Exploring our biggest social challenges.
I share below copies of the research publications that I have authored or co-written. They all unpack significant social challenges and offer insights about how we might address them. This is illustrative of the kinds of diagnostic I do, leading to practical actions for change.
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Exeter and Plymouth Summary Proposal
Executive summary of a 4 unitary proposal for Devon [November 2025]
Best 4 Essex Full proposal
Rochford District Council’s full LGR proposal to Government [September 2025]
Best 4 Essex Summary proposal
Executive Summary of Rochford District Council’s LGR proposal [September 2025]
Shropshire Youth Service Review
Ideas for the transformation of youth services for Shropshire [July 2025]
A Federal Unitary System for Norfolk
Exploring a radical alternative to the LGR review process [May 2025]
Start Network Strategy
Developing Start Network’s new corporate strategy [January 2024]
Stronger Together
Exploring governance implications for third sector infrastructure organisations [June 2022]
A rough guide to being a public entrepreneur
A summary of the innovation learning journey I led with the team from NHS Lothian [September 2022]
Crisis, Communities and Change
Community experiences of Covid19 – exploring questions of social justice and equity [April 2021]
Seizing the moment
Lessons learned – and insights from – the initial Covid19 response of UK local public services [November 2020]
A stitch in time?
How to realise the benefits of taking a long-term perspective – in our own lives, in organisations and in society as a whole [October 2020]
Using economic development to improve health
Exploring how to grow local economies in ways that improve local health outcomes. With Health Foundation. [September 2020]
Innovation in public finance
Learning from innovators to explore the opportunities for change in a traditionally risk-averse field. With ACCA. [September 2019]
A basic income for Scotland
Designing a bold Basic Income experiment in Fife: a blueprint for change [May 2019]
Move fast and fix things
How to be a public entrepreneur. Exploring innovation in public service procurement and commissioning [August 2018]
Think like a system, act like an entrepreneur
A new way of looking at change. In the Annual Review of Social Partnerships (ASRP) Journal [November 2017]
Releasing energy for change in our communities
A new analysis of how to support the emergence and growth of social movements – with a specific focus on improving health [October 2017]
Transforming Together
Leading for People and Place: a framework for effective place-based collaboration [September 2017]
The system entrepreneur
Lead article: presenting a different approach to public sector reform – one grounded in the wider systemic perspective [June 2017]
This page also serves as an archive for the above RSA reports, some of which may no longer be available on the RSA website.
For more information
If you would like to discuss any of these areas of research please get in touch.
Ian Burbidge. 