My weekly posts
Who are we trying to help, and how would they know we’d made their lives better?
Chrissie Gregory and Sharon Davidson showed how the Commissioning Academy helped them move from thinking about services to thinking about the system around children. The useful question is not simply whether leaders agree on outcomes, but whether staff and families can define what better means, and whether leaders are prepared to change themselves. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_who-are-we-trying-to-help-and-how-would-share-7523890837919895552-3E7p/
How much of your successful project is being held together by somebody else’s unpaid work?
A project can deliver exactly what it promised while quietly transferring its costs to parents, volunteers and community groups. Amy Hochadel and I argue that residents’ evidence must be able to correct institutional stories and reopen decisions, while someone with authority answers when funding conditions or service rules prevent worthwhile results. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_how-much-of-your-successful-project-is-being-share-7523302248416739329-7x4K/
If a children’s services leadership team agrees to ‘improve outcomes for children’, what has it agreed to do differently?
For a family dealing with several services, improving outcomes depends on what those services can do together and whose knowledge reaches the people making decisions. Chrissie Gregory and Sharon Davidson brought practical examples of connecting workforce experience, leadership choices and Academy learning, so that a shared ambition becomes something people actually do differently. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_if-a-childrens-services-leadership-team-share-7518824916570386433–ete/
Serbia’s students and the possibility of a government that learns
Serbia’s Student List offers a wonderfully hopeful democratic experiment: collective decision-making, experts chosen to serve, and organisers intending to hold them to account. I hope they create durable ways to publish decisions, protect scrutiny, widen participation and let citizens correct government, without requiring the same students to remain permanently exhausted. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_serbias-student-list-won-a-parliamentary-share-7522763504466984962-uxDP/
Courses and events
PSTA Free webinar: Outcomes commissioning in practice: lessons from Islington
What changes when children’s services reform starts with the lives people want to lead? Join Chrissie Gregory and Sharon Davidson from Islington in conversation with Benjamin P Taylor on 4 November, 13:30–14:30 GMT. Explore outcomes commissioning through their leadership work and Academy learning, with time for your questions. Hosted by the Public Service Transformation Academy. Register your interest here: https://link.redquadrant.com/lessonsfromislington or learn more here: https://publicservicetransformation.org/news/outcomes-commissioning-islington-webinar/
Public Sector Challenge – London Bridges Walk 2027
We’re taking part in this year’s public sector challenge! We’ll do the 15km walk from Battersea to Tower Bridge this January. Why not join us, sponsor us, or share the link in your network? https://givewheel.com/fundraising/22191/redquadrant-and-the-public-service-transformation-/
This November: Contract Management Development Programme
The programme is an opportunity for those involved in contract management to refresh their skills, build on their existing knowledge and expertise and refamiliarize themselves with key documents and guidance. The aim is to deepen learning and understanding around contract management and to support and challenge participants to work in new ways to deliver outcomes. https://publicservicetransformation.org/programmes/contract-management-development/
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 this January
We’re building our cohort for the next national commissioning academy – our flagship commissioning programme from the PSTA. Register your interest now for our January 2027 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
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:
Discovering network resilience formulas with symbolized reinforcement learning
Yu Zheng, Jingtao Ding, Depeng Jin, Jianxi Gao and Yong Li. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/11/02/discovering-network-resilience-formulas-with-symbolized-reinforcement-learning/
Second Law Studio – The Right to Stop
Derek J. Smith. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/11/02/second-law-studio-the-right-to-stop/
Up and Down the Ladder of Abstraction
Bret Victor. https://stream.syscoi.com/2026/11/02/up-and-down-the-ladder-of-abstraction/
