristics in relation to the anticipated and expected outcomes of the human service program. By objectively identifying where an agency or organization is today, it provides the foundation for a coordinated approach that will move it up the HSVC to an increased level of maturity.

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Regulative Business Model Collaborative Business Model Integrative Business Model Generative Business Model

Delivering services to constituents for which they are eligible while complying with categorical policy and program regulations.

Ensuring the appropriate mix of existing services for constituents working across agency and programmatic boundaries.

Addressing and solving the root causes of client needs and challenges by seamlessly coordinating and integrating services.

Generating healthy communities by co-creating solutions for multi-dimensional family and socio-economic challenges and opportunities.

STRATEGY

Defines how agencies fulfill their mission by prioritizing the use of their resources to serve their constituents and developing the functional capabilities to achieve their goals.

Vision Sample Performance Indicators

Vision is solely (or narrowly) focused on ensuring that regulatory requirements are met.

Vision is not formally structured and focuses on constituents’ receipt of eligible services.

Vision is focused on addressing family-centric outcomes through seamless, cross-boundary collaboration.

Compelling, holistic vision for the future. Vision is inspirational and realistic.

VISION STATEMENT

1. Focus of vision statementAssessment/ranking - degree to which vision focuses on policy and legal compliance, agency outcomes, and cross-program outcomes

2. Quality of vision statementAssessment/ranking - degree to which statement is concise, inspirational, realistic, clear, and compelling

1. Employees feel detached from leadership’s vision or are not aware of the vision.

2. Employees do not consider vision when performing tasks.

1. Some employees are aware of leadership’s vision for the agency.

2. Employees may have limited understanding of how responsibilities align to agency’s vision.

1. Some employees are aware of and feel connected to leadership’s vision for the agency.

2. Employees across the agency understand alignment of vision and responsibilities.

1. Nearly all employees at all levels are aware of the organization’s vision.

2. Employees understand how they contribute to the achievement of the vision.

3. Workers across agency understand how responsibilities align with and advance the vision.

EMPLOYEES PERCEPTIONS AND BEHAVIOR

1. Employees’ awareness of the vision% of employees who can recall the vision

2. Employees’ perception and embodiment of the vision(a) % of employees who understand how they can contribute to the achievement of the vision (b) % of employees who believe in the vision; (c) % of employees who believe that they embody/pursue the vision on a daily basis

3. Employees’ perception of organization-wide alignment of activities with vision(a) % of employees who believe the vision is interwoven throughout a majority of daily activities organization-wide; (b) degree of perceived organizational alignment with vision

Mission Sample Performance Indicators

There is no alignment between processes, roles and responsibilities, and objectives to the agency’s mission.

There may be some alignment between processes and roles/responsibilities or between the objectives of the agency’s mission, but there is not always a correlation between them.

Most of the processes, roles and responsibilities, and objectives align. There is a small percentage that don’t relate to the mission.

Clear alignment between processes, roles and responsibilities, and objectives to the agency’s mission.

MISSION ALIGNMENT

1. Relevance of mission statement to agency goalsAssessment/ranking - degree of alignment between agency objectives and mission

2. Alignment of mission statement with activitiesAssessment/ranking - degree of alignment between activities and mission

The Diagnostic Phase The small snapshot below provides a window into one characteristic (Vision) of one domain (Strategy). It shows the themes that grow across the maturing models from Regulative to Generative and some of the Key Performance Indicators that would be used to measure where an organization currently exists on the Human Service Value Curve continuum and where it needs to go. What the Transition Plan and Roadmap would also provide is what the organization needed to accomplish to improve and how to strategically execute those activities to realize the highest value and return on outcomes.

Figure 3: The Diagnostic Phase

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Domain 8Domain 7

Domain 6Domain

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Domain

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Dom

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STRATEGY DOMAIN

Regulative Business Model Collaborative Business Model Integrative Business Model Generative Business Model

Delivering services to constituents for which they are eligible while complying with categorical policy and program regulations.

