Finding new ways to tackle societies’ biggest challenges.

So many of our crucial social challenges emerge from broken systems that are no longer serving our needs. The future of our community and public services and the role they play in a society where citizens, businesses and governments work together to address the challenges facing society is a crucial debate, perhaps never more so. It is clear that a policy of more of the same is not a sustainable option: our current systems and services were largely designed in, and for, a world that no longer exists.

At the same time, over a decade of public sector austerity and longer-term technological and social trends are not only driving the need for innovation within public services but also making it more difficult to achieve. We need investment in new systems and processes that are fit for purpose, which necessitates the design and test of new approaches that are appropriate for the 21st century.

How might we liberate entrepreneurialism in our communities and public services In order to help tackle the very real  issues that impact people’s everyday lives?

Through my research I have found many people being creative and innovative in the ways they work, often despite the constraints of working across complex systems and organisations that can crowd out innovative solutions to our social challenges. I call them systems entrepreneurs – or public entrepreneurs in the public sector. My work therefore seeks to systematically identify and share practice that is demonstrating a new kind of civic entrepreneurialism, including:

• identifying the barriers to an entrepreneurial culture in public sector organisations,
• developing an action-based curriculum based on the core skillset and mindset of the public – and social – entrepreneurs
• capturing practice in a toolkit of methods and approaches. 

We need new and innovative ways of working to address these issues as they manifest in modern society. It is my contention that it is crucial to bring aspects of entrepreneurialism to this work, leading innovation, identifying and seizing the opportunity for experimentation, and driving change. 

My offer to you.

Click for more about my Change Journey offer.

I collaborate with organisational or multi-disciplinary teams to help you address your most pressing challenges while also seeding a culture of experimentation and innovation.

Keep up-to-date

A selection of articles.

• On being a public entrepreneur
• On outdated public services
• On the quality of our lives (part 2)
• On the need for mainstream investment in our communities
• On developing my change framework
• On transitions and loss (part I)
• On when collaboration makes for the best competition
• On public services taking the long view
• On local government: abolition, emasculation or rejuvenation? (part 1)
• On the biggest issue you never knew you cared about
• On commissioning in complexity

Key readings.

A list of some key readings is available here, should you want a trip down the rabbit hole 😉