Stories can change lives, communities, and systems.

In this episode, we explore how telling and listening to stories can help to reimagine government.

We’ll hear about how one man’s story of caring for his mother ignited a cultural shift in how stories are embedded in Scottish public services, and how a controversial fruit is helping to break down barriers between communities in Indonesia.

This special episode is part of the Digital Kick-off for the Creative Bureaucracy Festival 2024. #cbf2024

Featured in this episode:

• Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact
• Rosie McIntosh (Host) - Global Director, Storytelling and Communications, Centre for Public Impact
• Tommy Whitelaw, National Lead, Person Centred Voices, The Health and Social Care Alliance
• Ima Abdulrahim, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Cerita Caravan

What have we learned from season two of Reimagining Government?

Athena Hughes, Naja Nelson, and our host Adrian Brown revisit highlights and delve into the topics we covered. Join us to explore failure, imagination in government, and what on earth a paradigm shift is. Read the blog here.

Read the full written episode transcript here.

Featured in this episode:

• Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact
• Athena Hughes (Host) - Senior Associate, Centre for Public Impact
• Naja Nelson (Host) - Senior Associate, Centre for Public Impact
• Dan Vogel - CEO, Flourish Fund
• Dr. Oliver Escobar - Professor of Public Policy and Democratic Innovation, The University of Edinburgh
• Hannah McDowall - Co-Director, Canopy
• Jaime Junior - Advocacy and Community Education Coordinator, Disability Network of Wayne County Detroit
• Javiera Godoy - Programme Manager, Centre for Public Impact
• Karen Lawson - Interim Co-Director for Europe, Centre for Public Impact
• Martin Begley and Lara Colraine - Inverclyde Early Help in Custody Service
• Toby Lowe - Visiting Professor in Public Management, Centre for Public Impact

This episode mentions difficult subject matter including suicide or suicidal thoughts.

Anyone working in government or public services knows that sometimes we must be vulnerable and have difficult conversations.

It can be daunting, but if we ignore challenges, things only get worse. Join us as we explore different ways of approaching these conversations courageously and hear examples of when they can help make a real difference to the people we serve. Read the blog here.

Featured in this episode:

• Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact
• Karen Lawson (Host) - Interim Co-Director for Europe, Centre for Public Impact
• Harriet Hunter (Host) - Interim Co-Director for Europe, Centre for Public Impact
• Gamal “G” Turawa - Founder and Managing Director, Purple Frog Connections
• Martin Begley and Lara Colraine - Inverclyde Early Help in Custody Service

The way government currently operates doesn't support everybody. So what should we do differently?

Imagination is the secret ingredient in most of our best ideas. In this episode, we explore how social imagination could help us find new ways to approach complex challenges. Our guests share examples of imagination in practice, from improving healthcare to commissioning services. Read the blog here.

Featured in this episode:

• Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact
• Keira Lowther (Host) - Senior Manager, Centre for Public Impact
• Cassie Robinson - Associate Director of Emerging Futures, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Hannah McDowall - Co-Director, Canopy

Everyone fails occasionally. 

But when governments fail, it has an impact on real lives. It’s easy for public servants to shy away from talking about failure. 

To learn from our mistakes, we must be open and honest and spend time reflecting on them. Join us to hear real stories about failure in government and some examples of how to move forward. Read the blog here.

Featured in this episode:

• Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact
• Athena Hughes (Host) - Senior Associate, Centre for Public Impact
• Carlos Zimbron - CEO, F**kup Nights
• Dan Vogel - CEO, Flourish Fund 
• Kelly Sifford - Assistant County Manager, Cabarrus County

In this podcast, we talk a lot about change. 

We don't just want to change policies or attitudes, but the whole paradigm.

But what on earth is a paradigm? Join us to explore what a paradigm is, hear practical examples of paradigm shifts, and try to solve the mystery of how we can shift paradigms in public service. Read the blog here.

Featured in this episode:

• Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact
• Toby Lowe (Host) - Visiting Professor in Public Management, Centre for Public Impact
• Henk-Jan Dekker - Researcher, International Centre for Environmental Research and Development
• Jessica Studdert - Deputy Chief Executive, New Local

It’s vital that governments think about and plan for the future, but often, our thinking can be limited. 

The models we have in our minds about growth, success, and the environment shape how we imagine life and government in the long term. 

This episode explores how governments can find new ways to frame our future, including degrowth and seven-generation thinking. Read the blog here.

Featured in this episode:

• Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact
• Javiera Godoy (Host) - Programme Manager, Centre for Public Impact
• Gabriela Cabaña - Co-founder, Degrowth London
• Jayne Engle - Mission Co-holder, Dark Matter Labs

For a government to be legitimate, it must have its people's trust. But, many communities across the globe distrust their government.

This episode explores how governments can earn that trust and legitimacy. It is a gradual process that requires time and dedication. So, where do we start? Read the blog here.

Featured in this episode:

• Adrian Brown (Host) - Executive Director, Centre for Public Impact
• Naja Nelson (Host) - Senior Associate, Centre for Public Impact
• Dr. Oliver Escobar - Professor of Public Policy and Democratic Innovation, The University of Edinburgh
• Jaime Junior - Advocacy and Community Education Coordinator, Disability Network of Wayne County Detroit
• Cathie Christenson - Team Lead, City of Calgary