Six steps to successful change communication at the DLO

Implementing new and innovative techniques is just one of the ways the Defence Logistics Organisation facilitated effective and lasting change.

by Maria Koromila, associate partner and Emma Gage, consultant, People and Change, Atos Consulting

Imagine this: 28,000 staff, 93 locations, a major transformation, strong, distinctive cultures and an organization already suffering from “change fatigue.” Against this backdrop the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) has successfully achieved a step change in its procurement operations. Change program communications lay at the heart of delivering new ways of working. What were the key approaches and tools that really made the difference?

The DLO is the primary logistics provider for the UK Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. Procurement Reform in the DLO is an ambitious transformation program (see Figure 1, below) directly affecting 5,500 people across multiple locations. Since 2002, the DLO and Atos Consulting have worked closely together to design and implement a communications program to support the transformation, which achieved excellent results.

Our challenge was not only to increase awareness and understanding, but also build commitment and engagement in new ways of working. Whether you need to communicate on this scale or not, we believe that our experience may help you – so here’s what worked.

Figure 1. Procurement Reform in the DLO


1. Get connected with the context

Develop deep understanding of the context for your program within the organization. Be brave and set out to understand what channels work best, together with media and audience preferences. Be honest about past successes and failures.

We conducted a high-level communications audit early in the program, supplemented with data from informal interviews and past surveys. Problems such as communications overload and lack of big picture understanding quickly surfaced. Combined with feedback from a Denison culture survey, we quickly built a complete picture of information needs for the program.

2. Use the best of what’s already there and get the basics right

Once you know what’s needed and what works then plug any basic gaps immediately. Are there existing channels that need tweaking, or things that almost work but just need refreshing? Information about your program may be available, but is it in one place and coherent? Do people know where to find it and who to contact?

People liked physical copies of information, so we overhauled the existing newsletter, increasing its impact by changing structure and content. The Program Intranet Site was launched with a new and appealing structure, and with regular updates on success stories. Discovering big gaps in basic areas of understanding, we developed a “core information pack” for the program, working closely with key stakeholders. Adopting a “pick and mix” approach ensured it could be easily found and used by everyone.

3. Share communications responsibility

You’re not the content and subject matter expert, and can’t do everything. Develop the communications strategy and plan, core materials and capabilities and work alongside key program members to agree and communicate key messages. Avoid falling into the trap of becoming a content generator for anyone needing a PowerPoint presentation by yesterday.

You’re not the content and subject matter expert, and can’t do everything

We put in place a clear editorial process to work proactively with the program to manage and communicate messages, agreeing subject matter experts to deliver specific content. A concise quarterly overview of the communications plan told everyone what to expect in terms of communication, from seminars, articles and intranet updates to workshops and team updates. This clear framework engaged sponsors, while line managers and teams shared the communications responsibility and generated regular and meaningful dialogue.

4. Be innovative: try different approaches

Experiment with new and innovative techniques where you’re confident they’ll work. Your audit results will tell you what channels and media deliver results, so try something new.

People were finding it hard to understand the program among other change initiatives and we knew that face-to-face communications were preferred. We used a “Rich Picture” (see Figure 2, below) to generate dialogue at all levels and help align the workforce behind the program. Like all Rich Media, these pictures proved an easy and compelling way to communicate the rationale of the program and the change journey ahead.

Figure 2. The DLO's "rich picture"



5. Stay connected with what’s going on

Plans, perceptions and people change. Be aware how things are progressing by conducting regular audits, maybe with each program phase. Take advantage of technology infrastructure and make it easy for people to respond. High response rates will give you confidence in your approach and provide an excellent measure of how you’re doing.

We used a detailed communications audit at the start and again after the first year to understand changing perceptions. This evidence gave us the confidence to flex our communications plan and re-plan where needed. We knew attached documents reduced the response rate. By embedding questions within an email (using HTML) we achieved the highest return rate ever within this organization for our year one audit.

6. Connect everybody with the content

Use communications as a vehicle to get people talking and sharing information, experience and knowledge.

Teams were given accountability for updating their own sections on the website and the communications team supported them with articles in key internal and external publications. An identified communications contact point in each team kept us up-to-date with experiences and lessons learnt and we provided training and workshops for teams so they could understand and adapt the communications tools and approaches for their own audiences and stakeholders.

Combining these six steps increased awareness levels of the program across the organization from 33 percent to 66 percent within one year. Early quick win projects have identified UK£64m savings against a target of UK£57m, for the four years to March 2007. The early teams have identified UK£150m savings against a target of UK£89m for the same period. The communications approach was identified as best practice by external auditors and the change and communications team has become a highly valued function of the program.