How government fleets can adopt new technology with effective change management

Strategic change management practices are critical for agencies looking to adopt new technologies. Research suggests that projects with excellent change management are seven timesmore likely to meet objectives than those with poor execution.

Effective change management is especially important for government agencies, since they are often asked to manage expectations across internal stakeholders, employees, and even constituents within the communities they serve. Agencies need to take a structured and intentional approach to the change process, centered around effective communication and service delivery.

Here are examples of how three government agencies utilized change management best practices to streamline the adoption of new technology.

1. Secure buy-in with clear and consistent communication.

Implementing new technology can have transformative impacts across an agency, but complex interdependencies may impede a successful rollout. One way to streamline the change process is with clear and consistent communication.

Communication, with both their drivers and union partners, is how the City of Memphiswas able to successfully adopt new technology across 17 departments. As the City rolled out over 500 dash cams across their fleet, early and frequent communication with their 11 unions was critical to securing buy-in. "We gave our unions notice, well in advance," said Robert Knecht, Director of Public Works. "Clearly communicating what data we would be gathering and how we would use it was key to getting their buy-in."

To get buy-in from drivers, the City leverages the technology itself as a resource for education and change. Ron Robinson, Safety Compliance Manager, creates a forum for employee feedback during safety trainings and town halls, using dash cam footage as a launching pad for constructive discussion. "In terms of coaching and management, the dash cams eliminate a lot of negative chatter," said Robinson. "We're able to have a conversation about what the indisputable evidence this video feed shows us, so we can improve and keep you as safe as possible."

2. Navigate employee pushback by demonstrating the value of the technology.

An effective change management strategy will include managing pushback from employees. During the change process, it's normal for employees to feel uncertainty, stress, and anxiety-all of which can manifest as resistance. Failing to demonstrate the value of change may lead to confusion, diminished morale, and disrupted operations across your workforce.

When they implemented dash cams for the first time, the City of Boynton Beachfocused on how the technology would be used to protect drivers, ultimately helping them stay safe from risks on the road. "We coach our drivers on incidents and identify areas for improvement and implement targeted interventions to further enhance safety and efficiency," said Dave Persad, Director of Fleet Management and Mobility. "With improved driver behavior and coaching, this ultimately leads to reducing accidents."

Beyond improving driver performance, dash cams also helped exonerate drivers. Showcasing the safety and exoneration benefits of the new technology enabled the City to successfully address concerns about the dash cams. "Once drivers saw how dash cameras could lead to exonerations, there was zero pushback," said Persad. "It was no longer 'your word against mine'-we could get immediate access to video that would prove they weren't at fault for an incident."

3. Deliver exceptional community service and keep rates low by improving operational efficiency.

Change management involves both internal and external stakeholders-and for government agencies, the primary external stakeholder they are committed to serving is their communities. Adoption of new technologies should lead to operational improvements internally, ultimately delivering a positive impact for citizens. An effective change management plan should include these downstream goals, too.

Especially for public utilities, maintaining low rates is part of delivering exceptional service to the community. One example of this is the Solid Waste department at the City of Lakeland. While they are a government agency, they rely on enterprise funds to run their collection operation. The City charges rates that are just enough to fund 60 days of their operations, with some reserve left over in case of emergencies-zero tax dollars are involved in the City's operational expenses. To keep rates low, it's critical that the City runs as efficiently as possible.

By adopting innovative safety and telematics technology, the City has reduced incidents, minimized costly insurance, and improved uptime on collection services-enabling them to enhance operational efficiency and keep rates low. "We're a government agency that operates like a business, with revenue and expenses," said Gene Ginn, Solid Waste Manager. "Technology helps us get the best out of our equipment so we can get the job done every day."

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