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Working without walls An insight into the transforming government workplace ‘More than seven miles of internal walls were removed as part of the Treasury redevelopment project. This physical change was symbolic of much deeper cultural, business and technology transformation within the Treasury, where numerous time-bound organisational barriers were removed to support the more agile and dynamic organisation that is evolving today’ Paul Pegler, Her Majesty’s Treasury Working without walls An insight into the transforming government workplace Tim Allen Adryan Bell Richard Graham Bridget Hardy Felicity Swa≠er front cover and left HM Treasury © Crown copyright 2004 ISBN 0-9521506-2-X The text in this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the title of the document specified. All images are Crown copyright except where separately acknowledged. Any enquiries relating to the copyright in this document should be sent to: HMSO Licensing Division St Clements House 2–16 Colegate Norwich NR3 1BQ F 01603 723 000 E [email protected] DEGW www.degw.com O≤ce of Government Commerce Trevelyan House 26–30 Great Peter Street London SW1P 2BY T 0845 000 4999 E [email protected] www.ogc.gov.uk The OGC logo is a Trade Mark of Her Majesty’s Treasury Designed by Duffy Printed by White This book is printed on chlorine free 75% recycled paper with 25% from renewable sources. Contents Foreword 4 About this book 5 About the authors 6 part 1 Why government workplaces are changing chapter 1 The evolving government workplace 8 chapter 2 The business of government 10 chapter 3 Using the workplace to drive business change 12 chapter 4 Government trendsetters 15 part 2 Themes of influence and change chapter 5 New workstyles 22 chapter 6 Openness, communication and collaboration 30 chapter 7 The less-paper o≤ce 36 chapter 8 Identity and expression 42 chapter 9 The drive for quality in design and procurement 48 part 3 Ensuring long term success chapter 10 Managing cultural change 56 chapter 11 Maximising and sustaining the benefits of change 64 chapter 12 Lessons learnt 75 chapter 13 Postscript 78 Foreword Workplaces are changing, and nowhere more so than in the UK government today. These changes are bringing better environments using new technology, improved processes, more focused and intensive use of resources, and the potential for much greater flexibility; all of which is helping to reform and improve the delivery of public service. Reform of Britain’s public services is at the centre of this government’s agenda and my vision is for a civil service that transforms its own ability to deliver and acts as a catalyst for change throughout the public sector. There are real cultural changes happening at the heart of the civil service that are a≠ecting what we do and how we do it. We recognise that our workplace a≠ects the way we work and the sense of pride and value we feel as individuals and teams. The projects outlined in this book are a real measure of the enthusiasm and commitment that my colleagues and I have for developing the work environment that will help deliver the objectives we have been set. My own experience, as the champion of the Treasury redevelopment project, confirms there are tangible benefits to be gained from workplace and organisational change. The Treasury project illustrates vividly the way the geography of an organisation can reinforce its culture and its management aims. Through the new building we have managed to create a sense of a modern, outward looking department, an organisation with an appetite for change. The building has developed a sense of inclusiveness, breaking down traditional hierarchy. It has promoted communication, both formal and informal and has encouraged flexible ways of working. Above all it has fostered a feeling of self-confidence and presented an attractive image to the talent we need to recruit. Co-produced by the O≤ce of Government Commerce and the international workplace and design consultancy DEGW, this book o≠ers good practice advice, thinking points, successes and learning based on expertise and experience willingly shared by the contributors for the benefit of others. I trust the examples described here will be the first of many. Sir Andrew Turnbull, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service, May 2004 About this book The UK government workplace has taken a variety In addition to the main authors, many individuals, of forms, from the opulence of its early incarnations organisations and projects have contributed to the to the more familiar drab and dreary post-war tower content and richness of this book. The book has, in blocks with their long dark corridors and rows of particular, drawn extensively upon the following five cellular o≤ces. Its work environments have not, main case studies which illustrate some of the best however, been often considered as either innovative work taking place in government today, and with or progressive. For a large part of the last century it which OGC and/or DEGW have been closely involved: lagged behind the private sector which has tended to occupy better buildings, with better fit-outs, that • The Government Communications Headquarters better support their working practices. (GCHQ) purpose-built o≤ce complex in Cheltenham • Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) redevelopment of Today things are changing. Across government a their Head O≤ce at 1 Horse Guards Road, London host of workplace projects are underway that are • The Ministry of Defence (MoD) Main Building embracing not just physical change but integrated redevelopment, Whitehall, London (due for business, organisational and cultural change. The occupation Summer 2004) work environment is no longer viewed as a passive • The O≤ce of Government Commerce (OGC) Head overhead but as a powerful and integral aspect O≤ce refurbishment at Trevelyan House, London of government business, which, given the right • The Scottish Enterprise Headquarters purpose-built attention and investment, can significantly enhance o≤ce complex at Atlantic Quay, Glasgow the e≠ectiveness of public service delivery. This book aims to provide an accessible publication In many ways the UK government is now leading the that captures and explores current UK government way in workplace design. It is looked to by overseas workplace developments and emerging good practice governments as a model for the future, and is in order to inform, encourage and support wider influencing the private sector in its approach. This improvement and innovation. book can be best described as a celebration of these achievements and evolving good practices and a Aimed at senior managers, including permanent means by which to educate and inform those secretaries, chief executives and business change embarking on workplace change. leaders, as well as heads of estates and facilities, the authors hope the insights from the case studies The book falls broadly into three sections: Part 1 included in this book will provide a starting point looks at the historical context and the catalysts for those thinking of embarking on similar for change in the government workplace; Part 2 organisational change projects and perhaps also examines the current themes influencing the design give some reassurance that others have already of these workplaces; and Part 3 explores the practical successfully been there, done that and survived aspects of understanding, achieving, and sustaining to tell the tale. successful workplace change. Each chapter or section can be read independently for specific information and learning points, or in sequence as part of the developing story. About the authors Adryan Bell, DEGW Adryan is director Bridget Hardy, OGC A chartered surveyor of workplace change management at by profession, Bridget leads the Workplace DEGW and was involved in many of the Strategies Team in the Successful Delivery projects featured in this book. A former Directorate of the O≤ce of Government civil servant, Adryan joined DEGW from Commerce. She leads on development of Scottish Enterprise, where as head of OGC’s strategy for improving central civil internal communications and change, government’s e≠ectiveness and e≤ciency he led its award-winning Workplace of in procurement and use of workplace the Future project. Adryan regularly writes resources. She is responsible for and speaks on workplace topics and his identifying and supporting embedding first book Transforming your Workplace of best practice, and through her wide was published in 2000. network of contacts within government is working to create knowledge sharing Tim Allen, DEGW Tim is an associate opportunities. She is also a leading director in workplace change management member of the Worldwide Workplace at DEGW and has been directly involved Web W4, an international knowledge with many of the projects discussed in sharing network for public sector real this book. Tim worked previously for estate professionals. Boots The Chemists as a project manager in their award-winning head o≤ce Richard Graham, OGC Richard manages co-location project. Tim often speaks the development of property and on the issues around organisational construction best practice and guidance communications in times of change. projects – specifically in the area of ‘workspace’ – in the O≤ce of Government Felicity Swa≠er, DEGW Felicity is a Commerce's Successful Delivery workplace consultant and methodologist. Directorate. He joined OGC from its During her time at DEGW she has been predecessor PACE and was previously involved in a number of government a project sponsor responsible for the workplace projects. Felicity carried out e≠ective delivery of major government the post-occupancy evaluation of the construction and refurbishment projects new Treasury building, and is now within the Property Holdings Directorate working with the MoD to collect of the Department of the Environment.