Category Archives: public sector

If it’s too complicated to understand it’s probably total nonsense

Posted on March 18, 2017 by

I stand on the periphery of “improvement activities” going on elsewhere in the organisation. I see things second and third hand through organisational gossip, i.e. people mentioning phrases or names of IT companies doing work elsewhere, somewhere. I’ve got no involvement … Continue reading →

Posted in clarity of purpose, command and control, public sector, systems thinking | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Thor describes my purpose

Posted on February 20, 2017 by

I sit next to the photocopier at work. About 3 times a day somebody printing some papers off will ask me if I have a stapler they can borrow, to staple their papers together. This is a question I am … Continue reading →

Posted in command and control, public sector, purpose, systems thinking | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

The Law Of The Instrument

Posted on January 21, 2017 by

I can’t stand digital by default. -How about analogue by default instead? I can’t stand digital evangelists. -How about analogue evangelists instead? I can’t stand Head of Digital. -How about Head of Analogue instead? I can’t stand digital offering. -How about … Continue reading →

Posted in all wrong, command and control, public sector, systems thinking, tools | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments

Reality has a liberal bias

Posted on January 9, 2017 by

This is a  quote from an American comedian, taking the mickey out of imaginary Republicans complaining that reality itself is as biased as the liberal-elite media against Republican beliefs and actions. It is a joke about how people convinced they … Continue reading →

Posted in command and control, public sector, statistics, systems thinking, targets | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments

This mug cost £224,000,000

Posted on September 6, 2016 by

Well the mug itself didn’t but this is the only visible sign left in this building of a SIMPLY HUGE national computer system built at the cheap cheap rate of a quarter of a billion pounds. It was a database of every … Continue reading →

Posted in all wrong, public sector, systems thinking | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Are you a policy fashion victim?

Posted on July 4, 2016 by

I’m a big fan of Nassim Taleb but clearly he’s no fan of the likes of me. My one saving grace?  I do deadlift, 127.5kg for 6 reps, Mr Taleb. He’s never heard of me, but he knows my type.  I’m a … Continue reading →

Posted in all wrong, command and control, public sector, systems thinking | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

The Systemsy Policy Officer takes a bow

Posted on June 14, 2016 by

There’s loads of models of work hanging around. Everybody has one. There’s the dopey triangles with important people at the pointy end… There’s the more credible, though no less hopeful, model of a sensible organisation designing their system around purpose … Continue reading →

Posted in all wrong, command and control, public sector, systems thinking | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments