Strengthening the Civil Service Institute

The Civil Service Institute, responsible for providing learning opportunities to civil servants so they can navigate their growth and careers, wanted to be stronger and more robust. It already had a slew of programs on offer, but they felt they could do more and give more. They were also looking at updating their structure to ensure that they would be able to deliver their services to the vast landscape of the public sector. Finally, as a unit within the Civil Service Commission, the CSI wanted to generate enough cash to support its own operations and help its mother organization along the way.

My task had four distinct components – (1) define the CSI’s value proposition, (2) clarify its target customer, (3) outline its structure, key activities and partnerships, and (4) develop its revenue stream. The solution incorporated the implementation of the following activities and the use of key tools – Business Model Workshop, Business Model Workshop Canvass Kit, Competency Model Development, Competency Card Play, Process Analysis + Improvement Workshop, Change Ability Card Play, Customer Conversations through FGD Canvass, and Branding Strategy + Guidelines.

Using the Business Model Canvass Kit, CSI was able to define its value proposition, clarify its target customer, outline its structure, and develop its revenue stream. Through Competency Card Play, the organization was able to identify the critical skills needed to sustain its strategy and structure, and map out the development plan for its key employees. Process Analysis + Improvement helped establish the framework for continuous development, and provided guidance on how its strategy can be accomplished. Through Change Ability Card Play, CSI was able to clarify the impetus for their change and was able to lay out a three year plan in fulfilling its strategy. Customer Conversations helped CSI focus their specialization on 3 key areas – foundations skills for any civil servant, leadership skills for people managing positions in the public sector, and HR skills for field professionals in the different agencies.

Today, CSI has served most of the 2,000 agencies in the public sector. They are the go to organization for learning solutions for leaders, HR professionals and core manpower of national government agencies, government owned and controlled corporations, and local government units. Every year, CSI conducts its annual symposium that aims to bring competence and best practices to HR professionals across the entire bureaucracy. Learn more about CSI here.