Radical Reformers ep 120: Creating dissonance and shifting mindsets with Professor Toby Lowe, Policy Evaluation and Research Unit, Manchester Metropolitan University

In the latest episode of Radical Reformers, I speak to Professor Toby Lowe from the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit at Manchester Metropolitan University. Radical Reformers listeners will probably know Toby as a leading Human Learning Systems expert who takes a real interest in the practical delivery of meaningful public service reform. Like the Mutual Ventures team, he is no fan of New Public Management models built on control, targets and standardisation!

At the heart of this conversation is a powerful idea - the moral purpose of public services is to support human freedom and flourishing. This means services can’t be designed around metrics or institutional convenience. They need to be built on strong human relationships between public servants and communities, between public service colleagues and across whole systems. Often this will start with a moment of dissonance when someone has just had enough of the way things are!

If we want services to respond to the complexity of people’s real lives, we need to start with their individual strengths, needs and aspirations. And we need to ask the right questions such as - what matters to you?

This is a great conversation and a brilliant introduction to anyone wanting to build their knowledge about relational public services, place-based reform, and how we create the conditions for public servants to learn, adapt and do their best work.

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