Case Study

How we helped an NHS organisation embed structured improvement to deliver strategic value

Public Health Wales partnered with SimplyDo to connect staff ideas to strategy, embed structured improvement, and demonstrate tangible organisational value through a consistent, scalable improvement

9

Improvement challenges delivered

140

Ideas received

75%

Of new improvements being progressed

SimplyDo has helped Public Health Wales staff have their voices and ideas heard, explored and turned into meaningful improvements aligned with our strategy and workplans. The platform and team have provided a clear, structured way to capture improvement and innovation ideas, run targeted challenges, engage specific audiences, communicate with staff, and track, measure and demonstrate the success and impact of ideas across the organisation.

Lydia Davis, Senior Improvement and Innovation Manager, Public Health Wales

Background:

Connecting organisational strategy to improvement

Summary:

1

Creating a consistent process to engage staff and capture improvement ideas across the organisation

2

Demonstrating visible organisational commitment to structured, value-led improvement

3

Ensuring improvement activity delivers measurable value aligned to organisational priorities

Public Health Wales improves the health and wellbeing of the population of Wales, and to support this mission, the Improvement and Innovation (I&I) Hub set out to strengthen the organisation’s approach by driving a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Despite clear ambition to hear staff voices and encourage ideas, the team recognised that capturing ideas alone was not enough. Improvement needed to be clearly aligned to organisational strategy and the Duty of Quality, supported by consistent processes, and able to demonstrate value and impact.

To achieve this, the I&I Hub needed to look beyond traditional engagement mechanisms and instead design an end-to-end improvement journey that enabled ownership, delivery, and measurable outcomes at scale.

Solution:

Scaling improvement while aligning activity to strategy

Summary:

1

Aligning improvement challenges and ideas directly to organisational strategy and priorities

2

Designing a structured benefits capture and tracking framework within SimplyDo

3

Embedding improvement ownership within departments through clear processes and guidance

Working in close partnership with the Public Health Wales’ I&I Hub, SimplyDo supported the design of an improvement approach that directly connected staff ideas to the organisation’s strategic objectives.

Together, we developed a comprehensive benefits framework within SimplyDo, enabling ideas to be assessed, tracked, and updated throughout their implementation journey. This ensured that both potential and realised value could be consistently captured and reported.

Alongside this, the end-to-end challenge process was reviewed to ensure clarity of roles, ownership, and decision-making. To support adoption at scale, a SimplyDo handbook was created to guide challenge sponsors and departments, empowering teams to take ownership of improvements while reducing reliance on the central I&I Hub.

Impact:

Reducing burden and increasing improvement ownership

Summary:

1

100% of new ideas assessed and aligned to a structured organisational benefits framework

2

Reduced administrative burden through standardised challenge delivery and workbook support

3

75% of improvement ideas progressed and owned directly by operational departments

SimplyDo is now aligned to the STEEP framework, enabling Public Health Wales to demonstrate potential and realised impact of SimplyDo ideas. All new ideas are assessed against this framework, strengthening strategic decision-making and prioritisation.

The introduction of the SimplyDo workbook has improved clarity and accountability for challenge sponsors, with 100% of challenge owners adopting the new approach. It has also reduced administrative burden and standardised the process being managed.

Most recently, Bowel Screening Wales (BSW) delivered a challenge focused on increasing screening test completion. As a result, 75% of submitted ideas have been assessed, progressed and are now owned directly by the BSW team for delivery. This has allowed for the I&I Hub to support other teams and directorates to deliver challenges.