25th Oct: Public management isn’t rocket science (it’s much harder)

Local Government: In Conversation

How do we know if our work is having the right impact? Local government deals with some of the thorniest problems in the public sector where there are no blueprints or universally accepted 'right' answers. This week we explore the changing face of public service delivery in a post-performance indicator world with Jon Ainger, Director at Impower. Jon talks us through their new book Edgework Manifesto which challenges our definition of effective local public services and asks whether we are identifying the right problems. He argues that local government deals with 'complex' problems which have no pre-defined or replicable answer – as opposed to 'complicated' problems which, although difficult, can be managed through processes and blueprints. Complex problems require a new relationship between the council and citizens that moves away from the idea of customer satisfaction and towards co-production. Hosted by Jen Glover, Andrew Walker and Ingrid Koehler. Tweet us @LGiU