Driving DVSA's Success with Over 20% Capacity Unlocked in Less than 6 Months!

Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Transport. The DVSA keep Britain moving, safely and sustainably, employing around 4600 people across Great Britain.

In common with many Public Sector organisations, workloads were increasing in DVSA and productivity became a major barrier to maintaining the delivery of a timely and quality service. They turned to SNH for help to unlock capacity to enable the delivery of key priorities.

The Challenge

The DVSA encountered significant challenges in  several key areas:

  • Escalating workloads and missed deadlines, necessitating the urgent need for effective prioritisation and enhanced teamwork.

  • Mounting stress and pressure on working hours, leading to potential burnout and reduced efficiency.

  • Lack of a unified language and inconsistent work approaches throughout the organisation, hindering collaboration and synergy.

  • Suboptimal utilisation of collaboration technology resulting in untapped productivity potential within hybrid working teams.

The Solution

The DVSA awarded SNH a 3-year contract to deliver through their Employee Productivity Practice a customised programme aimed at cultivating more efficient work for over 500 employees in the Finance and Corporate Services Directorates. The primary objective of the program was to implement smarter ways of working, which would yield the following benefits: 

  • Unlock additional capacity within the workweek for individuals and teams, maximizing productivity.

  • Establish a common language and approach to work across all departments, fostering cohesion and streamlined collaboration.

  • Foster effective teamwork and communication, leveraging the full potential of Microsoft 365 and Outlook tools.

  • Empower line managers to lead by example, coaching their teams and embedding more productive work practices.

  • Mitigate stress levels, enhance overall well-being, and promote a healthier work-life balance for employees.

The Outcome

SNH monitored and evaluated the programme's impact at regular intervals, and the results were outstanding. All objectives were exceeded, and the measured productivity improvements ranged from an impressive 20% to 23%, translating to an astounding 4 to 5 additional working days of capacity per person per month!

“SNH’s programme was a revelation – practical, insightful and immediately applicable. It cut through years of accumulated practice time management habits, and encouraged our staff to rethink the best way to structure their work hours. Personally, it has helped me work less reactively, carving out more time for deep focus and making my work both more intrinsically satisfying and valuable to the organisation. I’d highly recommend it to any knowledge worker”

— Tom Carlisle, Organisational Design & Improvement, Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency

“I personally engaged in the work with SNH and found the whole process transformational for my team and me. The programme helped to deliver significant changes to the day-to-day practices of our leaders, managers and their teams, resulting in new and more productive ways of working across the organisation's culture. The SmartWorking ROI reports from both programmes illustrated 20% and 23% productivity improvements and excellent feedback received from the teams.”

— Helen Milne, Chief Financial Officer, Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency

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