Services

People who are serious about tackling society’s most difficult problems have no use for strategies that are simply “good enough”, they need great strategies.

A great strategy illuminates and inspires, pinpoints the real issues and reveals the best way forward. Made of beautifully presented data, incisive analysis, punchy conclusions which lead logically to precise objectives, a great strategy is short, smart, and written the way that human beings speak.

Populate has the vast and varied range of skills needed to help build great strategies. We also have over twenty years of experience developing strategies that have proven successful in addressing some of the most complex problems in the public sector.

Although our clients often face similar challenges, the circumstances in which they are trying to address them are uniquely theirs. We make sure that every strategy is tailor-made, built and shaped by the people who will deliver it, so by the time it’s complete everybody knows what they have to do to make the vision a reality.

Some examples of problems we have helped our clients to solve through strategy:

• How do you reduce costs by £40m in one year and improve public services at the same time?
• What is the best way to improve outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) when there is not enough local provision to meet their needs?
• What are the best ways to keep 350,000 residents feeling safe?
• How do you create a vibrant and dynamic Night-Time Economy that caters for residents of all ages and interests?
• What are the best ways to tackle Serious Youth Violence in a city like London?

If you would like to know more about how we have helped our clients build and deliver great strategies, and what we could do to help you, contact us.

It all looked so good on paper: an exciting vision of the future made up of ambitious commitments to change things for the better.

The reality is that making change happen successfully is hard. Particularly in the public sector, where there are so many variables, drivers, people that need to be involved and engaged, and multiple definitions of what success looks like.

On top of all of that, many things can change in the middle of a project or programme: key players can change, budget challenges can appear out of nowhere, the day-job can suddenly become overwhelming.

Populate believe in a helpful, hands-on approach to project and programme management. We understand this means more than putting together snappy presentations and chasing people for update reports: it’s about getting into the trenches with the people who need to make change happen, helping them to fix problems, fill the gaps, join the dots, and manage the risks with solutions in mind. When issues arise, we have the pragmatism and agility to adapt our approach without losing sight of the original objectives.

We are proud to be trusted with managing delivery of positive change across a diverse range of public sector services and functions. Some examples of how we do this include:

• Running or supporting large-scale change, improvement and efficiency programmes, to help save money and improve services at the same time
• Chairing governance and improvement boards to help clients deliver their statutory responsibilities to the most vulnerable in the most efficient and effective ways
• Helping to ensure that complex and technical projects are properly designed and successfully delivered

Populate has the skills and experience to help make even the most ambitious vision for positive change a reality – no matter what might happen along the way.

If you would like to know more about how we have helped our clients deliver successful change and improvement, and what we could do to help you, contact us.

It’s often said that an organisation is its people. All great companies are powered by great people, and the reverse is also true: when an organisation’s people are struggling, every strategy, plan and project is put at risk.

People working in the public sector have had a tough time in recent years. They have had to cope with major unforeseen events and radical disruptions to their work, constant pressures to be more efficient and productive, relentless demands to do more with less, and expectations to simultaneously drive innovation whilst excelling at the “business as usual”.

Populate helps people working the public sector to thrive in these difficult circumstances. We provide the kind of training and development that actually sticks with the people who take part, because we tailor our programmes to their day jobs. Some of our clients have asked us to help them transform their appraisal process from a tick-box exercise into a meaningful and strong system of performance management. Others have asked us to provide tailor-made support to boost the performance of individuals and teams.

Whether its about nurturing talent or fixing problems, providing reassuringly experienced HR advice or delivering ground-breaking Organisational Development programmes, Populate are here to help your people flourish.

If you would like to know more about how we have helped our clients to boost the effectiveness and capability of their people, and what we could do to help you, contact us.