Capacity to refresh is about being able to make the improvements that 'hunger to learn' and 'smart resourcing' have told you that you need.

Change is continuous, so you need to be able to improve continuously. Capacity to refresh is not just about periodic efficiency drives: it's about a change in culture and attitude.

There are three manifestations of this:

1. As an organisation everyone is comfortable with the need for continuous change.
2. You have a well-understood approach to managing change and the tools that will be used to do this, for example BPI or service redesign.
3. You are able to use the full potential of your IT investment – automating where possible and making IT a help and not a hindrance.

How do I increase my authority's capacity to refresh?

• Decide how radical you want to be. Be clear up front about the scale of what you are trying to achieve and plan and communicate accordingly.
• Start with the customer. Invest at the start in really understanding who your customers are and what they want (see citizen insight).
• Build the right skills. You need project and programme management, and soft and hard skills like facilitation and systems thinking.
• Get help from outside. Getting outside help in can challenge your thinking, build capacity and drive change forward.
• Pick the right tools. Don't get distracted by flashy technology – pens, paper and post-its are enough to get you going.
• Prioritise effort. Target your energies on the things that really matter and be ready to drop good ideas that are not the best.