The Challenge
Health Canada's Information Management Services Directorate (IMSD) was embarking on a major change management initiative related to the implementation of The Way Forward - a pan-Departmental initiative designed to maximize efficiency and reduce cost by centralizing information technology and information management systems and teams. The initiative triggered massive implications on every facet of the Directorate - its business processes, its budgets and its human resource complement. Ingenium Communications was engaged to develop a Communications and Engagement Action Plan to help direct the change management aspects of The Way Forward initiative. The Plan needed to communicate the change and its impacts efficiently, in order to ensure continued high levels of service during the transition period. Identifying approaches and messages to be communicated to various audiences was highly complex, because the content was being developed in real time.

The Solution
Ingenium developed an action plan that provided clear, consistent messages to the IMSD employees in support of an effective and efficient transition to the new The Way Forward (TWF) business model using the following approach:

• A highly consultative process including key informant interviews and a full Discovery Phase Workshop to seek out perspectives and insights from stakeholders within Health Canada. The focus was to establish a long-term approach to proactive, sustained communication over the course of the project in order to effect change management and build internal communications capacity.
• Extensive research and analysis including review and assessment of current best practices, with a focus on successful change management methodologies applied in a public sector context and a thorough review of internal documentation relating to The Way Forward - HR Strategy.
• Working closely with the client to forge practical solutions for bridging the gap between the plan development and implementation phases. One of Ingenium's proven techniques for facilitating the implementation of its strategies by clients is the development of a simple, practical Blueprint for Action detailing recommended next steps to achieving maximum impact.
• Validation against the Government of Canada Communications Policy to ensure full compliance including, but not limited to the Policy's specific provisions with respect to roles and responsibilities, official languages, public opinion research and accessibility.