Supporting MPS to Shape and Deliver Strategic Change

The Challenge

At a time of significant change, Medical Protection Society (MPS) were preparing for the introduction of a new CEO and the roll-out of a refreshed Strategy and Operating Model. This transformation, which was projected to run over the next 3 to 5 years, called for greater alignment, visibility, and control over business and technical change. 

When Curium joined the team, there was no single view of change activity across the organisation. Change ideas, inflight projects, and recommendations from external reports existed in silos. Prioritisation was inconsistent. Benefits weren’t clearly identified. And with a finite budget, the risk of wasted effort and cost was growing. MPS needed a clearer, more connected way of managing strategic change.

The Results

Over just three months, together we achieved: 

  • Alignment across 9 Executive leaders, including the incoming CEO, around the purpose and value of the TMO 
  •  A shared understanding of how the TMO would work and embed into governance structures 
  • Clear articulation of the 6 strategic pillars and what they meant in practice 
  • Significant uplift in benefits-led thinking, with “Route to Benefit” becoming a common conversation 
  • A rationalised portfolio – reducing the number of change items by more than 50%, with a clear path for each 
  • Six figure cost avoidance on potential technology projects through alternative non-technical solutions 
  • Resolution of two longstanding, stalled initiatives between IT and Business  
  • Clear guidance on which projects to continue during strategy development, and the risks of pausing others 
  • A new way to visualise the change journey – grouping initiatives under “Keep MPS Safe”, “Lay the Foundations” and “Evolve the Business” – helping bring wider stakeholders along with the journey 

And crucially, all of this was in place before the new CEO joined – meaning they had a single, joined-up view of the change landscape on day one. 

“In contrast to other consultancies, Curium focused just as much on relationships as they did the task. They really understood our business and helped us move forward on long-standing challenges. They empowered our team to lead the conversations that matter.”
– Head of Portfolio 

Our Approach

We focused on building both immediate capability and long-term confidence, through a blend of practical tools, expert facilitation, and coaching. Our support included: 

  • Providing visibility: We created a single view of business and technical change, working closely with Change Partners and Executive leaders to gather, validate and structure the full list of activities. 
  • Prioritisation and benefits: Using Curium’s BIO approach, we introduced a consistent method to identify, assess and track benefits, enabling clearer decision-making and better alignment to strategy. 
  • Interim strategic clarity: We mapped MPS’s six strategic pillars into actionable, easy-to-understand segments, helping teams understand what each pillar meant, why it mattered and where they could contribute. 
  • Simplifying delivery: We refined the delivery framework, making it easier to use across the business, with an added focus on change activity that sits outside IT. 
  • TMO design and capability: We defined and piloted the new Transformation Management Office, aligning it with best practice while tailoring it to MPS’s needs. This included designing governance forums, processes, role profiles, and a roadmap to transition from interim to permanent internal capability. 
  • Hands-on delivery: As the interim TMO, we worked alongside teams to support business case reviews, coach delivery leads, support Sponsors and Steering Groups, and keep the transformation roadmap live and aligned.

Our work with MPS is a great example of how clarity, simplicity, and people-focused change can build strong foundations for transformation. We’re proud to have played a part in helping MPS take control of their change journey and set themselves up for long-term success. 

Thank you to the brilliant teams across MPS for your openness, commitment, and collaboration throughout. We look forward to seeing what you achieve next. 

“Rob and Nick have been fantastic – open, honest, and always willing to tailor their approach. They’ve helped unlock stuck conversations and shaped ideas to fit our needs. We’ve learnt a lot from working with them.”– Change Partner 

 

“Curium were true partners. They were approachable, professional, and genuinely committed to helping us succeed. Their insight and support were key to designing and embedding our TMO model.” – Head of PMO 

 

“Curium’s simplicity of approach balanced technical knowledge, people focus and change management expertise perfectly.

They showcased our new ways of working in action and helped bring our Executive team on the journey. We now have a much stronger focus on benefits that we can sustain ourselves.”

– Executive Director for People & Culture 

 

“Curium brought clarity, structure and a human touch to change. Their prioritisation approach has helped us finally gain control over a growing portfolio, and their coaching has built confidence across the team.”
– Change Partner 

“Mark has approached this in a way that has been both extremely successful but also very sustainable. He has been able to turn things around and develop senior members of the team, leading to a noticeably different way of working and engaging with the team.”
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DAC Beachcroft
“Curium has empowered change across our team. They have inspired me to teach others and bring them on the Curium journey. The team now has a revived passion for our business, with morning meetings, better communication, tools and knowledge, and the desire to succeed.”
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Swindon Children's Services

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James Farrow
Director & Co-founder
Andy Dawson
Director & Co-founder
Adam Farrow
Director & Co-founder
Daniel Entwistle
US Director & Co-founder