The Challenge
A Jersey public sector organization was running multiple transformation programmes simultaneously, each with different consultancies providing change management support. There was:
- No consistent change methodology across programmes
- No shared language or frameworks
- Lost knowledge when consultants left
- Repeated learning curves for each new initiative
- Growing change consulting costs (£400K annually)
- Internal frustration at consultant dependency
Leadership recognized the pattern: "We're spending £400K a year on change consultants and learning nothing."
Our Approach
We proposed a different model: invest in building internal capability rather than buying external capacity.
Phase 1: Capability Assessment (Months 1-2)
Activities:
- Interviewed 18 programme leads, change practitioners, and leadership
- Reviewed existing change frameworks and documentation
- Assessed change maturity across 6 dimensions
- Benchmarked against comparable public sector organizations
- Identified capability gaps and strengths
Honest findings:
- Current maturity: 1.8 out of 5
- Strengths: Stakeholder relationships, communication culture
- Gaps: Methodology, tools, governance, capability development
- Root cause: Over-reliance on external consultants who didn't transfer knowledge
Recommendation: Build internal capability through co-designed operating model, not more consultancy.
Phase 2: Operating Model Design (Months 3-5)
We worked with internal teams to design the operating model, not for them:
Co-design workshops:
- Roles and accountabilities definition
- Change methodology development
- Governance framework design
- Toolkit and template creation
- Training curriculum design
Key principle: If they didn't design it, they won't own it.
Outputs:
- Change Operating Model document (40 pages, plain language)
- Change Methodology (5-stage approach aligned to organization culture)
- Change Toolkit (30+ templates and tools)
- Governance Framework (integrated with existing PMO)
- Capability Development Plan (18-month roadmap)
Phase 3: Implementation & Training (Months 6-12)
Pilot programme:
- Tested operating model on live digital transformation programme
- Paired Lumina consultant with 3 internal staff
- Refined based on real-world feedback
- Documented lessons learned
Training delivery:
- Trained 22 staff as change practitioners (3-day foundation + 2-day advanced)
- Mentored 6 staff through first independent change delivery
- Ran monthly community of practice sessions
- Built internal training capability (train-the-trainer)
Gradual exit:
- Months 6-8: Daily involvement
- Months 9-10: Weekly coaching
- Months 11-12: Monthly check-ins
- Month 13+: Ad-hoc support only
The Outcomes
Capability Built
- ✅ 22 staff trained and practicing as change practitioners
- ✅ 6 staff capable of leading major change workstreams independently
- ✅ 2 staff certified to deliver training internally
- ✅ Active community of practice (30+ members)
- ✅ Documented operating model in use across organization
Financial Impact
- ✅ External change consulting spend: £400K → £120K (70% reduction)
- ✅ ROI: 3.2x within 18 months
- ✅ Investment in Lumina: £180K
- ✅ Savings year 1: £280K
- ✅ Savings year 2: £350K (as capability matured)
Programme Performance
- ✅ Change toolkit used on 5 active programmes
- ✅ Consistent change approach across organization
- ✅ Improved stakeholder satisfaction scores (62% → 84%)
- ✅ Faster change delivery (30% reduction in change cycle time)
- ✅ Better knowledge retention between programmes
Maturity Improvement
- ✅ Capability maturity: 1.8 → 3.6 (out of 5)
- ✅ Benchmark: Now above public sector peer average
- ✅ Improvement trajectory: Continuing upward
Client Perspective
"This wasn't a consulting engagement. It was an investment in our people. Lumina taught us how to be brilliant at change, rather than doing change for us."
— Director of Transformation
"The difference is we now have reusable assets and internal expertise. When the next transformation comes, we don't start from scratch."
— Change Practitioner (trained by Lumina)
What Made It Work
- Assessment first - Understood the problem before proposing solutions
- Co-design, not delivery - They designed their operating model with our facilitation
- Pilot before rollout - Tested on real programme before full implementation
- Train-the-trainer - Built capability to sustain training internally
- Measured capability, not activity - Success = their independence, not our deliverables
Services Delivered
Long-Term Impact
18 months post-exit:
- Organization running 4 major programmes with internal change capability
- Community of practice grown to 40+ members
- Operating model evolved based on internal learning
- Lumina involvement: Zero (as intended)
- Client satisfaction: "We genuinely don't need you anymore, which was the goal"
That last quote is our favorite testimonial.
Lessons Learned
What we'd do again:
- Co-design approach created ownership
- Pilot programme de-risked the rollout
- Monthly community of practice sustained momentum
- Explicit exit criteria prevented dependency
What we'd do differently:
- Start community of practice even earlier
- More emphasis on benefits measurement from day one
- Involve senior leadership more visibly throughout
