From structure on paper to a way of working carried in practice
Client
A Flemish public service provider for work and training
Role
Project Manager
The Development of Service Delivery department sits between strategy and operations. Here, policy is translated into concrete processes, products and services. A new organisational structure had been designed, but the real challenge sat in bringing it to life: aligning around 150 employees and 50 consultants across more than fifteen teams, without putting daily operations at risk.
The new structure existed but had to become operational. That required sharper roles and responsibilities, better-aligned processes, stronger collaboration within and between teams, and alignment of leadership across the different levels. At the same time, the department had to be prepared for further consolidation.
The stake was therefore not only a redesign, but anchoring a workable way of working for a large, distributed group of employees. Continuity of service delivery had to be safeguarded, while behaviour and structure shifted at the same time.
As project manager we designed a transformation roadmap that divided the work into coherent workstreams: vision and guiding principles, structural and process optimisation, leadership development, team development and continuity management. We aligned the leadership layers and made sure decision-making and execution kept talking to each other.
We worked in a co-creative model with a steering committee, a design team, theme-focused working groups and an ambassador sounding board. Agile principles helped let quick wins and long-term choices live side by side. In addition, we coached leaders and teams during implementation, so the change also landed in behaviour.
The difference became tangible when teams could formulate their mission and task division in their own words, and linked concrete action plans to the following year's objectives. Decisions became clearer, meeting structures calmer, and governance became recognisable instead of abstract.
At the same time, the management team grew towards a more value-driven and change-oriented style of leadership. The reorganisation was no longer something the department underwent, but something employees and leaders shaped together.
Drawing a new structure is one thing, making it work is another. When leadership, processes and team development are guided as one coherent trajectory, a redesign truly gets ground under its feet.
For this department it meant more ownership at every level, clearer governance, stronger collaboration and an operation prepared for further consolidation. The reorganisation evolved from structural rearrangement to a way of working carried in practice, day by day.
