01/2019 cView

A digital standard Towards a digital bureaucracy

In this issue Public authorities on the way to a digital bureaucracy Rethink your approach – software alone won’t cut it From paper to mission critical systems using standard software Digital bureaucracy

Towards a digital bureaucracy

Public authorities’ work procedures are alike. That’s called bureaucracy.

It is commonly known that public autho- The public sector itself, then, dictates a became clear that even though bureaucracy rities regard themselves as being different market development which leaves providers prevails, the transition from paper-based to each other. That’s why they choose with no incentive to create sector-wide solu- to digital bureaucracy has far reaching individual IT systems. However, this entails tions. Additionally, there is no competition consequences. great costs and operational challenges as between public authorities. developing large, new IT systems often go cBrain’s model, method and F2 software awry – both in the public and the private The competition between private compani- encourage the conversion of analogue sector. Additionally, maintenance and es creates fertile soil for innovation and new bureaucracy to a digital bureaucracy, further development of individual solutions products, including better and cheaper stan- which has proven a successful approach often mean significant costs and risks. dard systems which provide the customers to digitisation. It is also a demanding with competitive advantages and which can approach, however: it requires mainly that The private sector has taken the consquen- be used across the sector. management is involved, but the organi- ce of this a long time ago. IT providers sation is also required to have an overview have specialized and offer a great number cBrain’s standard system F2 challenges the of its business processes. One of cBrain’s of continually improved, sector-specific status quo of public sector. Today more mantras are, “keep your end goal in mind stadard solutions while the public sector still than 50 authorities base their work on F2, from the start”. This applies to our model, develops and maintain custom-made special a 100% standard system designed and built method and software. If the goal is unclear, solutions. for public administration. This is unique, in a successful digitisation is impossible. When as well as internationally. F2 beca- cBrain configures mission critical systems, Naturally, public procurers aim to reduce me a success, because cBrain in 2005 was the majority of the process happens on a costs and minimize difficulties, and the given the opportunity of developing a new whiteboard, in interaction with the process desire to buy standard solutions and to digital platform with several authorities in owners. Only when a diagram of the pro- reuse when possible exists. But why haven’t parallel. Based on the unique collaboration cess has been written from start to finish, the they succeeded when it comes to IT? It with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the configuration of the software begins. This may be due to two main causes: a historical Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs, the design is followed by an iterative testing procedure self-understanding and a lack of competiti- originated with the public authorities’ work with the users which is done only when the on between authorities. procedures and organisational structures, end goal stated in the initial phase has been and evolved into a production system for reached. When a public authority with great pucha- the ministries. sing power regards itself as unique, the The project revealed that the work proce- sector involuntarily maintains a market in dures of public authorities were, in essence, which customers want individual solutions. alike. That’s called bureaucracy. But it also

2 | cView – A digital standard F2 cases

F2 in International House, of

Since International House implemented F2, international citizens can apply online for everything regarding their stay in Denmark. This reduces the physical waiting time needed to see a case worker. This waiting time has been reduced from 90 to 15 minutes.

In addition to reducing waiting time for citizens, F2 also provides internal benefits. Employees now have an overview of incoming data and documents, enabling them to process applications faster. The International House management has gotten a dashboard providing an overview of incoming cases from which to perform quality assurance. They are also able to view a case’s data and status in real-time.

F2 in the Danish State Public authorities’ work procedures are alike. That’s called bureaucracy. Administration

Since implementing F2 in the Danish State Administration, time a short amount of time. If the couple disagree, the check list spent on internal administration of the divorce process has approach helps solve variations and complex cases in a quick been reduced by 50%. This is thanks to the use of checklists for and streamlined manner. Complex cases may entail disagree- case processes and through the introduction of a self-service ments in relation to children. In these cases, physical meetings solution for citizens. and legal counsel may be necessary.

The fee for divorce has been reduced from 900 DKK to 420 Case work in F2 allows for a faster allocation of complex DKK. The Danish State Administration won a Digitisation processes to relevant personnel. Simple processes may, as a Award in 2017. The yearly cost reduction after implementing rule, be automated. In certain instances, process times have F2 is an estimated 12-14 million DKK, and employee satis- been reduced from five days to five minutes without involving faction has increased greatly. When a couple file for divorce, the back office. if both parts agree, the divorce can be completed online in

cView – A digital standard | 3 Method and approach

More of the same won’t get us there. Rethink your approach.

