Case Study - The implementation of a Strategic Program Office and Innovation Portal in the Department of Fire & Emergency Services Western Australia.

This case study refers to two key initiatives that have been implemented in the Western Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) as part of a major reform program.
Successfully executing strategy to deliver reform is fundamental to achieving positive and sustainable change in any large organisation or business and this is no different for the emergency services industry.
Like other organisations entrusted with leadership roles in the Australasian emergency management sphere, the DFES leadership team recognised that if it was to be successful in meeting future challenges that there was a need to change. In planning to meet this challenge it was recognised that aligning people, systems, structures and capabilities to strategy would exponentially increase the potential for success.
The establishment of a Strategic Program Office and the development and implementation of an Innovation Portal, establishing a direct line of communication between our 30,000 plus staff and volunteers with the Corporate Leadership Team, were not without significant challenges and risk.
Integrating ideas management with project management is a revolutionary shift in the way we do business that will only be successful if it delivers tangible benefits to the frontline, the executive and ultimately the community.
The case study closely examines the pathway of these initiatives from idea to execution; operation and evaluation highlighting the key challenges and outcomes on this journey towards better coordinated and effective delivery of emergency services.
As these initiatives are uncommon to the emergency services industry, their impact on existing practice, long standing values and culture have been significant and in some cases surprising. The pros and cons of embarking down this pathway are clearly laid out for all industry participants to consider.