Transduction — leading transformation — Issue #153
My weekly posts
There isn’t really a competitive tender market in UK public service consultancy anymore.
RedQuadrant is set up to compete in a fair fight for a wide range of public sector tenders. We get an enormous volume of tender emails, and we’re signed up to over 365 different tender portals.
These days, the number of competitive tenders coming out is tiny. And even where a tender appears to be competitive, about half of them are ‘suspicious’ — there’s a popular incumbent, the tender wording matches a company’s website description of its services, etc. And being ‘invited to pitch’ is incredibly rare — most awards are just based on scoring bids.
Read the full post here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_there-isnt-really-a-competitive-tender-market-activity-7254397638995767296-BVDj?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Courses and events
Contract Management Development Programme, Cohort Four is launching in January 2025
The programme is an opportunity for those involved in contract management to refresh their skills, build on their existing knowledge and expertise and refamiliarize themselves with key documents and guidance. The aim is to deepen learning and understanding around contract management and to support and challenge participants to work in new ways to deliver outcomes.
Find out more here: https://www.publicservicetransformation.org/2024/10/contract-management-development-programme-cohort-four-is-launching-january-2025/
Better Way Upcoming Events
Better Way is a network of people across sectors exploring how to improve services, build community and create a fairer society.
Better Way has some great upcoming events for people to get involved in:
- Engaging with Communities — NHS Learning Partner Roundtable, 5th November.
- Better Way Principles and Behaviours on the 20th of November and the 4th of December.For more information and how to join, visit their website here: https://www.betterway.network/forthcoming-events
The Next National Commissioning Academy — coming early 2025
We are currently working on the next iteration of the National Commissioning Academy, which we expect to launch early in 2025. Dates and locations will be forthcoming!
Read more here: https://www.publicservicetransformation.org/2024/09/the-next-national-commissioning-academy-coming-early-2025/
A new identity for commissioning: what it means to commission well in a changing system
Join this two-day virtual event to be at the forefront of discussions about how the narrative around commissioning and its future is changing, and how organisations from different parts of the sector can get involved in designing and improving the services, both for those working in the health and care system and for the people and communities who use health services.
You can join here: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/events/commissioning-changing-system#programme
Things I shared on socials:
Is the “What Works” movement working?
The post examines the “What Works” movement in UK policymaking, questioning its effectiveness and exploring whether evidence-based approaches are genuinely improving public services and policy outcomes.
The surprisingly important role of symmetry in healthy human environments
The article explores how symmetry in urban design contributes to healthier human environments, promoting well-being, comfort, and psychological benefits in public spaces through balanced and harmonious architectural forms.
We May Finally Know How Our Eyesight Evolved, And It’s Not From Our Branch of Life
The article discusses new research suggesting that human eyesight may have evolved from ancient marine organisms outside our direct evolutionary lineage, shedding light on the origins of complex vision.
Learning-disabled and autistic people are being neglected and tortured. How much longer?
The article addresses systemic neglect and abuse faced by learning-disabled and autistic individuals in UK institutions, calling for urgent reform to protect vulnerable people and ensure dignified care.
Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Other — and the Birds Loved It
The article highlights an experiment where scientists taught pet parrots to video-call each other, revealing that the birds enjoyed socializing virtually and benefited emotionally from the interaction.