Denmark is number 1 in digitisation according to sur- Time is a decisive parameter, and the world veys conducted by EU, UN and OECD. This is an en- demands fast solutions. Solutions that hit the mark, that is. Solutions that yield results. couraging result, but it also calls for reflection on the Solutions that aren’t cast in stone, but can practice. be utilised continuously so their efficiency can be confirmed. Digitisation is perceived Denmark didn’t achieve this position out manager needs in the digital age. This led to as a minefield; it must be approached with of nowhere. cBrain produces standard the book ”Ledelse i d-land – om ledelse på care. Risks cannot be completely eliminated, software built for government based on a tærsklen til det digitale samfund” (“Mana- but can they be minimised without impac- deep understanding of the nature of both gement in d-land – On management on the ting the end result? As the future remains democracy and bureaucracy. But software threshold to a digital society”). unpredictable, flexibility is important. How alone won’t get us there; it’s necessary to can we up- or downgrade yet remain finan- rethink the approach to achieve the desired The book presents a model comprised of cially responsible? results. In combination, these two factors four dimensions and six competencies. One can be leveraged for decisive results. of these competencies is approach, the Agility has become a key concept, and agile focal point of this article. Approach calls for development a trend. But development ta- Four years ago Per Tejs Knudsen and Ejvind reflection for many managers, and still more kes time. Is it possible to steer towards your Jørgensen, two of the driving forces behind acknowledge that what brought us to where end goal faster yet steadier? the “Denmark 3.0” think tank, initiated a we are today isn’t the solution for tomorrow. project to discover which competencies a

4 | cView – A digital standard Agile implementation is cBrain’s answer to the digital dilemma and is elaborated below. Next step effects: cBrain has built a standard production TECHNOLOGY Process Reengineering Automation system for the public sector based on a deep understanding of the nature of bureaucracy and its atomic components: F2 is built for government. With approximately 300.000 TRANSFORMATION hours spent on development, there is proof New that F2 can support ministries, government agencies, and professional Initial effects: organisations – not only in Denmark, but Integration Control also in Berlin, Bristol, Liverpool, Washing- Preparation VISION ton and Dubai. for change

The point of departure for many public Old organisations is, as shown on the model to the right, to leave their old processes and old technology behind in favour of new proces- ses and new technology. Experience shows, Old New PROCESS however, that this isn’t easy. In fact, it usual- ly doesn’t work. The reason? People aren’t capable of imagining new processes and new technology simultaneously – the chan- the solution can be changed and optimi- is 100% standard, it’s easy to benefit from ge is too great. Even when a requirements sed quickly. As a consequence, the users new functionality and new modules. specification for a new solution is made, it drive the development, not the provider becomes evident that there is no agreement or external consultants. The users assume It’s the same software running everywhere: on the nature of the current work processes. ownership and advocate for changes. This from the Ministry of the State of Denmark Does that matter? Yes! If there is no agre- often yields a dramatic effect. We call it the to the Danish Business Authority, from the ement on the current work processes, how “jiu jitsu principle”, or the art of using the Municipality of Rudersdal to the Govern- valid can the requirements specification be? organisation’s own momentum to create ment of Greenland, from Liverpool City to It often becomes an abstraction with a vast progress and change. The model has been a vast administration in Berlin. It is possible uncertainty factor – because the starting named “the banana model” because of the to acquire F2 with an SKI 02.19 framework point is unclear and uncertain. shape of the transformation that takes pla- contract, from which the burden of public ce. The vision in the classic model usually procurement is exempt. This means starting In cBrain, we turn this upside down. Instead remains a vision, while the implementation sooner. The current record is starting four of the old approach that begins with chan- of the banana model happens gradually days after the first enquiry regarding a ging processes, users get a new production with tangible results each month. The contract. In combination with the cloud platform on which they can recognize their implementation is directed by the users’ and subscription model this means that the old processes and roles. The difference from tractive force and management’s estimation solution may be up- and downgraded. You before is that everything on the new plaform of where it will create the greatest results. pay for what you use, and only when you is integrated and tidied up. This fosters a F2 being a cloud solution adds additional use it. Together with the proof of readiness in relation to changes, because it is agility and flexibility. Upgrades are minor concept that becomes apparent during the now possible to speak of concrete solutions undertakings. cBrain releases a new version process, this ensures a lower risk for the instead of abstractions. The users are able every six months and since F2 public organisation. to see and quickly understand how a soluton would work, as it is based on a known technology frame and a model of how Existence best-practice digital bureaucracy looks.

