My weekly posts
Thoughts on Renaisi’s pattern book for place-based change
The Renaisi Pattern Book is excellent, but patterns are not the place operating system. We need sharper distinctions between mechanisms, actors and effects, with power and equity running through the whole thing. Scale is about spreading the conditions for good local judgement, not replicating a forest. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_patterns-the-right-level-for-place-based-share-7496165471935827968-Phk9/
Epistemological closure is everywhere
Epistemological closure is what happens when a person or institution can process every signal through its existing assumptions but can no longer revise those assumptions. The difficult design challenge is keeping systems open to reality, tacit knowledge and boundary-crossers without letting them dissolve into chaos. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_epistemological-closure-im-writing-about-share-7495375130819338240-988V/
Courses and events
Commissioning and Innovation: playing on a bigger stage
A practical three-day programme for commissioners working in complexity that helps commissioners, transformation leaders, and partners work more effectively across complex systems. It combines practical tools, public service examples, peer learning, facilitated exercises, and direct application to participants’ own challenges. Open for enquiries. https://link.redquadrant.com/CommissioningAndInnovation
Next National Commissioning Academy
We’re building our cohort for the next national commissioning academy – our flagship commissioning programme from the PSTA. Register your interest now for our September 2026 cohort: https://link.redquadrant.com/nextacademy25
Leadership for systems change with LGR 2028!
Curious about how to lead transformation in the context of local government reorganisation and devolution? Responding to complexity: leading transformation in local government reorganisation and devolution is a five-month programme with the Open University and RedQuadrant, taking place September 2026-January 2027. We invite participants from organisations preparing for, going through, or having been through reorganisation, and who want to learn with and from others to build capacity for transformation in uncertainty.https://lnkd.in/gpX6ZG8h
smartCompass – our new AI-supported tool for AI for community-powered outcomes
Our new prototype smartCompass is a new, free tool to help commissioners, leaders, partners, and people working in public services see how their system is really working — and where to act next.Answer sixteen questions about a system you care about, and receive a personalised, AI-supported response by email. It helps you see strengths, blockers, patterns, and possible next moves. https://link.redquadrant.com/smartCompass
Compass v2 – comment on our new systems change tool
We’re now inviting comments on this beta new version of a systems change insight tool https://link.redquadrant.com/compassv2beta
Introducing the RedQuadrant Local Government Reorganisation hub
Local Government Reorganisation is coming fast. By April 2028, every new authority must be safe, legal, and fully operational. That means statutory officers secured, ICT cutovers rehearsed, services live, and residents experiencing seamless continuity. The RedQuadrant LGR Hub is the only model that guarantees readiness while embedding lasting capability. With a single accountable structure, governance at its core, and capability pillars across adults, children’s, SEND, ICT, finance, housing, and place, the Hub ensures no gaps, no surprises. Three outcomes, every time: Safe and legal on day one; Visible assurance and confidence in delivery; Future-ready capacity with transformation built in. Find out more now: https://www.redquadrant.com/lgrhub
Commissioning Compass: systems assessment for change
Our newly launched tool, the Commissioning Compass, helps you to assess your commissioning system and form an action plan for improvement. It’s available for free via our Teachable site – try it now! link.redquadrant.com/commissioningcompass
Things I shared on socials:
CCS 2026: The 2026 Conference on Complex Systems
Complex Systems Society. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/08/20/hiroki-sayama-hirokisayama-on-x/
Second Law of Technodynamics
Ivo Velitchkov. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/08/20/second-law-of-technodynamics-by-ivo-velitchkov/
Two Traditions, One Living System: NTL and Tavistock on group, authority and change
Tavistock Institute of Human Relations. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/08/20/tavistock-institute-of-human-relations-two-traditions-one-living/
The Necessary Tangle update tracking – please contribute!
Benjamin P Taylor. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/08/20/the-necessary-tangle-update-tracking-please-contribute/
RIP Merrelyn Emery, 1940–2026. Socio-Technical Systems Roundtable (STS RT)
This week in systemic design
Cheryl May. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/08/18/this-week-in-systemic-design/
The Porter Ratio and the Systems Survival Theorem
Benjamin P Taylor. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/08/17/the-porter-ratio-and-the-systems-survival-theorem/
VSM7 Walkthrough
Mark Lambertz. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/08/17/vsm7-walkthrough-intelligent-organisations/
Information = Comprehension × Extension • Comment 6
Jon Awbrey. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/08/16/information-comprehension-x-extension-comment-6/
chosen path 