Public Sector Show 2017 – what I learnt
I went to the Public Sector Show at the Excel Centre in London.
What did I learn? What was reinforced from previous experience & learning?
Panel discussion: The public sector after the European Union
EU funding was aimed at strengthening poorer areas. There needs to be a place based strategy to replace EU funding.
It’s seen as a key opportunity for localism and devolution agendas with devolved funding. However, no mention of devolution in the Queen’s speech and there was feeling that England was missing out on devolution opportunities.
We will need proper strategic workforce planning with schools to look at work opportunities other than universities.
Older workers should be encouraged to reskill
Great concern about a lack of a workforce in hospitality, building, tourism, health care. Social care especially needs re-branding to increase its popularity.
The business spokesmen were not happy. No deal would be a disaster and it was seen as offering no opportunities, just consequences for London. It was also causing great uncertainty on the High Street and in the Housing Market. We were paralysed by Brexit and the government was not in a position for bold steps.
The complexities of decision making in government – Sir Amyas Morse (great name!) National Audit
Talked a lot about decisions being made where the details and implications were not thought through. What were they meant to accomplish?
Sometimes things are pursued as a good thing – e.g. Kids Company – but the spending was not controlled.
Legal Aid suffered cut backs without sufficient thought to how the poor would get access to justice.
Local govt to be financed by business rates based on buildings but businesses today increasingly don’t need buildings.
Cutting funding to local govt children’s services and social care was done without thinking of the impact on the health system.
HS2 started with an announcement before the business case was made.
Universal Credit was given too aggressive a time scale.
‘Common sense thinking about the moving parts of decision mechanics’.
Fine to set direction and ambition but then you must retro fit it. Civil servants are not challenging enough. Enormous decisions should be taken incrementally rather than chunks.
The future of commissioning and public service transformation – Benjamin Taylor PST Academy
The Learning World must be tested in the real world.
The Citizen World must always be co-designed with the citizen/person themselves.
Public Service is not there to process demand. Need drives demand. We need to look behind the need to purpose, though we may not approve of this. Wanting people to have the needs you can deal with risks creating dependency.
In the Service World cold data is the analysis of need. During the process of long term procurement the world has changed and the service is no longer fit for purpose.
We need to be thinking more than procuring. What is the system doing now? What is the underlying purpose? What is the work to be done?
System leadership management is very complex.
In our time box we need to do tests to do things better, think differently, change our identity.
‘Think massive. Act small’.
How do you build a 21st century workforce? Neil Keeler at Southend Borough Council
Partnered with Go MAD Thinking Ltd
http://www.gomadthinking.com/about/our-story/
Leadership in an increasingly complex world – Sue Dunkley Bradford Metropolitan District Council
If you give employees autonomy within clear boundaries, they come up with ideas.
They allowed their staff to self-assess – you tell us if you are a future leader and this increased BME and women within the pool.
Transforming together: Leading for people and place – Joan Munro Accelerating innovation in Local Government research project
See above.
First time experience? Sitting in an auditorium with headphones on to listen to the speaker.
The Exhibitor stands? The future is digital.