POLICY AND STRATEGY, PLANS AND PROJECTS

I am doing some work with government and have been thinking about the boundaries between Policy and Strategy, Strategy and Delivery. The notes below are a generalised rather than specific observations, but nonetheless interesting because I am also a participant in the Jersey Policy Forum and the Jersey Policy Centre, and with that context is it interesting to think about what we expect from Policy and Strategy, Plans and Projects – the advice versus action, the discussion versus the doing.

AMBITIONS AND ACTIONS, DECISIONS AND DELIVERY

Nobody likes a strategy that is simply a list of ambitions with no actions, bold promises never turned into plans, let alone delivered. Yet we do expect to separate strategy from implementation and see a policy document and a change programme as two distinct things, all too often disjointed.

DO THE RIGHT THINGS, RIGHT

People also instinctively are ready to offer advice and make to-do lists without really being clear on measures, output and outcomes. Sometimes there is a lot of action without clarity of purpose or mechanism to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the action in pursuit of an agreed objective. Doing “good stuff” is not strategic so I recall we must do the right things (strategy) and we must do those things right (implementation)

STEP 1 POLICY POSITION

Policy – What's our position on these strategic / industry issues?

A policy position paper is a document that presents an issue, articulates a stance or position, and proposes actions or solutions with respect to that issue. The policy position paper you described would typically be organized as follows:

1. Introduction: This would include a brief overview of the topic, why it's important, and an introduction to the primary challenges it presents.

2. Main Challenges: This section would detail the key challenges or problems associated with the issue. It would discuss who or what is affected by these challenges, how they are affected, and why these challenges exist.

3. Government's View and Priority: Here, the paper would present the government's perspective on the issue, including how it perceives the challenges and why it considers them important. This section would also articulate the government's priorities in addressing the issue, including which aspects it considers most critical to address first or most strongly.

4. Government's Intended Actions: This section would outline the specific actions the government intends to take to address the challenges. This could include proposed legislation, regulatory changes, funding programs, or other actions. Each proposed action would be discussed in terms of how it would address the challenges and achieve the government's priorities.

5. How the Government Will Implement its Actions: This section would discuss the specifics of how the government plans to implement its proposed actions. This could include timelines, responsible agencies or departments, necessary collaborations or partnerships, and resources required.

6. Conclusion: The paper would wrap up with a summary of the main points and a reaffirmation of the government's commitment to addressing the challenges.

A policy position paper of this type serves to inform the public, other branches of government, and stakeholders about the government's views, priorities, and plans regarding a particular issue. It also provides a platform for discussion and feedback, helps to coordinate actions across different parts of the government, and serves as a record of the government's commitments. 

I think one of the challenges for government is coherent policy rather than ministerial silos. In complex adaptive systems where policy, strategy, and implementation (sometimes legislation) have often unintended consequences it can be very difficult to have coherent policy.

STEP 2 STRATEGY

Strategy – What needs doing, measuring & managing?

A strategy is a high-level plan designed to achieve one or more goals under conditions of uncertainty. It serves as a roadmap for an organization, outlining how it will achieve its objectives.

1. Executive Summary: A concise overview of the strategy, providing a snapshot of the main objectives, methods, and expected outcomes in addressing bed-nights.

2. Introduction:: This section provides background on the topic area and its importance to the economy.

3. Current Situation Analysis: A comprehensive review of the current state of the bed-nights industry, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) as they relate to government objectives.

4. Vision and Strategic Objectives: This portion outlines the government's vision for [add text] and the key objectives to be achieved, such as improving quality standards, increasing industry income, or promoting sustainable practices.

5. Strategic Initiatives: A detailed description of the initiatives that will be undertaken to achieve the strategic objectives, such as regulatory changes, funding programs, or promotional campaigns.

6. Implementation Plan: This section presents a roadmap for implementing the strategy, including timelines, responsibilities, required resources, and key performance indicators.

7. Monitoring and Evaluation: A discussion of how the strategy's effectiveness will be monitored and evaluated, including the metrics to be used and the schedule for regular reviews and adjustments.

8. Stakeholder Engagement: An outline of how the government plans to engage with stakeholders, including industry players, local communities, and other relevant parties, to successfully implement the strategy.

9. Risk Management: An analysis of potential risks or challenges to the strategy and how they will be managed or mitigated.

