Ten reasons why we need a new approach to developing social policy – 1. Policy would be better
This is the first in a series of posts on why social policy should be developed by and with the people who use and provide public and voluntary services. We’ll publish the whole series over the next two weeks, and we welcome your comments. Social policy would be better researched, more credible, more reliable, and [...]
This is my truth, tell me yours
The title is (famously) from Aneurin Bevan, whose greatest achievement was leading the creation of the NHS. Bevan is the type of figure who people have in mind when they lament the current lack of conviction politicians – politicians who ‘tell the truth’ – in favour of what Bevan described as “desiccated calculating machine[s]” (widely assumed to be [...]
Delivering public services that work depends on staff and public engagement – the same goes for public policy
John Seddon published his latest book yesterday on ‘delivering public services that work’. When all of the other fashionable ideas and theories have come and gone, hopefully we’ll recognise that John’s approach (described below) is one of the few practical and proven ways to produce more effective, and so more cost-effective, public services. But his [...]
More than words – why think tanks should be more visual
At our branding workshop a couple of weeks’ ago one of the participants suggested that if we wanted to be accessible to a much broader audience than think tanks traditionally are then we should be much more visual. This struck me as a really interesting idea, and it’s worth considering more as we develop this [...]
Exit, voice or loyalty – what matters most in building online communities?
We’re creating a platform for people who use and provide public and voluntary services to inform better social policy. For this to be a place they want to come to, and invest time and energy in, it will have to feel like – it will have to be – their community. How can we ensure [...]
Here’s to the crazy ones – what public and voluntary services can really learn from Apple
Considering our branding recently made me think (of course) about Apple, and in particular how one advertising campaign marked the turnaround in the company’s fortunes and the start of its journey to become the biggest company in the world. What can we learn from this ad? Many people think that advertising is superficial, but you [...]
Collaboration beats competition for creating better social policy
We’re developing an online platform – and hopefully from that a community – to research and develop better social policy. Should we use an approach based on competition or collaboration? Both can be used to source new ideas, but our view is that collaboration is more appropriate than competition for social policy. Competition is most obviously represented [...]
Think tanks are neglecting cheap and easy social media
Social media is disrupting traditional media and conventional approaches to public communication. Platforms such as Twitter offer a timely and low-cost way for think tanks to disseminate and discuss their ideas and findings, and potentially to broaden their audiences. Are they seizing the opportunities offered by social media? A few weeks ago we did a [...]
Think tank staff by Twitter following 1-50
Name Think tank Twitter followers 1. Will Straw IPPR 13,668 2. Matthew Taylor RSA 9,667 3. James Purnell IPPR 8,709 4. Phillip Blond ResPublica 8,481 5. Will Hutton Work Foundation 7,369 6. Sunder Katwala British Future 7,178 7. James Crabtree Demos 6,258 8. Charlie Leadbeater Demos 5,749 9. Robert Elms Demos 5,102 10. Jon Worth [...]
Think tank staff by Twitter following 51-100
Name Think tank Twitter followers 51. Louisa Loveluck Chatham House 1,545 52. Daniel Vockins nef 1,527 53. Rob Dale LGIU 1,513 54. Julia Unwin Joseph Rowntree Foundation 1,493 55. James Grant Joseph Rowntree Foundation 1,448 56. Kennedy Stewart LSE Public Policy Group 1,421 57. David Skelton Policy Exchange 1,382 58. Dale Bassett Reform 1,375 59. [...]
Think tank staff by Twitter following 101-150
Name Think tank Twitter followers 101. Anton Shelupanov Young Foundation 776 102. Joe Farrington-Douglas IPPR 767 103. Olly Parker Fabian Society 764 104. Will Tanner Reform 760 105. Claire Melamed Overseas Development Institute 758 106. Emma Stone Joseph Rowntree Foundation 748 106. Michael Harris New Think Tank / nef 748 108. Tony Colville Young Foundation [...]
Think tank staff by Twitter following 151-200
Name Think tank Twitter followers 151. Guy Shrubsole ResPublica 495 152. Matthew Pennycook Resolution Foundation 489 153. Laura Wilkes LGIU 482 154. Colin Talbot Institute for Government 479 155. David Buck The King’s Fund 464 156. Charlotte Morris Joseph Rowntree Foundation 462 157. Hannah Lownsbrough Demos 449 158. James Groves Policy Exchange 438 159. Sudeep [...]