Designing government services that work together: Five lessons from the U.K.

The BC Public Service (BCPS) is committed to improving the experience of people in B.C. when they engage with the provincial government. The Ministry of Citizens’ Services is specifically tasked with strengthening connected digital services for people everywhere in the province. So, how can design – as a practice and profession – support program effectiveness and the delivery of good connected services?

At a cross-ministerial learning event for public service design leaders and executives earlier this year, BCPS employees had the opportunity to learn from Lou Downe and Sarah Drummond of The School of Good Services. Lou is the former Head of Design for the U.K. government, while Sarah is the former CEO of award-winning global design consultancy firm, Snook. Both have invaluable experience supporting the design and delivery of functional services.

The event consisted of stories from the field of design over the past two decades, a global perspective on the evolution of design practice in a public service context and a collaborative dialogue about the future of design in our organization. In this blog we’re sharing the leading insights gathered from the event, as provided by Lou, Sarah, facilitator Gord Ross (OXD) and other participants.

Five things we learned about designing for connected services

People often wish governments could reduce the hard work needed to access and navigate public services and reach a good service outcome (like getting a driver’s licence or accessing benefits). Designing a connected service experience is key to accomplishing this, according to Lou and Sarah. But what can public service organizations do, to make it a reality?

1. Have services shape the organization, not the other way around

Too often, technology and bureaucratic structures dictate how services are delivered. Designing connected services starts with understanding the service as a whole, then re-aligning teams, processes, data and tools around people’s needs—not organizational silos. As Lou Downe said, “What if the shape of the service could shape the organization?”

2. Understand what your services are and who owns them

Knowing which services are offered and how well they are doing and having clear service ownership over those services is a foundational building block for delivering seamless service experiences. “It’s about creating a framework for everyone to collaborate in,” Lou and Sarah noted. Service ownership gives teams the permission—and the responsibility—to improve continuously, together and if possible, in the open.  Public service employees can form “service communities” and “public roadmaps” around learning on how to achieve shared service outcomes in areas like jobs, affordability and access to health care.

3. Make shared and collaborative infrastructure a necessity, not an afterthought

From design systems and shared data to APIs and research repositories supporting a network of professionals, design infrastructure matters and doesn’t come for free. Sarah Drummond reminded us that design systems are “not just about visual styles or common components – they can also be about how we work and set standards.” To enable service collaboration across ministries, we need systems that foster connection: shared language, shared service and design standards, shared platforms and shared data.

4. Design is the strategy

Design often sits at the “object” level: design a nicer website, create a better form, create a common component. But as one speaker noted, “To deliver great design, to make impact, you can’t just be moving boxes or buttons on a form on your screen. You have to link it back to policy making. Design is the strategy.”

However, taking a design approach is still not a legitimized practice. As Lou Downe said, “Service design is 10% about the work, the other 90% is about creating the conditions for it to happen.” Taking a long-term view is key: “Short-term decisions will always be there, but we’ll have to deal with the same problems again in 10 years. For example, introducing a long-term carer’s benefit may be cheaper in the long run than putting a person into long-term care.”

5. Build strong practices with good stories

“Strong stories, which show the value of taking a design approach to make connected services a reality, are like currency. Once you have four to five strong, compelling stories with solid numbers to back them up, you can use them across your organization to inspire others to do similar things in their own context.” In a complex system like government, stories and knowing “what good looks like” help us see the bigger picture and build momentum. We don’t just need new frameworks; we need new narratives that make people care.

Do you have a design or connected services story to share? Contribute to the digital.gov.bc.ca blog.

Building a design practice together

The pandemic has already taught us that being continuous learners, as well as deepening connections across our organization, is required of public service employees to fulfill promises to people in B.C.

This event was more than a learning opportunity—it was a chance to come together in uncertain times for reflection and learning. As one participant shared post-event, “We need these slower moments to pause, reflect and reconnect with a shared vision to eventually move faster.”

Let’s keep learning, imagining and connecting, now more than ever. Together.