Transduction – leading transformation – Issue #242

My weekly posts

How will a rewired state resolve disagreements?

A council, a regional mayor and a neighbourhood can all have evidence and still disagree about what a place needs. I explore how embedded autonomy and a Right to Propose might help, but the real test is what happens when agreement runs out: who decides, who pays, and can learning change the settlement itself?https://lnkd.in/p/ejeNWSq2

My pessimistic prediction for English local government: abolish two tiers, then recreate them at a larger scale, with less local autonomy. Tell me I’m wrong?

I fear we’ll abolish two-tier local government only to rebuild hierarchy at a larger scale: care drawn upwards, mayoral authorities tied to Whitehall, and unitaries left hollowed out. A better settlement needs national guarantees alongside protected local powers, with responsibilities and resources continually renegotiated rather than simply allocated from above.https://lnkd.in/p/egSeRCHH

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 November 2026 cohort: https://link.redquadrant.com/nextacademy25

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:

Call for Thematic Sessions – FedCSIS 2027

FedCSIS. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/08/call-for-thematic-sessions-fedcsis-2027/

#95 Inventing Temperature, Operational Coherence, Activist Realism and Active Knowledge with Cambridge philosopher Hasok Chang

Andrea Hiott and Hasok Chang. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/08/95-inventing-temperature-operational-coherence-activist-realism-and-active-knowledge-with-cambridge-philosopher-hasok-chang/

Love & Philosophy

Andrea Hiott. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/08/love-philosophy-andrea-hiott/

BI 247 Maxim Raginsky: A Control Theory View on Brains and AI

Paul Middlebrooks and Maxim Raginsky. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/08/bi-247-maxim-raginsky-a-control-theory-view-on-brains-and-ai-2/

Warren McCulloch, chairman [sic] of the Macy Conferences on Cybernetics, in a letter to the cybernetics group before the tenth and final conference, 1953

Warren McCulloch; discovered and shared by Sean Manion. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/08/warren-mcculloch-chairman-sic-of-the-macy-conferences-on-cybernetics-in-a-letter-to-the-cybernetics-group-before-the-tenth-and-final-conference-1953-discovered-and-shared-by-sean-manion/

Method Showcase: Logosofia, Software for Collective Inquiry and Decision-Making

Systems Thinking Ontario. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/08/youre-invited-to-method-showcase-logosofia-software-for-collective-inquiry-and-decision-making/

Foundations of Systems Science: Key Researchers

John A Challoner. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/08/these-foundations-of-systems-science-key-researchers-modules-provide-concise-introductions-to-the-work-of-important-contributors-to-systems-science/

ISSS – Education Resources

International Society for the Systems Sciences. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/08/isss-education-resources/

Modern supply chains must balance operational efficiency, resilience and sustainability, within increasingly complex and interconnected environments

Meriel Davies. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/08/modern-supply-chains-must-balance-operational-efficiency-resilience-and-sustainability-within-increasingly-complex-and-interconnected-environments-meriel-davies/

“Coding Society: Programmatic Encounters Between Information Systems and Social Theory

Steffen Roth. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/08/coding-society-programmatic-encounters-between-information-systems-and-social-theory-dr-steffen-roth/

Johan Schot: socio-technical transitions, the multi-level perspective, and Deep Transitions

Benjamin P Taylor. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/07/johan-schot-socio-technical-transitions-the-multi-level-perspective-and-deep-transitions/

Myron’s maxims: participation, power, and the work of change

Benjamin P Taylor. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/07/myrons-maxims-participation-power-and-the-work-of-change-taylor-2026/

Myron Rogers shares Myron’s Maxims and offers a workshop

Myron Rogers. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/07/myron-rogers-shares-myrons-maxims-and-offers-a-workshop/

Harish’s Notebook: Euthyphro’s Complexity

Harish Jose. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/06/harishs-notebook-euthyphros-complexity/

Why research needs complexity entrepreneurs

Gabriele Bammer and Jean Boulton. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/06/why-research-needs-complexity-entrepreneurs-by-gabriele-bammer-and-jean-boulton/

Systems Insight Team

UK Government. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/02/systems-insight-team/

Article 9: Beyond Frameworks – Becoming a Systems Practitioner

Daniel Bryan. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/02/article-9-beyond-frameworks-becoming-a-systems-practitioner/

A second look at the fly-bottle?

Richard S O’Rourke. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/10/02/a-second-look-at-the-fly-bottle-orourke-2026/