IMPOWER Consulting have published a book, The EDGEWORK Manifesto: How to deliver sustainable change in complex public services, which shines new light on the challenges that public service leaders face.
The Manifesto is the culmination of 20 years of working within the public sector, drawing on the experience of working with almost 150 clients across more than 1,400 individual projects in local government, health and other areas. The premise of the book is that people in leadership roles incorrectly define problems in the public sector and therefore reach for the wrong solution.
One key reason for getting it wrong is that both public sector leaders and their consultants are seeking and delivering solutions designed for ‘complicated’ problems, rather than ‘complex’ ones. The difference between complicated and complex is not one of degree but of type. Solutions which do not take this into account are prone to fail – if not in the short-term, certainly in the medium term.
The book explores the difference between ‘complicated’ and ‘complex’ issues, why leaders need a new strategy (including a different type of consultancy support), and why taking an EDGEWORK approach is vital for helping leaders achieve better outcomes that cost less.
EDGEWORK is IMPOWER’s unique approach to understanding complexity; it enables people to move beyond the conventional ways of seeing a problem. Using EDGEWORK, IMPOWER’s clients have changed behaviours, shaped public demand and improved outcomes while reducing costs.
Tamzen Isacsson, Chief Executive of the MCA, has described the book as “a must read for those determined to deliver real improvements in public services.”
The EDGEWORK Manifesto is available as a paperback or ebook.