Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

VISTA Consulting working in partnership with Wendy Pritchard Associates has been contributing to the modernisation of government through designing and facilitating a series of 'Make it Different' events for the Cabinet Office. A participant at one of these events saw the potential for transforming meetings in her own department - then the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - and invited us to help.

Events were moving fast! What began life as a conference on 'Modernising MAFF' was called off as Foot and Mouth disease hit the country. It was cancelled a second time because of the General Election which transformed the challenge into creating a new department!

Developing DEFRA - moving forward together

'The atmosphere buzzed and crackled...'

Read below how DEFRA reported the event in their internal publication -

Over the moon! DEFRA is heading for the big league after a stunning team performance at Aston Villa.

The long-awaited Developing DEFRA event to help shape the future style and direction of the Department finally took place at the third attempt.

Fittingly, Villa's magnificent stadium was chosen to really set the ball rolling. Around 300 staff from all tiers and all corners of the Department made it to Birmingham for the one-day event.

Permanent Secretary Brian Bender helped to launch proceedings by outlining the need and the challenge of uniting to build a new Department. "It's only going to work if enough of us in DEFRA want it to work and make it work," he said.

Then for the next six hours or so the delegates, working in around 40 small teams across the spacious Holte Suite, knuckled down to their task.

The atmosphere buzzed and crackled as delegates deliberated then discussed - and even argued about - what they did or didn't like about DEFRA, and what needs to change. Everyone had an equal say, with titles, grades and hierarchies off the agenda. First names and a casual dress code were the order of the day.

Suggestions

No punches were pulled as, at intervals, delegates rose to deliver their particular group's potted verdicts on the different issues. Pictures and Post-It notes soon papered the walls with thoughts, suggestions and recommendations - some witty, others scathing - about DEFRA past, present and future.

True to their task, the groups started with a blank canvas for DEFRA and set about filling it in. The likes of enthusiasm, commitment and communication, risk-taking and new ideas all need to be encouraged. Behaviours such as gradism, blame, apathy, resistance to change and the long hours culture all have to go. Unnecessary bureaucracy was blacklisted and investment in IT should be encouraged.