A more agile, efficient and forward-looking Agricultural Board

CHALLENGE

The Danish Agricultural Agency wanted to transform itself into a more agile, agile and forward-looking organisation with a focus on proactive policy development. They faced the need to develop new working approaches and competencies of both managers and employees in order to achieve an early dialogue and co-productive cooperation with stakeholders and customers on new rules and frameworks for the future of agriculture in Denmark and Europe.

SOLUTION

To realize the “Easy, Simple and on Time” strategy and strengthen proactive policy development, the Danish Agriculture Agency conducted seven 100-day action learning courses. In these processes, employees and managers worked across the organization's value chain with concrete strategic initiatives, including new climate and nature requirements in ecology regulations, smarter regulation of agriculture, and early involvement and trials of multifunctional land distribution. The action learning courses also included testing agile methodologies, including design thinking and qualitative approaches such as interviews and focus groups.

RESULT

Through the implementation of the action learning courses, the Danish Agriculture Agency achieved several significant results. Strategy realisation and agile transversal and outward organisational development took place based on the strategy “Easy, simple and on time”. In addition, new methods and mindsets for proactive policy development were built up with 100 employees and managers. The link between policy development, business and the use of new competences in practice was strengthened, including stakeholder collaboration, facilitation, co-production, project management, communication and design thinking. There was also increased awareness of the leadership role in proactive policy development processes, as well as a link to the board's new management and employee base and identification of areas that call for proactivity. This approach and learning contributed to the development of a model for Proactive Policy Development, and the project was concluded with a dissemination conference in which other public boards, the Center for Public Innovation and the Danish Design Center participated. Quotes from those involved show that this new approach and collaborative approach was positively experienced and beneficial for both the Board of Agriculture and the farmers.

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