BC Ministry of Citizens' Services
When the Expert Becomes the Bottleneck: A Human Factors Assessment for BC Government
The BC Ministry of Citizens' Services needed to understand why one of its most experienced Infrastructure Architects was overwhelmed - and whether the problem was the person or the system around them. Forge was engaged to conduct a formal human factors assessment of the role, applying the same rigorous methodology used in aviation and defence to a government digital team.
Impact & Outcomes
70% of tasks assigned to the Infrastructure Architect were below their skill level or outside their core responsibilities. NASA Task Load Index score dropped 28 points - from 79 to 51 - when the ideal role was modeled, one of the largest improvements typically seen using this tool. A restructured role design and workflow proposal gave leadership a clear, evidence-based path forward.
Challenge
A Senior Infrastructure Architect with 15 years of institutional knowledge had become the default answer to every question across multiple divisions. 70% of their daily tasks were below their expertise level or unrelated to their role - but because no formal tracking existed, this invisible work was draining one of the team's most critical resources. Projects started without them. Deadlines slipped. The problem wasn't performance - it was system design.
Approach
Forge's certified ergonomist Chris Oliver conducted a hierarchical task analysis over two months, mapping every task the Infrastructure Architect handled by source, business unit, skill level required, and time commitment. A workflow analysis identified how work was entering and exiting the role - and where the breakdowns were occurring. The NASA Task Load Index was administered twice: once for the current role, once for a modeled ideal role developed collaboratively with the architect and their director. The gap between the two scores quantified the cost of the current system - and the potential gain from fixing it.
Delivery
A full hierarchical task analysis with findings across 20 assessed tasks. A workflow redesign recommendation including a proposed organizational structure, analyst support model, and project intake process. An ideal role definition co-created with the Infrastructure Architect and validated against NASA TLX methodology. A projected 28-point reduction in perceived workload if recommendations are implemented - with corresponding gains in productivity, focus, and staff wellbeing.
