The global pandemic has brought into sharp focus a reality that has been growing for some time: that the current models for government are not meeting the needs of citizens. In 2020, government leaders around the world at every level have had to radically rethink how they design, deliver and regulate policies and services: challenging them to confront what government needs to DO, but more importantly how government needs to BE – the underlying beliefs, values, and principles that we will need to build back better post-crisis. Wake up with the Centre for Public Impact on 17 November by joining one of our virtual events live from Melbourne, London, and Washington, DC where we will be highlighting regional examples of government leaders who are embracing complexity, putting human relationships first, and using experimentation for learning and growth.

In Melbourne, Australia, the Centre for Public Impact team will host a workshop on Thinking in Systems. The COVID pandemic has revealed, in the starkest of terms, the interconnectedness of things. It has demonstrated how a virus, which affects the human respiratory system, can bring the global economy to its knees. The COVID response has demanded a new, more collaborative form of government, and has revealed the inadequacy of siloed approaches in a complex world.

We invite you to join five thought leaders who are putting systems thinking into practice in their daily work to share their insights on why it is so important for governments to think in systems, and why this is the case now more so than ever. Participants will then break into five groups, hosted in a conversation by one of the thought leaders. Conversations will focus on what needs to happen to move from ideas to action. To build on the momentum that COVID has generated around thinking in systems, what do we need to keep doing, what do we need to leave behind, and what do we need to start doing differently?

Much of the debate around government and public service reform is about what government should (or should not) do.

But what about how government should be?

We'll be exploring this at our event with @OPSIgov #GovAfterShock and you can join in the conversation too. Register now. pic.twitter.com/SCs9ryxKYB

— CPI (@CPI_foundation) October 23, 2020

Recording of the event

Write-up of the event

There is a write-up of this event by the event organisers.