3SCO SUPPORTING CHANGE IN ORGANISATIONS

Introduction to Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to over 22 million claimants and customers.
DWP is currently going through its greatest period of transition on record as Universal Credit is rolled out nationally as part of the Welfare Reform.

Internal factors that drive and influence change in DWP

Strategic Objectives
Changes in strategy are inevitable as the Department’s goals and objectives alter to meet the demands of …show more content…

Communications between customers, Jobcentres and payment centres will be performed electronically using new systems developed solely for the delivery of Universal credit.

Three ways change affects organisations.

Major change can include redundancies, mergers, re-structuring or new working practices whilst minor changes can mean anything from a new database to a change in expenses claims.
Change alters our routine and how things are done, but ultimately the change is characterised by a desire to improve something. It is often not a choice, but a necessity and it is vital to pro-actively manage change to reduce the pressure placed on the organisation and its employees.

Business Effectiveness
Teething problems are to be expected with any new process or system, but if the change is rushed in without effective planning it can seriously damage the confidence of stakeholders and customers. It is important to create a vision for the future of the organisation and to develop strategies to meet that vision. DWP has been closely monitored by the media during the implementation of the welfare reform so in order to test our systems and processes, Universal Credit has been launched in a few small ‘Pathfinder’ districts around the country. This enabled the organisation to identify weaknesses in the model and make changes before national rollout.

Employment Relations
Change that is badly managed can cause long lasting