Your persona
It seems like you’ve already got a grounding in some of the key concepts covered by User-Centred Working. Whether you’re actively involved in bringing users into the work you do, or it’s simply an area you’re interested in, you’re in a good position to build on your existing capabilities.
As someone in a position of leadership, you may find that you’re further and further away from the ‘end user’ — the people you and your government serve. Taking time to reconnect could build empathy and help ensure you always keep their needs at the forefront of what you do.
Build your knowledge and skills
Explore the types of user research that exist. What's being used by your department? Surveys? Sentiment checking? Longer qualitative interviews? Finding out what's being done (and why) is important to build a picture of your department's approaches.
Identify a piece of user research that you feel is worth conducting. What makes you think it’s time to get (or revisit) user perspectives? Even if you’re the budget holder, it could be worth drafting a rough business case to clarify your thinking.
Act as a UCD advocate within your department. Ensure that UCD principles are integrated into project planning and emphasise the value it brings to achieving business objectives.
Promote design thinking amongst your team. What are the general levels of capability here? Is there space or scope to offer upskilling? You’re not trying to turn everyone into a designer overnight, but a simple introduction to design thinking methodologies and innovation could have a positive impact.
Set Accessibility Goals: Define accessibility goals and metrics that align with your department's mission and values. Communicate these goals to your team and hold them accountable. Think internally as well as public-facing. Where is there scope to improve?
Create a community of practice
The Apolitical community regularly post questions in the Q&A area. As someone who’s experienced with user-centred aspects, perhaps you could offer some guidance or support to others. A thread about getting user input could be a good place to contribute. Or why not post something of your own?
Your responses indicate a real understanding of the importance of user-centred working. How do you measure up compared with your colleagues and peers? What could you do to help others develop their competencies? Simple initiatives such as informal mentoring or setting up a quarterly working group could bring like-minded people together to learn from and with each other.
Keep exploring
Apolitical has regular online events. Check-in regularly to see what’s coming up. Can’t wait? You’ll be sure to find a recording that has something of interest, such as Service Design: A Crash Course for Public Servants.
If you’re looking for inspiration for structured skill development, take a look at our Learning Plans, where we have stitched together disparate educational resources into rich, diverse, cohesive and enlightening learning journeys which can have a transformative impact on both our professional and personal lives.
What's next?
Not sure if this is the right persona for you? This diagnostic and its suggested outcome have been designed for illustrative purposes and may not reflect your level of awareness or competency.
Find a guide to the statements covered plus the scenario questions here: User-Centred Working Self-Assessment and Scenario Summaries.
Explore the other personae using the links below:
Leadership:User-Centred Working Explorer, User-Centred Working Consolidator, User-Centred Working Trailblazer
Non-Leadership:User-Centred Working Explorer, User-Centred Working Consolidator, User-Centred Working Trailblazer
⬅️ Government Skills Impact Tracker | Digital and Data Skills Hub ➡️