MISSION Based on this approach, cBrain takes one business process at a time and onboards an optimised and often automated F2 version ADAPTABILITY COMMUNICATION through the process layer which, apart from a “process engine”, contains self-service and Method People an extensive and well-documented integra- APPROACH ORGANISATION tion layer (REST API). This helps users, including managers, to understand the implications. The onboarding of processes SOFTWARE happen through configuration instead of coding, so results are achieved much faster. Users can see whether a change yields Technology the necessary effect. This also means that

cView – A digital standard | 5 Standard software

From paper to mission critical systems using standard software

cBrain has developed a model and a method to support mission critical pro- cesses directly in the F2 standard software. In fact, they invite a whole new approach to designing and supporting mission critical systems digitally.

The digital bureaucracy in which work is performed with transpa- The model cBrain’s approach to working with public rency, fairness and efficiency – and without The model for digital bureaucracy is based authorities is based on digital bureaucracy. the use of paper. Based on the digitisation on the production; an authority is percei- As a rule, the work of public authorities experience gained from close collaborations ved as a production unit, whose task is to is based on the ideal type of bureaucracy with departments, government agencies manage and deliver one or more services on named and described by Max Weber in the and municipalities, cBrain has developed a behalf of society. These services are often early 20th century. Today the public sector best-practice model for digital bureaucracy. referred to as the authority’s “products”. is undergoing a transformation in which Simultaneously, cBrain has developed a The digital bureaucracy is the authority’s the production system itself, the classic pa- design method which supports each step internal means of production which are per-based bureaucracy, is being reimagined of a concrete solution based on the model, meant to support and ensure that tasks are and replaced by what cBrain refers to as the along with the F2 standard software which managed with transparency, fairness and digital bureaucracy: an ideal model for the is built so that the concrete solution can be efficiency. The production is governed by production system of future bureaucracies, configured directly therein. the “single case principle” and divided into

6 | cView – A digital standard F2 – Production system for public authorities

MODEL Digital Bureaucracy

METHOD STANDARD SOFTWARE Specification Authority 50+ implementations

Developed in collaboration with ministries 100% Standard The Agency for Governmental IT Services: Cloud/Software-as-a-Service

different case types, each corresponding to The method This often reveals that there are several one of the authority’s services/products. Many IT projects fail because their goal is different ways of working, but it’s also pos- The digital bureaucracy is described using unclear, which makes the undertaking too sible to agree on how to describe the most processes and resources that support the complex. The cBrain model and method efficient work procedure. The workshop is management and delivery of the services for helps avoid excessive complexity since conducted with the help of a whiteboard which the authority is responsible. there is a model for configuring the mission and old-fashioned paper and pencil. When critical processes. The model helps create it’s over, the process has been mapped out The digital bureaucracy is comprised of an overview through its five dimensions. based on the “business as usual” motto. five dimensions: services, responsibility, cBrain’s method help organise the mission Often users will ask, “Why are we actually procedure, organisation and data. Services critical processes in cooperation with the doing it like that?”, and this leads to the are the authority’s reason for existing: they user, so they can be implemented in the F2 users themselves streamlining the procedure. are the services which the authority delivers standard software. The method makes use to society. Responsibility and procedure of concepts such as case types, which orga- Configuration in F2 describe the authority’s work in the form nize the design of mission critical processes. After the initial workshop cBrain’s F2 of case processes, in which the allocation consultants outline a model of the process of responsibility governs the progress of “Business as usual” on paper. The model for the mission critical the case while procedure governs the case’s Perhaps contrary to expectation, the me- process is then scrutinised in another work- ruling. Organisation and data describe the thod invites customers to conduct “business shop with the customer. Often there are authority’s resources: organisation describes as usual”. When cBrain configures a mission changes, and new questions have appeared its employees and hierarchy of units and critical process, its success depends on close in the meantime. When the model is finally teams, while data describes its structure and collaboration with the customer, which approved, the actual configuration of the the contents of its knowledge and documen- often means the case managers. Thorough process in the F2 standard system begins. tation. dialogue and decisive leadership are both The configuration can be thought of as a important in this process as it quickly library with case types with information at- Each of the five dimensions consists of a becomes evident that several ways of solving tached regarding the other four dimensions: number of basic components. For example, a task exist. case flow, procedure, data and organisation. services are made up of several case types, All data is stored in the central F2 database responsibility may include several case gui- The solution is designed step by step and can be presented as management infor- des and steps, and procedure may include through a number of workshops. The mation, .g. via dashboards. Both employees checklists with phases and tasks. The digital first step is to divide each of the selected and citizens work with shared data online bureaucracy model is generic because it services into one or more case types. For allowing for the option of advanced self-ser- defines the concepts and components, i.e. each case type the dimensions of responsi- vice functions. the building blocks, which are used to de- bility, procedure, data and organisation are scribe a given authority. Using this model’s designed and described in that order using components and the design method it is the component model. The users involved possible to describe the digital bureaucracy in the process are invited to explain their for an authority. current work procedures.

