Sibma analyzed five cases commissioned by the Executive Board where things went wrong. The findings are relevant for the entire provincial organization and not just the teams involved in the investigation. The report is titled Digging Deeper: five cases highlighted.
As requested by the Provincial Council in a motion, Sibma provides building blocks for an action plan in Digging Deeper. This approach should lead to structural restoration of administrative control, internal coordination, and timely decision-making. The Executive Board and management team adopt the recommendations in their action plan and further elaborate them.
Complex
Digging Deeper makes clear that the management of complex dossiers must be improved. There must be more collaboration and the political-administrative sensitivity within the organization must improve. Contact with the outside world can also be better. Therefore, Sibma advises the provincial organization to put more effort into environmental and relationship management towards residents, organizations, and other governments. At the same time, Sibma nuances. He analyzed five cases in which mistakes were made. Mistakes can never be completely avoided in a large organization. He also saw many things going well within the Province of Groningen.
Sensitivity
Sibma states that the role of the province has changed. It has become more of a director in complex matters. In Groningen, this is further reinforced by gas extraction. As a result, the province is more under the microscope of media, interest groups, and politics. Sibma sees that the organization has not sufficiently grown with this dynamic.
This is partly due to the large inflow, throughflow, and outflow of personnel. In the past four years, 471 new employees started at the province, out of a total of 1141 staff members. This means the province has a lot of new expertise, but lacks political-administrative sensitivity. Extra attention will be paid to this in the coming period.
Risks
According to Sibma, the province must invest in risk management. This requires a stronger role for management. In the current organizational model, substantive responsibility lies with individual employees. Sibma advocates a more substantive role for team leaders to detect risks earlier and act accordingly.
Furthermore, the province uses Kiwi, a digital case system unsuitable for monitoring critical deadlines. In two cases Sibma investigated, this went wrong. Sibma urges for another system and a better organization: deadline monitoring must not depend on one person.
Sibma warns in his report about the risk of overly ambitious political goals. He notes a tension between the political need for quick action and the available capacity. He urges realism from the Executive Board and Provincial Council about what the civil service can deliver.
Follow-up
Digging Deeper: five cases highlighted and the response from the Executive Board and management are now in the hands of the Provincial Council. In the coming period, the Council will discuss both documents. The goal is to further concretize the action plan, which the Executive Board and management have now drawn up, into an implementation plan. The Executive Board will inform the Council about the progress. In meetings with staff, the management wants to explain the report and measures in the coming period.