VESPRA
– The method for systematic administrative analysis and transformation
Administrative Structure, Potential and Resource Analysis
An approach developed over more than two decades of consulting practice, which opens up public organisations along three dimensions – structures, potential and resources – and gives structure to the route from the first analysis to robust implementation planning.
The method at a glance
Why isolated solutions fail
The same patterns can be observed in almost every administration: structural reforms without a look at processes produce new organisation charts with the old inefficiencies. Digitalisation projects without organisational development reproduce analogue inefficiencies in digital form. Staffing requirement assessments based on existing structures cement precisely the ways of working that are actually up for discussion.
These individual interventions systematically overlook the interactions between the dimensions of an organisation. An administration is a complex system in which structural, procedural, technological and cultural factors are interwoven – isolated interventions shift problems instead of solving them.
Who VESPRA was developed for
VESPRA is aimed at senior managers in local authorities, the federal states and the federal government who want to make their organisation fit for the future while avoiding the pitfalls of isolated reform measures. At organisational development officers and corporate service units that shape organisational development professionally. And at those responsible for modernisation and digitalisation projects who have to bring technological and organisational questions together.
The ambition: a compass, not formalism
Steering between two extremes: Modernisation projects often move between procedures that are methodologically meticulous but remote from practice, and approaches that are pragmatic but unsystematic. VESPRA combines analytical rigour with practical feasibility – tailored to the legal, cultural and organisational conditions of the public sector.
Professionally grounded: The method adopts the methodological standards of the Organisational Handbook of the Federal Government (OHB) and translates them into a form that authorities without specialist organisational resources can apply as well. It reduces the complexity of the OHB without sacrificing its methodological quality.
Three foundations: Analytical precision secures professional quality. Practical feasibility keeps concepts from remaining in the realm of theory. Cultural fit reflects the fact that authorities are systems shaped not only by function but also by culture.
The three dimensions: structures, potential, resources
The course of a project: six phases in a clear sequence
1 – Kick-off phase
Strategic project initiation by agreeing objectives with the leadership and communicating transparently with everyone involved. The planning workshop with the steering group sharpens the project objectives; the information session for staff creates clarity about expectations and activates participation.
2 – Data collection phase
The heart of the analysis, where the insights are generated. Document analysis, stakeholder interviews, SWOT workshops, a staff survey and process analysis workshops mesh together. This methodological triangulation produces a robust picture of organisational reality – factual, multi-perspective and participatory.
3 – Staffing assessment phase
Quantification of tasks, case numbers and staffing requirements. Task catalogue workshops and assessment interviews follow the standards of the Organisational Handbook of the Federal Government and the requirements of the German Federal Court of Audit (Bundesrechnungshof) for staffing requirement assessments. A double validation loop, for the as-is state and for the to-be state, secures the reliability of the figures.
4 – Analysis phase
Individual findings become strategic insights. The central instrument is the project-specific analysis matrix, which brings all survey results together in a structured form and makes recurring patterns visible. Triangulation, pattern recognition and prioritisation condense the results into prioritised strategic fields of action.
5 – Concept phase
The fields of action are used to develop alternative organisational scenarios that differ in scope, implementation complexity and strategic direction. In the to-be structure workshop they are put to specialist and management expertise for evaluation. The result is a legitimated decision in favour of a to-be organisational model.
6 – Implementation planning
The target operating model is translated into a robust implementation plan: operational packages of measures, milestone planning for the transition from the as-is to the to-be state, resource planning and risk management. The analysis therefore does not end in a report but in a binding framework for further organisational development.
How we work with VESPRA
Four principles in every project
An evidence base replaces assumptions with systematically collected data. Participation draws on the expertise of staff and strengthens acceptance of change. Integration combines the levels of optimisation into one coherent overall concept. A focus on implementation ensures that analyses actually turn into effective improvements.
Typical project formats
The approach is adaptable and is tailored to the particular remit: comprehensive organisational reviews of individual departments or of entire authorities, staffing requirement assessments preceded by a review of tasks and their purpose, process optimisation embedded in the structures, and digitalisation projects that need an organisational foundation.
The method requires neither extensive external consultancy nor specialist methodological expertise. It builds on the organisation’s existing capabilities and develops them systematically.
Three levels of design that belong together
The strategic level develops long-term directions and target operating models. The operational level delivers concrete process improvements and noticeable relief in day-to-day work. The structural level connects the two through medium-term organisational concepts and resource planning.
Linking the levels in this way prevents both strategic concepts with no grounding and operational patchwork with no strategic compass. Quick wins create early successes, medium-term structural changes build new capacity, long-term development paths secure the lasting effect.
What you have at the end
A coherent overall picture of the organisation instead of isolated individual findings. Robust figures on staffing requirements. An agreed to-be organisational model with defined structures, optimised processes and adjusted resource allocations. And an implementation plan describing how the target operating model is to be reached.
The approach makes no promises of easy solutions – but it offers a reliable compass for navigating the demanding terrain of administrative modernisation.
The related method: VEA
Administrative Efficiency Analysis (VEA)
While VESPRA analyses the organisation as a whole and translates it into a to-be model, the Administrative Efficiency Analysis answers the question of the right sequence: which tasks justify which level of service, which processes deserve to be optimised, and where is digitalisation really worthwhile? The two methods mesh together – VESPRA supplies the overall picture, VEA the efficiency logic within it.
Further reading
The VESPRA method in detail: from the first survey to the implementation plan
The full article describes the whole sequence: the three dimensions of structures, potential and resources, the six project phases from the kick-off phase to implementation planning, the analysis matrix as the central evaluation instrument, and three questions that help you place where your own organisation stands.