cView – A digital standard | 7 Customer index Our Danish Customers

Danish Ministries Unions and Active Patient Support - Across Four Ministry of Employment Regions Organisations Ministry of Industry, Business and The Evangelical Lutheran Church - The Danish Union of Teachers Financial Affairs Deaneries The Ministry of Employment The PrimeDanish Minister’s Unemployment Office Funds Ministry of Finance Municipality Ministries Ministry of Social Affairs and the Interior Ministry of Transport and Housing State of Greenland Danish Psychological Association Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs The Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs Ministry of Higher Education and Science Danish Union of Social Counsellors Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities MinistryIT University of Industry, of Copenhagen Business and Financial The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Affairs The MinistryDjøf - Unionof Immigration for Graduates and Integration in Social Ministry of Environment and Food of - Internatio- The Ministry of Immigration and Integration The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities MinistrySciences, of Children, Business Education and andLaw. Gender Denmark nal House, Copenhagen Ministry of Finance EqualityDanish Association of Occupational Ministry of Taxation Environmental Protection Agency The Ministry of Environment and Food State ofTherapists Greenland Ministry of Social Affairs and the MinistryAgency of forTaxation Modernisation Danish Association of Pharmacologists Interior Municipality Agency for Digitisation DanishDanishThe Labour LabourDanish Court Court National Union of Upper The Prime Minister’s Office AgencyThe Ombudsman for Digitisation for Greenland Authorities, Secondary School Teachers Authorities, Rail Denmark Vestforsyning,Vestforsyning, Water Water and and Heating Heating Ministry of Transport and Housing The Ombudsman for The Faroe Islands municipalities and Danish Meteorological Institute TheThe OmbudsmanDanish Ombudsman Diet Greenland and Greenland Nutrition Association Ministrymunicipalities of Higher Education and and University Danish Energy Agency AgencyAgencyDanish for for Development MedicalDevelopment Association and and Simplification Simplification Science DanishRudersdal Business Municipality Agency AgencyAgency of ofEmployee Employee and and Competency Competency other Danish Business Agency The Social Democratic Party of Den- Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Evangelical Lutheran Church - The The National Board of Social Services mark institutions Deaneries OdsherredGentofte Municipality Ministry of Immigration and Integration Agency for Governmental IT Services Active Patient Support - Across Four Regions CopenhagenOdsherred Municipality - International DanishAgency Economy for Governmental Agency Administra- House,Copenhagen Copenhagen Municipality - International House, Copenhagen Environmentaltion Protection Agency Rudersdal Municipality TheDanish Ombudsman Agency Faroe for International Islands Recruit- VordingborgPrivate Municipality Sector Agencies, Municipalities Thement National and Integration Board of Social Services Liverpool City Council LiverpoolCompanies City Council and Other Authorities AgencyDanish for Maritime Governmental Authority Administration Aabenraa Municipality Agency for Governmental IT Services IT University of Copenhagen Agency for Development and Simplifi- IT University of Copenhagen Danish Labour Court Agency of Family Law Roskilde University cation The Danish Bar and Law Society Danish Agency for International Recruitment UniversityRoskilde of University Bristol Rail Denmark Danish Agency for International Recruitment Beierholm - State Authorised Auditing andVestforsyning Integration Water and Heating University of Bristol Agency for Digitisation DanishVordingborg Maritime MunicipalityAuthority Nilfisk - Manufacturing Company Danish Meteorological Institute Rambøll Management Consulting Danish Energy Agency Danish Business Authority Danish Union of Teachers DanishDanish Association Association of ofPharmaconomists Pharmaconomists Unions, Danish Unemployment Funds TheThe Danish Danish National National Union Union of ofUpper Upper Agency of Family Law Danish Unemployment Funds unemployment Danish Psychological Association SecondarySecondary School School Teachers Teachers Danish Union of Social Counsellors DanishDanish Diet Diet and and Nutrition Nutrition Association Association funds and DJØF - Union for Graduates in Social Scien-- DanishDanish Medical Medical Association Association ces, Business and Law TheThe Social Social Democratic Democratic Party Party of ofDenmark Denmark organisations Danish Association of Occupational Therapist

cView cView published by cBrain A/S Responsible publisher: Ejvind Jørgensen, CSO & CFO Editor: Inger Vinther Veber, [email protected]

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