10. Conclusion and Next Steps: A final summary of the strategy, reiterating its importance to the bed-nights industry, and outlining the immediate next steps for its implementation. 

I think one of the challenges for government is strategy tends to be a list of noble aims or possibly targets without clarity on how they might be delivered.  It is not always obvious how all these elements work together, and indeed if they work at all. Some of the Scorecards have not been updated since 2019 - what does that tell us about delivery?

Jersey Performance Framework
https://www.gov.je/government/planningperformance/governmentperformance/pages/governmentperformancemeasures.aspx

Jersey's natural resources are managed and used responsibly (Scorecard)
https://embed.clearimpact.com/Scorecard/Embed/64777

Departmental Operational Business Plans 2020
https://www.gov.je/Government/PlanningPerformance/DepartmentalOperationalBusinessPlans/Pages/DepartmentalOperationalBusinessPlans.aspx

Government departments' Performance Measures 2022
https://www.gov.je/government/planningperformance/governmentperformance/performancemeasures2022/pages/index.aspx

Delivery Plans 2023
https://www.gov.je/Government/Pages/StatesReports.aspx?ReportID=5653


STEP 3 IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING

How will we deliver the strategy (objectives into tasks for delivery)

Before we can move into implementation we may need some form of feasibility or project initiation, perhaps an Expert Task Force with a Terms of Reference to review, report and make recommendations for implementation. 

1. Background and Purpose: The Task Force is established to review the current state of [add text here] The Task Force will focus on aspects such as [add text here].

2. Scope of Work: The Task Force will conduct a comprehensive review of [add text here]. The Task Force will assess the current state, identify challenges, opportunities and make recommendations for enhancements.

3. Membership: The Task Force will be composed of representatives from industry, subject matter experts, representatives from related sectors such as [add text here] and relevant government officials.

4. Roles and Responsibilities: Members will contribute their expertise to review the industry, provide insights, and develop practical and actionable recommendations. The Task Force will elect a Chair to oversee meetings and a Secretary to manage documentation and communication.

5. Methodology: The Task Force will conduct its review through a combination of data analysis, consultations with stakeholders, review of relevant literature and case studies, and benchmarking with best practices globally.

6. Reporting: The Task Force will prepare a comprehensive report presenting its findings and recommendations. The report will include an executive summary, detailed findings, and specific, actionable recommendations, along with a proposed implementation plan.

7. Timeline: The Task Force will commence its review on [Start Date] and submit its final report by [End Date].

8. Meetings: The Task Force will meet bi-weekly (or as decided) to review progress, discuss findings, and formulate recommendations.

9. Resources: The Task Force will have access to necessary resources including data, industry reports, administrative support, and funding for research activities.

10. Evaluation: The effectiveness and impact of the Task Force’s recommendations will be evaluated one year after the implementation of the recommendations.

11. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest: Members of the Task Force must maintain confidentiality of the discussions and findings until the report is officially published. Any potential conflicts of interest must be declared and managed appropriately.

At this stage I am becoming wary that there is lots of debate and a number of documents but not yet any delivery. I console myself that great buildings need architectural drawings, mechanical and engineering plans and similar to be able to ensure delivery to specification, on-time, on-budget with low-risk and clear communication and consensus. But still I am wary. 

The volume and nature of government advisors can be informative, and who they pick and what they do can be telling as regards policy, strategy, implementation. Their expertise and whether they are used to set course, defend position or evaluate and validate would inform my answer.
 
We may see soon, hopefully aided by objective goals, targets, measures, and updates.

STEP 4 IMPLEMENTATION EXECUTION

Only now do we get to the familiar SMART Goals or Project Delivery to be allocated to individuals or organisations as part of the role, contract or service agreement. Only now do we see actions with outcomes that have an impact on the delivery dashboard of agreed measures and accountability.

It is what project managers would call a waterfall (sequential) rather than agile approach, and I am really thinking hard about how we can make the Policy and Strategy, Plans and Projects much faster, iterative and agile. The problem is strategy without action is pointless, action without strategy is ineffective and inefficient (and potentially counterproductive)

Targets and data help focus people, process, budgets, and partnerships are needed so that goals are collaborative rather than competing

So whilst there is a need for short-term "put the fire out" actions and bottom-up feedback for immediate action it is nonetheless necessary to be clear on strategy and orchestrate resources when it comes to long-term strategy and change, and this takes time and consideration.