The 7 lenses of transformation

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Details

The government’s transformation portfolio includes over 50 major projects, spanning nearly all departments and agencies and representing more than a third of Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). While the benefits of transformation can be huge, delivering these projects can be incredibly challenging.

This guide describes ‘The 7 lenses of transformation’, a framework for comprehending complex transformations. Developed through extensive collaboration with government colleagues experienced in leading large-scale transformations and supported by external experts, the framework consolidates their expertise into a straightforward tool to assist your organisation’s transformation journey.

The lenses are helpful when applied at different stages in a transformation journey. They’re intended as a common language that can help you find useful materials from other parts of government and develop your own materials and tools.

This framework is primarily aimed at departmental change leaders, including senior responsible owners (SROs), programme directors, chief digital officers and chief information officers. It has proven to be equally applicable to any size organisation (including agencies, small departments, parts of a big department and big departments). They can be used when setting up your transformation or as a health check at any point. They are supported by the 7 lenses maturity matrix which expands each lens into 5 levels of maturity.

The 7 lens are:

• Level 1: vision
• Level 2: design
• Level 3: plan
• Level 4: transformation leadership
• Level 5: collaboration
• Level 6: accountability
• Level 7: people

Each section includes a description of the lens, why and how you need to action it, details any trade offs and potential red flags, and provides an illustrative example.

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Product Information

Delivery vehicle Programme

Practice Governance, Planning, Planning and Control, Resource, capacity and capability management, Roles & Accountabilities

Sector Government Transformation and Service Delivery

Product type Workbooks and guides

Updates

16 January 2025

Second version published. Product renamed from to 'The 7 lenses of transformation' from ' 7 lenses of transformation' Update to case studies, language and inclusion of psychological safety. Removal of Central Digital and Data Office and Government Digital Service as an author.

8 May 2018

First published