Crisis to capability — earlier, easier, with you: seven approaches to ‘manage demand’

Most attempts to ‘manage demand’ end up shifting it around the system — or even making it worse. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_complexity-publicservices-withyou-activity-7320341918352039938-hFre What if we started with this: rising costs aren’t driven by the population, but by the way our systems work? If the system is driving demand, what are we doing that unintentionally feeds it?

Most attempts to ‘manage demand’ end up shifting it around the system — or even making it worse.

What if we started with this: rising costs aren’t driven by the population, but by the way our systems work? Until we address that, every new tweak or pilot will just add another layer of #complexity.

After nearly thirty years in #publicservices, we’ve pulled together seven demand management approaches that take the whole system seriously — joining up behaviour, data, strategy, and culture.

Here’s the outline:

1) Whole system predictive modelling — understand the current system and population characteristics to predict and pre-empt need

2) Prevent demand from arising — use behavioural science, social marketing, and community development to stop issues before they start

3) Early identification and intervention — target risk earlier and build capacity and self-efficacy in communities

4) More effective handling of demand — improve assessment and access, reduce rework and failure demand

5) More effective response to demand — design for outcomes, not activity; align interests across the system

6) Systems leadership — integrate budgets and shape collaborative cultures

7) Measurement, learning, evaluation — compare real to predicted impact, and adapt as you go

What’s needed is to move from crisis to capability — we’ve subtitled this ‘earlier, easier, #withyou’.

It’s hard to speak to the world of #earlyintervention and #demandmanagement *and* the world of #strengthsbased working. But it’s essential.

This work connects #commissioning, #systemsthinking, #systemsleadership #leadership, data, system flow, #publicsector innovation, and the changing role of professionals.

The question is: if the system is driving demand, what are we doing that unintentionally feeds it?