Symbiotic Governments | Decluttering governments through Mission Clusters

There have been many standalone missions (i.e. Horizon Europe, the EU’s multi-billion Euro funding instrument), but what’s missing is a concerted effort to shift the whole government to mission-thinking. Scaling such a mindset enables symbiotic governments, and the mechanism by which to scale is Mission Clusters – a culmination of missions webbed together based on a shared purpose. 

Designing Mission Clusters

Cluster Segments

 

 

Each Mission Cluster is comprised of a countless number of missions. When designing Mission Clusters it is vital to align these missions to specific themes or 'segments' to allow for more coherence and collaboration. As the Mission Cluster evolves, it is necessary to constantly reflect on the full matrix of the segments, to ensure execution on mandates is aligned, and any additional missions incorporated are affiliated in some way. 

Cluster Titles

The title of each Mission Cluster determines which 'segments' sit within that Cluster, and the type of missions being designed to achieve the mandates of the Clusters. Therefore, the title should be broad enough to allow for flexibility to modify and innovate given future needs, and versatile enough to address the grand overarching purpose of the cluster itself. 

Cluster Agility

Needs and objectives evolve over time, therefore a symbiotic government should be intuitive and perceptive of trends and transformations. This is why the set of segments within Mission Clusters should not be bound to the rigid sectors of today (i.e. transport, energy).

Just as importantly, agility requires stability when it comes to measuring success. Therefore, the success of a Cluster will be assessed based on the execution of the individual missions, with key objectives being measured and assessed to allow for further improvements. These assessments need to be defined using a long-term perspective to ensure we do not suffocate the mission with short-term aspirations.

The government as a whole is mandated to achieve these missions, leveraging the expertise available across all mission clusters, as well as government leaders. This agility and dexterity which is engrained within the overall structure of the Clusters allow for fluidity towards future needs, making government ever more responsive and ready.

If you’re interested in capturing more details about how the Mission clusters can be designed to better enable a symbiotic government to come to fruition, do link to the full article.