Partner: Inova Solutions | Client: Transformation Implementation Unit (TIU) | Location: Jamaica | Industry: Public Sector
Jamaica’s Transformation Implementation Unit (TIU) was established by the Government of Jamaica with the main mandate to accelerate the transformation of the country’s public sector. To simply call this a task is an understatement, as the TIU has been spearheading a multi-pronged programme to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the public sector. TIU knew that implementing a modern workplace approach within the team was one of their key success factors and so Inova Solutions suggested tailor-made adoption sessions to lay the foundation to drive efficiency internally.
Now usually, when you think of the public sector – anywhere in the world – you think about tedious processes, inefficiency, and seemingly unnecessary activities. But Jamaica’s government has chosen to be a front runner in the Caribbean region, taking the necessary steps to transform their services and offer citizens a pleasant experience when accessing services from the public sector.
The TIU aims to erase the public sector’s excessive bureaucratic processes, inadequate use of ICT, inefficiencies in public sector operations, high transaction costs and long wait times, and inadequate human resource management. It is also tasked with improving the Jamaican government’s compensation structure. Integrating Shared Services such as Human Resources, Accounting, Finance, and other services that can be consolidated across the Jamaican government, is also an objective to help eliminate inefficiencies in the public sector.
Thanks to the efforts of TIU, the Jamaican public service has already seen improvements in reducing waste with the rationalization of 40 public entities and over J$1 billion in savings.
To make these kinds of improvements possible, TIU knew from the start that a collaborative approach was required. The team consists of consultants who need the flexibility of working remotely while also being able to collaborate. The TIU envisioned an agile and flexible working environment with high regard for security.
“The transformation team is made up of consultants who often work remotely, especially during these times of a global pandemic. The team must be able to access, prepare and deliver information, almost in real-time”, says Maria Thompson Walters, Executive Director of the TIU.
With a clear vision in mind, the TIU approached Microsoft’s trusted Cloud Solution Provider (CSP), Inova Solutions. Inova Solutions advised TIU of the secure modern workplace solutions designed for the abovementioned necessities.
Taking full advantage
Both organizations were aware that for TIU to successfully operate as a modern workplace, an elaborate approach was needed. Inova Solutions not only supplies customers with licenses and subscriptions but also offers adoption sessions to ensure that the solutions purchased are fully taken advantage of. The adoption sessions allowed TIU team members to explore and practice with the modern workplace tools made available to them. The sessions were tailored by department or business units within TIU to drive a truly modern workplace per team.
One workstream within 
the unit, which took advantage of Microsoft’s modern workplace collaboration and productivity tools, shares its experience with Microsoft 365. “The Programme Management Office of TIU relies on the Microsoft 365 Platform to provide secure access to data and services from any device – anytime and anywhere for our team members. The platform enables effective communication and collaboration within the team and the many external partners assisting with program implementation. The versatility of Office 365 has enabled a new level of collaboration and productivity among the team”, says Programme Manager, Richard Panton.
Some TIU members have even challenged themselves further, leveraging deeper areas of PowerApps, PowerAutomate, and Power BI, giving them powerful insights. They now have business intelligence at their fingertips with these Microsoft services.
Ensuring business continuity
After TIU and Inova Solutions implemented the deployment of the modern workplace solution, COVID-19 happened. But the consequences of the global pandemic had little to no effect on the work being performed by TIU because the unit had prepared for business continuity by investing in the right tools. “The TIU updated to a modern workforce platform – Microsoft Office 365 – in 2019, and this has proven to be a wise choice and a sound investment for us. There was little disruption to our operations when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and so the team was able to continue to effectively drive public sector transformation”, says Thompson Walters.
The future is digital
The activities of TIU are anchored in a vision for a transformed public service that is modern, fair, values people, and consistently delivers high -quality services. A key outcome of the public sector transformation is a digital government.
Inova Solutions supplied TIU with licenses and implementation services for Microsoft’s entire Modern Workplace Platform and Adoption Services for the whole organization. A total of two-hundred and sixty-three (263) licenses were supplied, consisting of:
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Exchange Online
- Power BI Professional
- Visio Plan 2
- Microsoft Teams Room
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise 3
About Inova Solutions
Inova Solutions is the Microsoft trusted provider of cloud services in the Caribbean. We are a Microsoft Solutions partner. Our mission is to “Empower organizations of all sizes to create business advantage by adopting digital transformation”. Inova Solutions’ focus is to help organizations ensure business continuity by embracing the smart use of technology. The main priority is to establish the ultimate customer experience, driving transformational change.
