Briar Harte

Reflections on Building a Strategic Design Culture #2 Having identified a powerful link between a strategic Design Culture and organisational resilience – how do you actually create such a culture?  Doesn't having a team of designers do this automatically? The answer lies in how you leverage your Design capability. There’s a real cost to the business when Design teams are used as executors of unproven ideas about what customers will buy or adopt. Because while they may want to interrogate assumptions, they're not given time - being pushed instead to just deliver. So on the surface it looks like things are working, the true cost is initially hidden, because scale it over time or across multiple squads and as adoption falters, growth is harder to achieve. The classic mistake is to add more people …yet that causes progress to slow more - due to Brooks’ law, quoted in the book ‘The Myth of Man Hours’… which states that "Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later…” Leaders know the opportunity cost of Design teams working this way is that they’ll almost never be able to integrate a series of value propositions into a coherent ecosystem (such as Amazon's exponential 'flywheel', where each proposition accelerates the other) so that despite costs climbing, growth is elusive and competitors seem to move faster. Leaders who value a strategic Design Culture understand this. It’s why they act to do the opposite. They constantly work to make the design of the whole greater than the sum of its parts. They apply Human-Centred Design to critically assess and ensure services they create are truly valuable before executing them, rather than taking a tech-first (or Hippo-first) approach. Because every minute spent ensuring it's going to be adopted saves days, weeks, or months, fixing it. It's how you avoid things like this: https://lnkd.in/gzd62ase Strategic leaders seek to create an environment that integrates design into every aspect of the business - not because they love 'design' but because clarity and customer-centricity comes from data and real world evidence to create true agility. And as the accuracy and velocity of their decision-making increases, the enterprise can confidently and quickly invest in developing services it knows will be adopted and paid for, before they even launch – and that every value proposition is clear and interlinked in the minds of customers. So outcomes change. Waste and duplication cut, tech is integrated and risk reduced. Savings are made. Value exponential. Yet if this is all so clear, why do so few enterprises actively embrace this approach? Why are they missing an opportunity to apply Design to reimagine ‘how it works’ as Steve Jobs put it? Let me know your thoughts in the comments - and feel free to tag a colleague who might enjoy this discussion! #StrategicDesign #Leadership #Innovation #BusinessGrowth #Enterprise #Resilience #innovation #cx #ux #designleadership #digitaltransformation

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“People with disability are too often seen as problems to be solved, rather than the problem-solvers with agency to act.” What a powerful statement — and all the more reason why everyone should give this piece a read. The Priorities Project is an initiative by — and for — people with disabilities. The Project highlights six priority areas the Federal government needs to focus on to build a truly inclusive community. For instance, affordable and accessible housing is still a significant challenge for people with disabilities. Currently, it is nearly impossible to get home modifications outside the NDIS — but 88% of Australians with disability are not on the scheme. It’s clear that moving forward, we need to hear from the people who need these changes most. Advocating for people with disabilities is only possible when we are listened to wholeheartedly. #2024DisabilityEmpowerment #Disability #Accessibility #Housing

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Exciting News: Big Changes Ahead for NDIS and Disability Support! I'm delighted to share the impactful updates from the latest budget that promise a brighter future for the disability sector: Controlling NDIS Growth: Get ready for a significant shift with a projected $14.4bn reduction over the next 4 years! Growth is now managed at 8% annually, reshaping the landscape pending the Getting NDIS Back on Track Bill. New Initiatives Post NDIS Review: $129.8m earmarked for innovative designs and extensive consultations. With two new oversight committees stepping in, anticipate transformative actions ahead. Revamping Navigation Services: A $20m overhaul aims to streamline navigation. Brace for potential changes like the phasing out of roles such as Support Coordinators. Evolution is on the horizon! NDIS Pricing Reform: Unlocking $5.3m to revolutionise price cap mechanisms signals a dawn of transparency and predictability. Providers and participants, rejoice! A fairer system beckons. NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee: Investing $45.5m to establish a committee advocating for beneficial, secure, and cost-effective therapeutic supports. A testament to our commitment to evidence-based care. Foundational Supports: While details are still emerging, the $11.6m committed earlier hints at substantial future investments. Expect impactful initiatives gaining momentum next year!   Boosts for Jobseekers and Carers: Witness a $54.90/fortnight surge in Jobseeker payments for those with limited working capacity. Carers, seize the opportunity to work up to 100 hours over 4 weeks without affecting your payments! Disability Employment Revolution: Embarking on a $227.6m journey towards a revamped Specialist Disability Employment Program by 2025. Plus, a $23.3m investment sets the stage for a pioneering Disability Employment Centre of Excellence. Enhanced Support Services: $2.6m designated for bolstering the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline, reinforcing our commitment to safeguarding every individual. NDIS Commission Upgrades: With $160.7m dedicated to IT enhancements and $83.9m boosting fraud detection capabilities, we're fortifying the NDIS Commission for a resilient future. Mental Health Revolution: Prepare for a transformative $558m infusion over 8 years, revolutionising digital services and heralding the dawn of 61 new mental health centres. Additionally, $71.7m is allocated to strengthen primary health networks. This budget propels us towards a sustainable and supportive future for the disability community. Exciting times ahead! For more details, visit budget.gov.au. #NDIS #DisabilitySupport #Budget2024 #DisabilityReform #MentalHealth #CarerSupport #Jobseeker #DisabilityEmployment

