These are the three things I learned at #OneTeamGovGlobal in London: where we are now, where we’re going, and how we’ll get there
Three weeks ago, I attended the One Team Gov’s first global “unconference”.
I knew I was going to be energised by the presence of 700 public sector delegates from 43 countries. I knew that I would find an incredible passion for the public service among the participants, along with a strong public sector ethos.
But I thought that — as in many other gatherings of this sort, and despite the many profound ideas shared on the day — I would leave the venue with a sombre recognition of the many barriers to achieving cultural change.
It turns out I was wrong.
I left feeling uplifted, and while it has been clear for a while now that a shift in government culture is overdue, I feel more confident that the shift is possible and is indeed already happening.
Here are the three things I learned at #OneTeamGovGlobal.
1. The status quo is broken
Well, this didn’t come as a surprise. It is part of the reason why movements like One Team Gov exist, and why we at the Centre for Public Impact (CPI) are exploring the Future of Government in an attempt to reimagine what government could look like in years to come.
Across the 70+ sessions — all crowdsourced from the wisdom of the participants — there was a strong recognition that government as a whole is not working effectively, and that there’s a widening gap between what people expect from government and what it is delivering today. Whether because of its persistent silos, lack of inclusivity and diversity, or unbreakable hierarchies — all of which were key challenges identified by the participants from government — the conclusion is often the same: governments need to change.
I sensed that the incentives in government — the sort of behaviours that are permitted, rewarded and valued — are a worrying reason for the persistence of the status quo. There was a strong call from participants on the day to promote a culture of humility, empathy and collaboration across departments and borders. Civil servants tell me that these behaviours are often undervalued in government as a whole, but are greatly valued between individuals and teams.
But rather than focusing on how we got here, let’s take a look at where we want to be!
2. “The future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed” — William Gibson
I had heard this before, but the event left me with an even stronger belief that you really don’t have to look far to grasp the “future of government”.
One story I learned about on the day was that of the city of Preston in Lancashire, UK. Since 2013, the council has set itself the goal of putting democracy at the heart of the local economy and making sure that its wealth is captured by the local community. Having found that only a fraction of what was spent annually by major city institutions went to Preston businesses and organisations, the council launched a community wealth-building strategy. This involved simplifying the procurement process, developing the capacity of local businesses and social enterprises to bid for contracts, raising local awareness of procurement opportunities, and encouraging a diverse group of organisations to bid for contracts — in particular, workers’ cooperatives. As the project has gathered momentum, Preston has established a social value framework that informs all aspects of the local procurement cycle in a way that goes beyond conventional criteria of cost and quality.
Preston is only one among many stories that I discovered at One Team Gov Global. They can all be seen on the interactive map that we at CPI asked delegates to populate with their stories of impact from around the world. From the Canadian digital service to Finland’s universal basic income trial, these examples highlight the fact that the future of government is not (just) about being innovative or groundbreaking— it’s about being able to adopt a completely different mindset in order to tackle the status quo.
3. A different culture in government is possible
Of course, not all the stories I heard on the day are indicative of cultural change. Some may still feel like drops in the ocean because prevailing cultural barriers don’t allow them to proliferate and become the norm. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that old ways of waiting for permission to change are gradually fading away.
An event like One Team Gov Global itself is a great example of how a culture can be changed in a relatively short time. Immediately after Kit Collingwood’s opening remarks, people started talking candidly with strangers about their biggest fears and frustrations in government and their boldest ideas for reform. The smallest gestures — a hug, a high-five — were enough to uplift the spirits and spark joy in the room.
I don’t doubt for a second that shifting government culture will be hard, especially since it will involve achieving a stronger commitment to a more human government on the part of civil service leaders and the political class. But for now at least, I’m sure that the destination may be closer than I first thought.
So, get involved with the Future of Government and Finding Legitimacy to see it happen and share your vision on the future of government by completing our quickfire questionnaire! You can also listen to our podcast to hear what participants at One Team Gov Global said about this growing movement in public sector.
There’s a real and growing appetite for meaningful change, and I’m excited about what comes next!
