Description

The story of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is one of stunning organizational transformation.  It is a story of applying an integrated and facilitated approach to collaborative strategy building and execution.  In a few short years MPAC has transformed from an “unchanging” institution with an assigned mandate and rote routines to an innovative, collaborative, and pro-active organization.  To accomplish this required the stars to align, so to speak: the right combination of leadership at different levels; foresight to anticipate the next phase of change; the development and use of facilitation skills; and lucky timing.  Spaces for leadership opened up and people were there to step through with an approach that was inclusive and facilitative.

Key Results Achieved

Key results achieved include:

• Shift from a rules-based ethic to a values-driven ethic inclusive of:

  • Innovation and risk taking,

  • Collaboration and unity, and

  • External focus on a quality brand / reputation.

• Shift from segregated departments working in isolation to stronger departments with teams working across departments too.

• Shift from completing mandated tasks to proactive planning and anticipating and taking responsibility for driving change.

• The normalization of participatory group processes led by facilitators.

The most tangible evidence of this transformation comes in the form of cost savings.  By the end of the third year of transformation, MPAC will be on track to reach their goal of $20M in savings.  All of this was enabled facilitating participatory processes.  After all, who knows the work better than the employees and stakeholders?  They were full of insight and passion but nobody had asked for it in the past.  Now they are the ones driving innovation, quality, and efficiencies.