The main objectives of the Sector focus on the gradual strategic change of the culture and redefinition of the operational procedures of the Department for the next five years 2022-2027. These are⁚

• Study of the recorded procedures/workflow of ALL DLS Sectors
• Identification of priorities of each Sector (delayed work/ process stage)
• Identification of COMMON Processes among Sectors
• Staff recording (knowledge/skills/roles/responsibilities)

After capturing, in every detail, the type, frequency and difficulty of the tasks, what will be proposed, in the context of a redesign of processes, will, for instance, include⁚

• Small and directly applicable changes in procedures (which do not require legal amendment) e.g. reduction/gradual elimination of traditional and non-functional quality ckecks.
• Solutions to everyday problems in the context of examining applications (which do not require legal amendment) e.g. rejection of applications that are obviously out of law, amendment/abolition of outdated circulars of the Department in relation to the way cases are examined, etc.
• Changes in procedures/simplification of procedures (which require change of the law)
• Implementation of a unified and uniform strategy for dealing with applications
• Scheduling based on deliverables, which are operational, can be measured and checked
• The reduction of the many "parallel" tasks among Sectors
• Good communication between people involved

As a result of the above, the OLT Sector will also draw up a framework for the implementation of the objectives agreed with the senior management staff, with the ultimate goal of redesigning and implementing it, based on specific timetables and strict implementation controls.

It is understood that, in the first phase of implementation of the changes, there will be a defined transitional period, where all procedures will be categorized, “measured” and be subject to checks by the OLT Sector, with the application of Key Performance Indicators (KPI's). Initially, and for a period of approximately 6 months, monitoring and checks of the KPIs will be done by the OLT Sector. The responsibility for the monitoring of the process and performance, will then be transferred to each person in charge of the process.

The contribution of the CILIS Support and Administration Sector, as well as the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy to the overall effort for the operational transformation of the DLS, is expected to be essential and continuous.

For the implementation of the targets that will be set by the OLTS, once it collects the necessary information, both from the senior management team, but also through the existing Reports that have been carried out for the Department by KPMG and PWC, the “agile project management methodology” will be used, as this will be adapted or extended to cover the needs and best practices of the DLS. For the application of the above methodology, the staff of the Department, should demonstrate:

• Flexibility
• Adaptability
• Efficiency
• Ability to carry out the work in a short time

Although the DLS has long proved that it easily adapts to the challenges of the time, such as uncertainty, an unstable environment, unexpected increases in applications/cases or extraordinary conditions (e.g. pandemic), through this methodology, the Department will seek to better its service, achieve faster delivery of products and services, define priorities and set timetables, imposed by the ever-changing working environment and people’s needs.

An important factor of success in this whole effort is the management of change, as well as the re-engineering of processes.

For the application of this methodology in practice, the Strategic Plan (SP) of the Department is taken into account. Subsequently, for the implementation of the SP, individual, sub-plans will be created, which will, in turn, be implemented through other smaller operations/actions, that will ultimately lead to the completion of the objectives.

Emphasis is given to the following principles⁚

• Productive cooperation of the parties
• Staff response to changes
• Quality of deliverable services within timeframes

The implementation of the objectives of the OLTS is based on inculcating a culture for complete operational and organizational change of the Department.