Transduction — leading transformation — Issue #154
My weekly posts
Friends reported he’d been talking about differentiation and integration again
I was asked to speak at a mini-symposia of the International Systems Sciences Society — so no pressure, then! I talked about the positive and negative dynamics of differentiation and integration when people get organised together.
Here are twelve points I think people might find interesting — what do you think?
Read the full post here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7256950648267591680/
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/
Procurex Wales 2024
Join us at Procurex Wales 2024 on 5 November at the ICC Wales. It’s the largest procurement event in Wales, bringing together experts and leaders to explore innovative approaches to public procurement.
Register here: https://buff.ly/4e99MZC
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:
Insights into the science of complexity
The article by Jean Boulton explores the science of complexity, examining how complex systems theory helps address interdisciplinary challenges by understanding interactions, patterns, and emergent behaviours in fields like ecology, economics, and social sciences.
Surviving the complexity winter
The article written by Petter Holme discusses navigating the “complexity winter,” a period where enthusiasm for complexity science wanes, suggesting that researchers focus on practical applications to sustain progress in the field.
Review: Stafford Beer — Brain of the Firm (1981)
This article written by Victoria Macha reviews Brain of the Firm by Stafford Beer, highlighting his insights on cybernetics in management and how businesses can adapt to complexity using systems thinking and self-regulation principles.
Consultancy firms becoming ‘shadow public service’, expert warns, as PwC crisis deepens
The article discusses concerns about consultancy firms like PwC increasingly influencing government functions in Australia, with experts warning that they act as a “shadow public service” amid ethical controversies.
Meet Mary Somerville: The Brilliant Woman for Whom the Word “Scientist” Was Coined
The article celebrates Mary Somerville’s contributions to science, highlighting her role as a pioneering 19th-century polymath whose work bridged disciplines and advanced understanding in mathematics, astronomy, and physics.
