Change is Constant – Why Does Government Still Struggle With It?

Public sector transformation is a never-ending cycle shaped by new government priorities, departmental restructures, evolving societal needs, and technological advancements. The recent wave of Machinery of Government (MoG) changes post-election, signals yet another round of this across various agencies.

Changes in government organisations can be huge or small; driven from within, or imposed externally. However, unlike private sector transformations, the public sector operates in a complex environment – influenced by political and societal factors, and accountable for a wide range of stakeholders including citizens, employees, and policymakers. This makes implementing change more challenging and adds pressure to the already stretched agencies.

What Gets in the Way of Change?

Even with rigorous planning, many government-led transformation initiatives fall short during implementation. Government agencies are complex, under-resourced, and juggling competing demands; they often focus on structure and policy while overlooking the people who drive meaningful transformation in the change management process.

Example Scenario

A local government agency introduces a digital platform designed to streamline services and improve responsiveness. The technology works, the policy rationale is solid, and the benefits are clear; however, the adoption rates are low and the initiative stalls.

This is where they may be going wrong:

1. Missing the Big Picture: Failure to Connect Change to Strategy

Change is often treated as “standalone” item. Government organisations tend to focus solely on policy compliance (or technological upgrade in this case) without tying it to broader strategies such as public sector digital transformation, or improving service delivery to the community.

If people cannot see how the transformation supports government strategies, or how it benefits the community, they remain skeptical and highly unlikely to buy-in. 

2. Misaligned Leadership: No Shared Vision

Executives and department heads often aren’t on the same page. With each department accountable for their own delivery, they struggle to integrate plans and often jump straight from strategy to projects. Without a unified vision – a shared rationale for the “why”, and a clear pathway on the “what” and “how” – progress slows down.

Clarity around the desired future ways of working is often not made integral to the process, which means stakeholders across the organisation don’t have a clear understanding of the skills and behaviours needed to work effectively in the new environment.

3. Capability Gaps

Lacking the necessary skills, resources or support to effectively lead their teams through change, leadership can struggle – leading to doubts and uncertainty among team members.

4. Cultural Drag & Resistance

Even with the new system in place, old mindsets persist. Legacy culture remains, in which employees are risk-averse and afraid to make errors. Hierarchical structures in the public sector often lead to resistance when employees see new change initiatives as disruptive.

Without addressing the culture, new policies or systems cannot shift behaviour.

Mastering Public Sector Change Management: Leading With People, Not Just Policy

Government agencies often prioritise process and policy over people, undermining the success of well-intentioned reforms.

To create lasting and impactful change, the government sector must shift their approach to incorporate elements of executive and strategic alignment, stakeholder engagement, and cultural transformation from the start. Keogh’s approach ensures effective change management through:

1. Executive and Strategic Alignment to Drive Change in a Unified Direction

Successful change management begins with a clear understanding of what success actually looks like; ensuring a clear link to business strategy, benefits, and strong leadership unity around this future vision. Without a shared vision of objectives, and integrated plan to get there, change management efforts can become fragmented or directionless.

The Keogh approach places executive and strategic alignment at the core; ensuring leaders: 

• Understand the strategic drivers behind the transformation
• Commit to the vision
• Are equipped to actively sponsor and resource the change

Executives and key stakeholders must consistently champion change. It is critical to set clear priorities, deliver effective communication as to the “why” behind change, and role model the vision. 

2. People-centered Planning for Transformational Change

The human element of the change process should be a primary focus. Keogh addresses people impact early, embedding employee engagement and the organisation’s change readiness into the designing and planning phase of change management.

Governments will often adopt top-down change approaches due to their hierarchical structure, which can lead to change resistance. Keogh counters this through an inclusive co-design approach, encouraging participation at all levels. This helps to gain buy-in and commitment, uncovers unique insights, and builds a support network that provides guidance and support to employees throughout the change process.

3. Developing Leadership Capability at Every Level

Investing in development not a ‘nice to have’, but a necessity. Senior executives set strategic directions, while middle managers bring change to life. Yet, many leaders lack the understanding of change-management principles and the competence to guide their teams through uncertainty despite their importance in creating a change-ready culture.

Keogh works with organisations to discover and define what capabilities are required to successfully deliver the transformation. 

We deliver a tailored blend of approaches such as: 

• Individual coaching for executives (see our executive coaching services)
• Facilitation and coaching support for the Senior Leadership Teams
• Bespoke interventions designed to equip leaders, at all levels, to lead change processes

We provide leadership guidance and advice to executives and senior leaders to ensure they enable and empower their people, remove barriers, and provide the necessary resources to enable successful and sustainable changes.

Related: Identifying and Building Your Leadership Bench Strength 

4. Integrate Culture and Capability Uplift from Day One

Public sector transformation goes beyond policies shift and restructuring, it is about reshaping how people think, collaborate, and lead. Culture and capability uplift must be integrated from the beginning.

A change-ready culture, reinforced by change champions, sustains momentum by helping employees embrace transformation rather than resist it. It fosters innovation, accountability, and the ability to support people through the process of transformation, equipping the team with a range of skills and mindset to pivot and lead in a dynamic environment. 

Keogh embeds capability building and culture in the change design process, equipping teams with the mindsets, skills, and psychological safety to adapt, lead, and drive sustainable transformation.

Related: Unlock High Performance by Building a Winning Workplace Culture

5. Adopt a Flexible, Adaptive Approach

There is no universal formula for effective change management. It must be adaptable, and align with the organisation’s context – for example, government change is further complicated by regulatory and legislative requirements. 

Keogh integrates evidence-based approaches while tailoring change management programs based on the organisation itself. We help you navigate compliance, assess and review change maturity, and adjust course during implementation as needed.

Making Change Real, Not Just Rhetoric

In the public sector, successful change management is not about what shifts, but how the transformation is led and sustained. Real change happens when teams are aligned, equipped and empowered to deliver the new ways of working.

Many efforts fall short not because of poor planning, but because of misalignment, capability gaps, and a lack of cultural readiness.

This is where Keogh’s expertise in culture by design, change management and leadership development come in. We apply the Keogh Way and partner with organisations to assess their change readiness, refine the approach, and develop capability to lead change with clarity and confidence.

Change is more than a plan; it is a chance to transform. Let us make it real.

If you are navigating a complex transformation and want to ensure it lands, why not get in touch to find out how Keogh can help your team lead with confidence and resilience.