Marc Kidson
@marckidson.bsky.social
A bit obsessive about better ways of running public services - what got us here won’t get us there. Back in South West England via Oxford, York, London, Sydney. Views my own.
Going from 'disruptor' to the new normal might be a common story in the tech world, but it faces an uphill battle in government, as past reforms have shown. I posted a few practical suggestions over on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pulse/test-a... #testandlearn #government #civilservicereform
Test-and-learn teams – iterating towards a new operating model for government
Alongside the government's recent launch of its Plan for Change, which focused on what they want to achieve in the direction of their missions, there is a growing focus on the how. The Prime Minister ...
www.linkedin.com
December 17, 2024 at 8:02 AM
Going from 'disruptor' to the new normal might be a common story in the tech world, but it faces an uphill battle in government, as past reforms have shown. I posted a few practical suggestions over on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pulse/test-a... #testandlearn #government #civilservicereform
Reposted by Marc Kidson
🧵Really promising speech from @patmcfaddenmp this morning on how the Government wants to reform Whitehall. If the PMs speech on Thursday was the ambition, this is our first proper glimpse of the 'how'. Some quick thoughts on what Labour's vision looks like.
December 9, 2024 at 2:58 PM
🧵Really promising speech from @patmcfaddenmp this morning on how the Government wants to reform Whitehall. If the PMs speech on Thursday was the ambition, this is our first proper glimpse of the 'how'. Some quick thoughts on what Labour's vision looks like.
Great 🧵 summary. McFadden refreshingly clear and precise about both diagnosis and suggested course of treatment for the patient! Wonder if Starmer’s blunt rhetoric was intentionally teeing-up interest in what is otherwise quite a niche topic
Went to the speech this morning. A few thoughts. TL;DR - I thought it was really good, but of course lots of tricky challenges to work through. 🧵
I know people will be irked by the word ‘start-up’ here but I do think this is a meaningful step in the right direction. The basic principles they’re gesturing to must be right. 1/n
December 9, 2024 at 4:50 PM
Great 🧵 summary. McFadden refreshingly clear and precise about both diagnosis and suggested course of treatment for the patient! Wonder if Starmer’s blunt rhetoric was intentionally teeing-up interest in what is otherwise quite a niche topic
Reposted by Marc Kidson
Our @instituteforgov.bsky.social reaction to today’s Plan for Change
A positive development, but challenges ahead on targets/milestones, including about the money
And a shot across the bows for the civil service
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/keir...
A positive development, but challenges ahead on targets/milestones, including about the money
And a shot across the bows for the civil service
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/keir...
Keir Starmer’s Plan for Change puts pressure on Whitehall to deliver | Institute for Government
The Plan for Change's shift towards targets raises questions about the government's mission-led approach.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
December 5, 2024 at 10:08 PM
Our @instituteforgov.bsky.social reaction to today’s Plan for Change
A positive development, but challenges ahead on targets/milestones, including about the money
And a shot across the bows for the civil service
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/keir...
A positive development, but challenges ahead on targets/milestones, including about the money
And a shot across the bows for the civil service
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/keir...
“Too many people in Whitehall are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline”
Only surprise in PM’s speech today was the shade he threw at the civil service. Agree w/ those who felt tone was off. I didn’t like how he personalised institutional inertia as a moral failing of civil servants…
Only surprise in PM’s speech today was the shade he threw at the civil service. Agree w/ those who felt tone was off. I didn’t like how he personalised institutional inertia as a moral failing of civil servants…
December 5, 2024 at 10:09 PM
“Too many people in Whitehall are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline”
Only surprise in PM’s speech today was the shade he threw at the civil service. Agree w/ those who felt tone was off. I didn’t like how he personalised institutional inertia as a moral failing of civil servants…
Only surprise in PM’s speech today was the shade he threw at the civil service. Agree w/ those who felt tone was off. I didn’t like how he personalised institutional inertia as a moral failing of civil servants…
As @torstenbell.bsky.social points to, anyone interested in preventative public services has to take theSure Start example seriously. As it happens, this was another ‘policy success’ case study that I was involved in with @instituteforgov.bsky.social 10 years ago that bears revisiting.
