From silos to service in public sector software procurement
Procuring software in the public sector is notoriously difficult, sitting at the intersection of security, commercial law, and complex governance. Historically, our customers (fellow civil servants) had to navigate several siloed teams to achieve their goal, often providing the same information repeatedly with little to no visibility of their progress.
My role
As the Service Design lead, my goal was to move us from a collection of independent functions to a single, coherent service. I was responsible for setting the strategic direction, defining our methodology, and ensuring our prototypes balanced user needs with rigorous regulatory requirements.
My role involved:
- Designing and facilitating discovery workshops
- Creating a service blueprint and defining service outcomes
- Establishing a baseline for customer satisfaction
We formed a cross-functional working group from the internal teams who worked on procurement requests. We hosted weekly show-and-tells to radiate our intent and get immediate feedback on our progress.
I focused on three specific things:
- Centering the customer
- Making prototypes and testing ideas quickly to move them forward
- Developing a data strategy
By centering the customer and addressing the challenges of the provisioning teams, the project was able to reframe how we think about and deliver services as an organisation. This give the PMO the insights they needed to monitor performance and prioritise specific improvements in the future.
"Phil has been a driving force behind our Customer Experience Improvements project - combining big‑picture thinking with the ability to define and communicate a clear, data‑driven vision. One of the things I value most about working with Phil is how he builds strong relationships. He listens carefully to stakeholders and works with them in a genuinely collaborative way. His natural ability to teach and coach makes him an exceptional design leader, elevating the confidence and capability of those around him. I will genuinely miss his enthusiasm, creativity, and the ideas he brings that lift the whole team."