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National Disability Services' recent survey of over 1200 disability service providers found that 84% were reconsidering their future in the disability sector as a result of the recent inadequate NDIA price increase. Three quarters aimed to cut services to stay afloat. With demand increasing, but quality registered providers exiting the disability sector, catastrophic market failure is occurring right now. The survey found that the impact will be felt disproportionately by people with disabilities in rural and remote areas, and people looking for complex behaviour support. Providers said: “Given the inability to claim high-intensity support for participants with complex behaviours, we will be looking to cease servicing these existing participants and refusing to accept new participants with complex behaviours” [Tas. provider] “I am being forced to de-register my business as I can no longer afford the costs associated with this expense.” [Vic. provider] “Will no longer travel further than what is billable. Used to absorb this expense” [SA provider] The NDIA must reconsider its pricing guide if it is to meet its market stewardship remit and ensure people with disabilities have access to quality services. Join NDS in asking government to act now: https://lnkd.in/g-WDQjqV

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The Imperative of Human-Centred Design in Public Services Human-Centred Design (HCD) is an approach that prioritizes the needs, experiences, and well-being of people in the creation and delivery of services. The Australian Government's own Digital Profession's guide on HCD highlights its significance in modern ways of working, emphasizing empathy, inclusivity, and co-design with users to create solutions that truly meet their needs​​. "Not meeting user needs in government forces people to more expensive channels such as phone and service centres, and can damage public trust." "The aim is to make government interactions as simple, easy and fast as possible." Unfortunately, the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) serves as a poignant example of the consequences when human-centred principles are neglected. The NDIS was designed to support Australians with disabilities by providing individualized funding and services. However, the reality has been marred by systemic failures, as highlighted in recent research by David et al. (2023)​​. Key findings from the study include: Lack of Trust: Trust, a cornerstone of effective partnerships, is severely compromised within the NDIS framework. Participants report inconsistent and often adversarial interactions with planners, who are tasked with managing both support and cost containment, creating a conflict of interest. Inadequate Inclusion: Genuine co-design and partnership principles are frequently undermined by systemic barriers. For instance, the voices of people with disabilities and their families are often marginalized, leading to decisions that do not fully reflect their needs and aspirations. Administrative Burdens: The complexity and administrative load of navigating the NDIS have led to significant stress and dissatisfaction among participants and their families, further eroding trust and engagement. These issues underscore the critical need for a human-centred approach in the design and delivery of public services. By genuinely involving users in the design process, respecting their lived experiences, and ensuring that systems are transparent and supportive, we can create services that truly enhance lives. It’s time to reaffirm our commitment to human-centred design, especially in systems as vital as the NDIS. Let’s strive for a future where public services are not just functional, but empathetic, inclusive, and genuinely user-focused. NDIS partnership working? Paradoxes, contested spaces and aspirations of disability leaders, family carers and disability services https://lnkd.in/gkim_Sm5 #HumanCentredDesign #NDIS #InclusiveDesign #PublicServices #EmpathyInAction https://lnkd.in/g_F-T2u8

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The recommended system  Tier 0 – Purchase visibility: No registration requirements are needed and applies only to goods purchased from retailers, such as ramps from hardware stores, where no support is provided to the participant. Authorities would have visibility over this via real-time purchasing arrangements.  Tier 1 – Basic registration: Worker screening not needed. Subject to complaints process and must report incidents. This tier is for those providing lower-risk supports, such as sole traders and those with limited one-on-one contact with people with disability.  Tier 2 – Self-directed registration: This would apply to participants or their guardians who directly contract all their supports, such as service for one arrangements. Workers don’t have to register, but the participant or self-director will.  Tier 3 – General registration: Worker screening needed. This tier is subject to the complaints process and must report incidents. It could apply to providers offering supports that require skill and training, such as complex bowel care or injections, and those involving significant one-on-one contact with people with disability.  Tier 4 – Advanced registration: Worker screening needed. This tier is also subject to the complaints process and must report incidents. It could include those offering supports and services in high-risk settings or in closed settings like group homes.  Source: NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce Report 

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Hey AI ethics enthusiasts! Consider this example of how large language models (LLM) ifluence caregiving and #disability #rights. I have long been interested in the potential of real-time data modeling to dramatically improve the feedback between a complex social system -- for example, disability income support -- and participatory decision-making with those who are most affected. #AI gives us this potential, as shown in the Australian research profiled in this Guardian article. So, question: is the use of #AI to develop support plans for people with disabilities likely to INCREASE or DECREASE the impacted individual's participation and agency in meaningful ways? Who is empowered with this approach? If we implement this type type of AI-guided social care, could our trust in artificial intelligence alter our expectations about the role of people in making decisions?

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Getting there ... #digitalID legislation is good ✅ and now terrific to see some funding for trials of #digitalwallets and #verifiablecredentials as part of the Australian Government Digital Identity System (AGDIS). Identity is great but only half the story. We need an end-to-end and secure system. It is pointless to be able to prove who you are digitally if you still have to produce/copy/send paper documents and certificates.

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