From Sure Start to youth centres, cutting children’s services is a false economy | Torsten Bell
From Sure Start to youth centres, cutting children’s services is a false economy | Torsten Bell
Research reveals that Tessa Jowell’s programme not only helped early years children but went on to reduce youth crime
On 22 February 2019, I spoke at a conference in memory of a good friend, Tessa Jowell. The event was about her legacy, marking 20 years…
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2024 at 11:50 PM
As @torstenbell.bsky.social points to, anyone interested in preventative public services has to take theSure Start example seriously. As it happens, this was another ‘policy success’ case study that I was involved in with @instituteforgov.bsky.social 10 years ago that bears revisiting.
Reposted by Marc Kidson
From Sure Start to youth centres, cutting children’s services is a false economy | Torsten Bell
From Sure Start to youth centres, cutting children’s services is a false economy | Torsten Bell
Research reveals that Tessa Jowell’s programme not only helped early years children but went on to reduce youth crime
On 22 February 2019, I spoke at a conference in memory of a good friend, Tessa Jowell. The event was about her legacy, marking 20 years…
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2024 at 9:20 AM
From Sure Start to youth centres, cutting children’s services is a false economy | Torsten Bell
Calls for clarity and coherence from DfE are completely understandable - they’re moving quickly on multiple fronts. But sitting behind the ‘bitty’ announcements it’s not that hard to make out the Darzi-style “big shifts” that tie things together and DfE could be using to articulate reform direction.
Labour needs to set out its wider vision for schools in a white paper, sector leaders have said, amid concerns that recent 'bitty announcements' reveal a 'confusing approach to reform'
Calls for Labour to publish schools ‘vision’ in white paper
Leaders warn 'bitty announcements' reveal a 'confusing approach to reform'
buff.ly
November 24, 2024 at 5:17 PM
Calls for clarity and coherence from DfE are completely understandable - they’re moving quickly on multiple fronts. But sitting behind the ‘bitty’ announcements it’s not that hard to make out the Darzi-style “big shifts” that tie things together and DfE could be using to articulate reform direction.
Reposted by Marc Kidson
Fourthly, we would worry a lot less about exclusion if we funded and researched good practice in AP better. Especially developing routes back into mainstream. Parents and teachers really support this 7/10
November 19, 2024 at 8:02 AM
Fourthly, we would worry a lot less about exclusion if we funded and researched good practice in AP better. Especially developing routes back into mainstream. Parents and teachers really support this 7/10
Reposted by Marc Kidson
And my brilliant co-author, @petewhitehead.bsky.social
has written about the report for @schoolsweek.bsky.social 10/10
schoolsweek.co.uk/lets-get-bey...
has written about the report for @schoolsweek.bsky.social 10/10
schoolsweek.co.uk/lets-get-bey...
The stale exclusions debate must give way to real solutions
We need to worry less about exclusions and worry more about alternative provision, concludes a new report
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 19, 2024 at 8:02 AM
And my brilliant co-author, @petewhitehead.bsky.social
has written about the report for @schoolsweek.bsky.social 10/10
schoolsweek.co.uk/lets-get-bey...
has written about the report for @schoolsweek.bsky.social 10/10
schoolsweek.co.uk/lets-get-bey...
As we learn more about the contours of public service reform under Labour, it’s been interesting to see the London Challenge invoked as a model with lessons for at least health and education, e.g. @anthonypainter.bsky.social on Substack and @eddorrell.bsky.social in Schools Week. (1/9)
November 18, 2024 at 11:09 PM
As we learn more about the contours of public service reform under Labour, it’s been interesting to see the London Challenge invoked as a model with lessons for at least health and education, e.g. @anthonypainter.bsky.social on Substack and @eddorrell.bsky.social in Schools Week. (1/9)
Reposted by Marc Kidson
However best to improve services individually, hope govt is thinking about cross-service links. For example, from school governor experience, unlocking some kids' progress required eg mental health support for a parent, or tackling squalid or overcrowded housing bsky.app/profile/anth...
Really interesting piece on early divergent currents of public service management reform in the Government: top-down v collaborative improvement. I'm not sure the model matters more than the capability of managers within the system. That's where I'd focus.
www.progressivebritain.org/the-unnotice...
www.progressivebritain.org/the-unnotice...
The Unnoticed Battle for the Future of Labour's Public Sector Reform Agenda - Progressive Britain
The Government are delivering much needed public service reform, Ed Dorrell analyses how different key Cabinet members are approaching this task.
www.progressivebritain.org
November 16, 2024 at 8:21 AM
However best to improve services individually, hope govt is thinking about cross-service links. For example, from school governor experience, unlocking some kids' progress required eg mental health support for a parent, or tackling squalid or overcrowded housing bsky.app/profile/anth...