Transduction — leading transformation — Issue #171
My weekly posts
A note on how potential savings from local government reorganisation are being calculated
The updated PwC report for the County Councils Network revisits potential savings from local government reorganisation. The methodology applies assumed percentage savings from aggregated data, assuming Districts merge into Counties. However, it lacks analysis of actual efficiency by authority size, previous transition costs, or democratic impacts. PwC’s disclaimer warns against relying solely on their estimates. While some savings (e.g. fewer leaders, buildings) seem obvious, broader efficiency claims are questionable. Done poorly, this could alienate communities. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_no-access-county-councils-network-activity-7303714990790721536-rVUR
Navigating ‘devolution’ and local government reorganisation
Navigating devolution and local government reorganisation in England requires more than policy shifts — it needs collective insight. That’s why we’re launching a group to map and make sense of this complexity. During COVID-19, we ran a learning community on ‘the days after’ — well, those days are here, so we’re relaunching for sensemaking. Join us to refine our map and turn complexity into clarity. How do we ensure collective mapping leads to action, not just more complexity? Sign up and share your experience! https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_devolution-localgovernmentreorganisation-activity-7305127927317159936-enij
Courses and 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/
Towards Relational Public Services Conference 2025
3rd to 5th June 2025 Manchester Metropolitan University. This conference seeks to continue to explore the challenges of making Relational Public Services a reality for service users, professionals and academics alike: in an increasingly complex world, how can public services and social interventions create and sustain positive lives for the people and populations they serve? Find out more here: https://www.complexityoutcomes.org/
Complexity & Management Conference 6–8th June 2025
The conference begins on Friday 6th June 2025 and finishes at lunchtime on Sunday 8th. The currency of the conference is conversation and exploration in large groups and small.
Read more here: https://complexityandmanagement.com/2024/11/04/complexity-management-conference-6-8th-june-2025/
Level 7 Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship
Work in England or Wales? Want to develop your systems thinking skills? Sign up now for the next cohort of the Level 7 Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship — Cherith Simmons, with experts from SCiO (including me) — likely start in January 2025!
Things I shared on socials:
The Guardian view on fixing England’s local democracy: reforming structures is the means, not the end
Good old Grauniad, waited until the second para for the blatantly and very precisely incorrect factoid: “The government is simplifying the system, ending the duplication of functions between county and district councils.” https://bit.ly/3FuebKZ
Systems Research and Behavioral Science: Volume 42, Issue 1Pages: 1–259 January/February 2025 — Festschrift for Mike Jackson — currently free to access
This is the editorial for a festschrift for Mike Jackson. We begin by outlining six phases of Jackson’s research, from 1982 to the present day. Following this outline, we move on to an overview of the papers in the festschrift, each of which either expands on Mike Jackson’s ideas, applies them in new application domains, or critiques those ideas and provides alternatives. https://stream.syscoi.com/2025/03/08/systems-research-and-behavioral-science-volume-42-issue-1pages-1-259-january-february-2025-festschrift-for-mike-jackson-currently-free-to-access/
Rushed £5bn in PIP cuts is deeply flawed and likely unworkable — THE DISABILITY POLICY CENTRE
Proposals will significantly increase challenges for disabled people, prove difficult to deliver, and ignore how actually supporting disabled people would deliver £20bn to Treasury by 2030 anyway. https://thedisabilitypolicycentre.org/rushed-5bn-in-pip-cuts-is-deeply-flawed-and-likely-unworkable?utm_content=bufferc40ce&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Networks of Networks — Pathways to Transformation — Holley (2025)
What have most system strategies been missing? An understanding of Networks of Networks and System Shifting Networks! This slide deck from Holley’s recent talk starts to integrate systems and network approaches to transformation. https://stream.syscoi.com/2025/03/10/networks-of-networks-pathways-to-transformation-holley-2025/
Ep. 02 — The Inner Life of a Responsible Tech Practitioner with Benjamin Olsen.
Benjamin Olson had a delightful “Humans On the Loop” Podcast convo with Michael Garfield last year. Enjoy! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-02-the-inner-life-of-a-responsible/id1152767505?i=1000681658322
Ingressing Minds: Causal Patterns Beyond Genetics and Environment in Natural, Synthetic, and Hybrid Embodiments — Levin (2025)
A new framework challenges conventional views on intelligence, proposing that embodied minds emerge from a Platonic space of mathematical and cognitive patterns, influencing biology, AI, and ethics. https://stream.syscoi.com/2025/03/14/ingressing-minds-causal-patterns-beyond-genetics-and-environment-in-natural-synthetic-and-hybrid-embodiments-levin-2025/
Moments of lightness on the Future Leaders Scheme (FLS)
“Future Leaders Scheme is building a diverse, robust pipeline to senior roles. You’re part of the high potential, talented civil servants who can get there.” https://bit.ly/3OI8j3c
