@Your Service: from supply-driven to demand-driven organisation in the sector supporting persons with disabilities

Since 1 January 2017, facilities for persons with disabilities are no longer directly subsidised but persons with disabilities receive a budget themselves according to their support needs. This measure is based on the idea that people with disabilities are full members of society and are themselves best placed to shape their lives and determine what care and support they need in the process. (More information: check out this webpage of VAPH) 

This revolution means a major change in vision and action not only for clients, but also for existing organisations. After all, personal funding acts as a lever for the switch from a supply-driven to a demand-driven operation of those organisations. How can organisations make this transition? What can support them in doing so? This was explored and developed using design research in the project research @Your Service.

Demand-driven working does not have a uniform definition. It is a catch-all term, as it were. We set to work exploring this concept in literature and in conversation with the sector. Through many focus groups with managers and employees in organisations, demand-driven working was clarified. We came to the conclusion that there are three dimensions linked to demand-driven working in organisations:

• Methodical approach: method and approach to achieve matching of supply and demand between counsellor/organisation and client/network
• Organisational development: demand orientation as a guiding principle in supply and organisational development
• Market-oriented work: anticipating trends in market needs, profiling vis-à-vis other players, future strategies

Based on these findings, an instrument was developed that helps organisations to define and prioritise their own demand-driven work. It incorporates the 3 dimensions (method, organisation, market). We call this the ZIP instrument: self-assessment & prioritisation.

To get started with demand-driven working in an organisation, it is important to have a clear picture of how demand-driven working is experienced and how the various stakeholders (employees, managers and clients) in the organisation would like to see it evolve.  

An organisation interested in scrutinising the extent of demand-driven working can do so using the ZIP process.

Together with a process supervisor, a core group of employees and managers is formed in the organisation. The core group makes choices and follows the process closely. The process consists of 4 steps:

1. Introducing and planning the process within the organisation
2. Questioning using the ZIP tool: how do we now work demand-driven within our organisation
3. Self-assessment: discussion of data from the ZIP survey
4. Prioritisation and improvement ideas: where do we want to go? What do we want to achieve in the organisation in terms of demand-driven work?

A ZIP instrument has been developed for employees and managers in organisations. This instrument questions 10 domains and focuses on both current performance (self-assessment) and future performance (prioritisation).

There is also a questionnaire for clients that gauges their experience of demand-driven processes in the organisation.