Ensuring the appropriate mix of existing services for constituents working across agency and programmatic boundaries.

Addressing and solving the root causes of client needs and challenges by seamlessly coordinating and integrating services.

Generating healthy communities by co-creating solutions for multi-dimensional family and socio-economic challenges and opportunities.

STRATEGY

Defines how agencies fulfill their mission by prioritizing the use of their resources to serve their constituents and developing the functional capabilities to achieve their goals.

Vision Sample Performance Indicators

Vision is solely (or narrowly) focused on ensuring that regulatory requirements are met.

Vision is not formally structured and focuses on constituents’ receipt of eligible services.

Vision is focused on addressing family-centric outcomes through seamless, cross-boundary collaboration.

Compelling, holistic vision for the future. Vision is inspirational and realistic.

VISION STATEMENT

1. Focus of vision statementAssessment/ranking - degree to which vision focuses on policy and legal compliance, agency outcomes, and cross-program outcomes

2. Quality of vision statementAssessment/ranking - degree to which statement is concise, inspirational, realistic, clear, and compelling

1. Employees feel detached from leadership’s vision or are not aware of the vision.

2. Employees do not consider vision when performing tasks.

1. Some employees are aware of leadership’s vision for the agency.

2. Employees may have limited understanding of how responsibilities align to agency’s vision.

1. Some employees are aware of and feel connected to leadership’s vision for the agency.

2. Employees across the agency understand alignment of vision and responsibilities.

1. Nearly all employees at all levels are aware of the organization’s vision.

2. Employees understand how they contribute to the achievement of the vision.

3. Workers across agency understand how responsibilities align with and advance the vision.

EMPLOYEES PERCEPTIONS AND BEHAVIOR

1. Employees’ awareness of the vision% of employees who can recall the vision

2. Employees’ perception and embodiment of the vision(a) % of employees who understand how they can contribute to the achievement of the vision (b) % of employees who believe in the vision; (c) % of employees who believe that they embody/pursue the vision on a daily basis

3. Employees’ perception of organization-wide alignment of activities with vision(a) % of employees who believe the vision is interwoven throughout a majority of daily activities organization-wide; (b) degree of perceived organizational alignment with vision

Mission Sample Performance Indicators

There is no alignment between processes, roles and responsibilities, and objectives to the agency’s mission.

There may be some alignment between processes and roles/responsibilities or between the objectives of the agency’s mission, but there is not always a correlation between them.

Most of the processes, roles and responsibilities, and objectives align. There is a small percentage that don’t relate to the mission.

Clear alignment between processes, roles and responsibilities, and objectives to the agency’s mission.

MISSION ALIGNMENT

1. Relevance of mission statement to agency goalsAssessment/ranking - degree of alignment between agency objectives and mission

2. Alignment of mission statement with activitiesAssessment/ranking - degree of alignment between activities and mission

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Getting startedDivided into three discrete stages, our approach is designed for ease of use. It can begin with simple standalone projects that help to build buy-in and support within the organization. Typically the Diagnostic phase takes six weeks to complete, depending on the size and scope of the agency being assessed. Our Transition Plans can take another four weeks to define (again depending on the breadth of the agency). And, development of the Roadmap may take a further six weeks. The execution of the Roadmap – once these three stages are complete – is dependent on each situation.

End-to-end, a four-month process leads up to the execution phase. Moving at a pace that suits each individual agency, our human services management consulting team works with agency leaders and employees to put in place a framework for change with one focused goal – enabling human services agencies to improve the lives of children and make their families more independent.

To find out what Accenture’s Capability Diagnostic and Improvement model can do for your organization, contact:

Gordon NastaManaging Director, North America, SP&L Human Services Management Consulting Lead gordon.nasta@accenture.com

Teresa SifreSenior Manager, North America, SP&L Human Services teresa.c.sifre@accenture.com

About AccentureAccenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 319,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

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