Before I began working with the Intranet Renewal Team, I didn’t have a clear understanding of the scope of the work required to write the Hub. But the moment I understood, I realized that we are creating something that can be a powerful tool for our employees rather than something that is dismissed every day as out of date, confusing, and ‘not about me.’
My only CSC experience had been five years working directly with offenders in a maximum security institution. Working at a regional office on a national project has required a wide mind shift for me. It has given me a strong desire to wave the flag on behalf of the workers who don’t sit in front of computers all day long and think about words and policy. Disconnect may be a cliché, but there’s strong evidence of it in this organization.
Our team is working hard to bridge that gap so that the Hub does reflect and support what the majority of our staff do in their daily routine. We want people who only have limited computer access to easily find the information they seek without cursing, calling 1-800, or just giving up. And we want people who do use their computers all day long to be able to simply access and organize the information they need.
Humans, myself included, can be territorial about their responsibilities. But that doesn’t always contribute to big picture success, so the Hub will avoid this. The whole purpose is to make work processes more straightforward for all staff. It doesn’t matter if the task crosses sector lines or areas of responsibility. We all have the same bottom line - improving public safety.
I’m working with a strong team of thinkers, not just writers, and that is so motivating. I’m constantly impressed by the brainpower Laura Piper, our leader, has gathered.
Working daily with offenders, it’s easy to visualize how your work could contribute to reducing risk. It has taken a while for me to feel that same weight on this project because it is removed from the frontline. I have come to understand, however, that the value of this project is improving the work environment for our institutional staff. And having staff with institutional experience on the project ensures that their flag is constantly waving.
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