The challenge
The municipality of Gavere thoroughly renovated its town hall just before the COVID crisis. The old building was fully refurbished and a new extension was added, including a new council chamber, workstations, meeting rooms, service counters, and consultation rooms.
The crisis had a significant impact on the functioning of cities and municipalities in Belgium. In addition to the increase in remote work, citizens now visit municipal services more often by appointment instead of queuing at a counter. Ongoing digitalisation has further reinforced this shift.
Gavere asked brainmove to conduct a thorough review of the current functioning of the town hall, to analyse the use of the work and reception environment, and to develop a vision for the future.
Our approach
Through interviews, occupancy measurements, profile analyses, and various workshops, brainmove mapped the use of the existing work environment. We combined qualitative and quantitative data to develop a strategic plan for the municipality, while also identifying pragmatic quick wins aimed at resolving short-term bottlenecks.
Gavere also wished to develop a 25-year vision for the evolution of its public services. For this purpose, we organised a “moonshot” exercise. During a brainstorming session with the management team, the mayor, and four external experts from other cities and municipalities, we worked on this long-term projection.
brainmove is certified in the Lego Serious Play methodology, which is particularly effective in generating deep insights through metaphors and storytelling. During this highly creative and interactive session, participants jointly built, step by step, a shared “landscape”: a coherent system including influencing and connecting factors, serving as a foundation for the development of future public services.
Result
Through brainmove’s approach, Gavere now has a concrete action plan to adjust its workplace strategy in the short term. This new strategy was developed through a participatory process, grounded in objective data and pragmatic quick wins.
The municipality also developed an innovative, forward-looking vision for the long-term evolution of its public services.
