Applying human-centred methods to capability uplift

Public sector organisations, like their private counterparts, are increasingly focused on capability uplift as a top priority. More than improving skills or updating technology, it's about transforming how organisations operate and deliver value to their communities. At Arteri, we've seen firsthand how applying human-centred methods to capability development can revolutionise this process. 

At their core, "human-centred methods" put people – both staff and community members – at the heart of the capability uplift process. They involve understanding the needs, motivations, and challenges of those who will use or be affected by new capabilities, and designing solutions that truly meet those needs. 

The benefits of this approach are significant. By applying human-centred methods to capability development, organisations can: 

1. Enable staff to visualise how new capabilities support the organisation's offerings to its audience. This clarity helps drive engagement and adoption. 

2. Better manage the complex interactions between capabilities. Human-centred methods excel at mapping and understanding these intricate relationships, which often combine to create the services and solutions an organisation provides. 

3. Create more effective and user-friendly offerings, whether they're digital solutions, policies, or store-front services. 

4. Reduce wasted effort and resources by ensuring capabilities are developed in line with actual needs and use cases. 

This stands in stark contrast to traditional approaches, which often focus on technical specifications or predefined processes without fully considering the human element. 

Human-centred methods integrate with existing capability development processes across all facets – people, assets, tools, frameworks, and other fundamental inputs. In the early stages, these methods help in gathering rich, qualitative insights about needs and pain points. During design and development, they facilitate co-creation and iterative testing. In implementation, they support change management and adoption. And in ongoing evaluation and refinement, they provide valuable feedback loops. 

To effectively apply human-centred methods to capability development, organisations need a mix of skills and expertise on their team. This includes: 

1. Qualitative researchers skilled in interviewing and observing users 

2. Systems thinkers who can map complex capability interactions 

3. Service designers who understand how capabilities translate into offerings 

4. Change management experts who can support the human side of capability uplift 

5. Data analysts who can blend qualitative insights with quantitative metrics 

Leaders should ensure their teams have access to this expertise, either through hiring, training, or partnering with specialists. 

Arteri's experience has shown that this approach is particularly valuable in the public sector, where capability uplift is often a top concern. Public sector organisations face unique challenges in delivering complex services to diverse communities, often with constrained resources. Human-centred methods help navigate these challenges by ensuring capability development is always grounded in the needs of both staff and the community. 

By embracing human-centred methods in capability uplift, organisations can create more effective, efficient, and responsive capabilities. This, in turn, leads to better services, more engaged staff, and ultimately, a more satisfied community. It's an approach that recognises that at the heart of every capability are people – and by putting those people first, we can achieve truly transformative results.