But What's the Job?

23431 - Project Manager - The Project Delivery Function aim is to have capable and empowered teams, delivering Project Delivery excellence... The MoJ’s Functional Operating Model is unique across government. All project delivery professionals are line managed through the Function and then assigned to projects and programmes across the MoJ and its Agencies. Successful candidates will be part of a flexible resource pool and may be placed in roles based on business needs. The Project Manager leads and manages the project and project team. They are responsible for driving and overseeing the delivery of the project to ensure objectives are clearly defined and achieved within agreed time, cost, and quality constraints. The national salary range is £42,914- £46,182, London salary range is £49,325- £53,081.

But what's the fucking job?

23392 - Change Delivery Officer - Midlands Team - The Change Officer role is an integral role within both Area and National Change Delivery teams which work across Prison and Probation. This role is pivotal in overseeing, and in the delivery of, both local and nationally identified change initiatives. With approximately 175 staff across 3 functions, our Change Group represents half of the Change Directorate.
£37,238 - £44,520

But what's the fucking job??

23239 - Change Systems Project Officer - The Project Officer role specialises in change systems and is instrumental in facilitating the smooth implementation of HMPPS Gateway Management System and HMPPS EQuiP Process Management system and processes within HMPPS. Facilitate comprehensive process mapping workshops to visualise current workflows and identify opportunities for process optimization.
£28,064 - £33,549

Uhh?

22878 - Senior Project Manager - The Project Delivery Function aim is to have capable and empowered teams, delivering Project Delivery excellence. ​Our people will be empowered to develop the skills they need to succeed, and our line managers will be accountable for upholding functional standards and demonstrating excellence in project delivery. Successful candidates will be part of a flexible resource pool and may be placed in roles based on business needs. The Senior Project Manager leads and manages the project and project team. The national salary range is £71,381 - £80,419, London salary range is £75,674 - £85,257

But what's the fucking job???

23405 - Senior Programme Manager - This is an important leadership role within the Service Centre expansion project, providing an exciting opportunity to shape and deliver a significant programme of change across probation services. Working under the governance of the Our Future Probation Service Programme, the postholder will oversee the full range of governance arrangements for the project, including reporting on progress, managing risks and issues, and ensuring clear and effective decision-making. We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Communicating & Influencing (skilful bullying)
Delivering at Pace (intense bullying)
Leadership (incompetent bullying)
Seeing the Big Picture (erm, which one?)
The national salary range is £81,338 - £89,472, London salary range is £84,458 - £94,690.

Has anyone any fucking idea what the fuck they're drivelling on about?
ahh... "Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform."

*****

This makes me laugh - hysterical laughter. They are doing this arse about face. OFPS launched February 2025. The OFPS program should have been informed by a Business Process Reengineering (BPR) project firstly. Ha ha they are now looking at doing the BPR and advertising roles 18 months later.You couldn’t make this up. Most important role advertised is actually the 23239 - Change Systems Project Officer who will be mapping the ‘as is’ processes and then design the ‘to be’ processes. I can guarantee you all that they will not consult with the frontline officers re the current and future processes. I have repeatedly said that frontline officers know the problems and the solutions but no, the officers are not considered clever enough are they! The officers MUST be part of the mapping processes.

Senior management who have come up with the whole OFPS are Fuckwits (excuse that but I don’t think this deserves me to find a more polite way of saying it). I will bet my last £100 quid this is not going to end well as JB regularly references. Anon

*****

So AI, what is a Business Process Reengineering Project? 

A Business Process Reengineering (BPR) project is a radical, project-based management strategy that completely tears down and rebuilds core organizational workflows, systems, and structures from the ground up. Unlike incremental improvement methods (such as Business Process Improvement or Six Sigma), which tweak existing routines, BPR aims for dramatic, breakthrough leaps in performance metrics like cost, speed, quality, and customer service.

Core Characteristics of a BPR Project

Radical Redesign: It challenges every existing assumption and tradition rather than patching current flaws.

End-to-End Focus: It shifts an organization from a rigid, department-based structure to a fluid, process-based one.

Information Technology as an Enabler: IT is used to fundamentally transform operations (e.g., replacing manual paper invoicing with automated electronic systems), not just speed up old tasks.

Finite Scope: It is managed as a distinct, large-scale project rather than an ongoing daily routine.

Typical Phases of a BPR Project

1. Define Goals: Align high-level business objectives (like reducing cycle times or cutting operational costs) with strategic targets.

2. Map the "As-Is" State: Analyze current workflows, document steps, and pinpoint bottlenecks or redundant tasks.

3. Design the "To-Be" State: Rebuild the workflow from scratch using fresh process diagrams and new technology foundations.

4. Implement and Manage Change: Roll out the new structure supported by heavy leadership commitment, staff training, and active change management to ease employee resistance.

*****

You were right, JB, productivity IS the answer!

"Barclays is cutting its staff by around 5,000 as it introduces more artificial intelligence (AI) into its work processes. Barclays said the changes were the result of an ongoing modernisation plan, with the use of AI being the "icing on the cake" of its strategy.... "AI has an important role to play and may have a more important role to play in the future."

Oh.

"The Ministry of Justice projects the tool will save around 450,000 hours annually for frontline officers... Productivity improvement: The Justice Transcribe AI‑enabled transcription tool... Identifying opportunities for productivity improvement ..."

"The Project Delivery Function aim is to have capable and empowered teams, delivering Project Delivery excellence... The Change Officer role is an integral role within both Area and National Change Delivery teams which work across Prison and Probation... an exciting opportunity to shape and deliver a significant programme of change across probation services...facilitating the smooth implementation of HMPPS Gateway Management System and HMPPS EQuiP Process Management system and processes within HMPPS."

* "Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform."

** "Artificial intelligence plays a growing and transformative role in probation services, primarily by reducing administrative workloads, enhancing record accuracy, and supporting risk management."

*** "HMPPS does not have actual time saved data to monitor how far estimated time savings have been achieved."

--oo00oo--

AI Action Plan Explorer

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is at the forefront of responsible AI adoption across government. One year on from publishing the AI Action Plan for Justice, this explorer highlights progress against our ambitions. We are committed to being transparent about how we use AI and will continue to work with industry, academia, civil society and the wider public sector to realise its benefits safely and responsibly.

Fred is an AI-powered chatbot that helps people on probation understand their requirements and stay on track with appointments, unpaid work, licence conditions, and rehabilitation activities. By providing clear, accessible information when it is needed, Fred helps people navigate probation more confidently and reduces uncertainty about what is expected of them.

As part of wider efforts to modernise probation services, Fred demonstrates how AI can make public services more accessible, responsive and user-centred. By providing personalised guidance and on-demand support, the tool aims to improve engagement, support compliance, and enable probation staff to focus on higher-value, person-centred interactions. Fred does not make any decisions regarding sentence management, nor does it discuss content outside of probation.

The project is currently being piloted in London, Norfolk and North Kent. Early feedback from both people on probation and practitioners has been very positive.

One individual reflected: “When I left prison, I was completely isolated, with addiction and mental health struggles. If I'd had Fred to talk to, it would have been a lifeline”.