Orchestrating enduring change: The public agency CoE model

Executive Summary

An Australian public agency, serving tens of thousands of employees, needed to increase its adaptability and deliver more value to the community with greater speed. Held back by rigid, industrial-era funding and planning cycles, the agency partnered with Cprime Elabor8 to embed lasting change. Through a process of guided evolution, we helped them establish an internal Agile Centre of Excellence (CoE) to act as a self-sustaining driver of transformation. The solution rewired their operating model, shifting from project-based outputs to value-driven outcomes. This fundamental overhaul of their business operations has now been active for four years, leading to a 4x increase in the speed of value delivery and a 3x improvement in predictability.

The problem: Traditional models blocking enterprise transformation

The agency’s commitment to serving the community was being hindered by its own internal processes. While the need for agility was clear, three core challenges created a barrier to progress:

• Rigid funding cycles: A traditional, annual funding model required all business cases to be approved a year in advance, offering little flexibility to adapt to changing community needs or reprioritise work.
• An output-driven focus: Success was measured against delivering a list of outputs defined in yearly plans, rather than the actual value delivered to the community. This prevented the agency from adapting when more crucial efforts were needed.
• Hesitation towards transparency: New, agile ways of working required leaders to share their operations openly, creating wariness around the potential for increased scrutiny and a reluctance to embrace unfamiliar practices.

These challenges meant the agency’s operating model was misaligned with its strategic goal: to deliver value with speed and adaptability.

The solution: A CoE for sustained transformation and enterprise adoption

Our approach was a guided evolution, designed to build a lasting, internal capability for change rather than delivering a one-time fix. We worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the agency to co-design and implement the blueprint for their own Agile Centre of Excellence (CoE).

Recognising that transformation requires trust, we began with a champion area to demonstrate value and build momentum. This success served as the foundation for broader change, where we helped rewire the core of their operating model:

• Optimising governance and funding: We helped transition the agency from rigid annual project funding to a more flexible, area-wide model that allowed for work to be reprioritised quarterly. This was supported by a shift in focus from outputs to outcome-based metrics using OKRs, ensuring work was aligned with strategic goals.
• Embedding New Ways of Working:We co-designed a scaled agile structure and embedded effective product management practices to harmonise planning, management, and delivery. This created a common language and synchronised cadence across the organisation.
• Enabling people and building capability: The CoE was established as an empowered internal structure, equipped with standards for coaching, training, and transformation practices. We provided tailored playbooks, leadership training, and strategic guidance to help them become trusted partners for their internal customers, reducing reliance on external parties.
• Providing technology for transparency: To support the new governance model, we integrated their Atlassian ecosystem with Jira Align, providing leadership with a high degree of transparency and the ability to coordinate initiatives effectively.

By embedding the CoE, we created a self-sustaining transformation agent that leverages deep internal knowledge to create timely, effective roadmaps with minimal disruption.

The results: A new reality of speed and predictability

Our tailored transformation approach helped the client build a culture of sustained change. Four years since its inception, their Centre of Excellence has successfully led 15 internal transformation engagements. The overhaul of their core business operations has produced notable improvements:

Results at a Glance:

• 4x faster delivery of value to the community.
• 3x higher predictability in delivery.
• 2x greater accuracy in estimating work effort and duration.
• 1.5x better alignment in delivery practices across the entire portfolio.

The engagement delivered transformative outcomes beyond the metrics. The agency now has greater resilience through proactive risk management, improved visibility for leadership, and a shared culture of portfolio delivery that allows them to focus on the highest-value work.

Final Thoughts

This journey proves that successful transformation begins long before the first algorithm is deployed. It starts with building a resilient operating model and an internal culture capable of true enterprise adoption. By rewiring their core business operations, the agency has not only achieved immediate results but has also built the essential foundation for future success in the age of AI.

Ready to build your own engine for change? Let’s start the conversation.

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