Civic Punks

There is so much exciting stuff happening in New Brunswick when it comes to public sector innovation! In November I had the chance to attend the Canadian Open Data and GovMaker Summit in Fredericton and interview many of the attendees. This episode includes a collection of those interviews from the summit floor. It starts though with the pregame show I recorded with fellow Nerdy Gov Podcaster and...

Before the lights go up at Government Innovation Week, let’s talk about what actually matters. In this pre-game show, I’m joined by Joy Chatwell from the Public Sector Network to pull back the curtain on how Government Innovation Week (Federal, Ottawa 2026) was designed, what themes are shaping the agenda, and why this moment feels significant for the Canadian public sector. If you’re attending, t...

What happens when you take away the agenda, the speakers, and the carefully curated programme—and just let public servants talk? In this episode, I dive into UKGovCamp, one of the most unusual—and surprisingly effective—events in the world of public service. It’s an unconference: no preset sessions, no keynotes, and no guarantees, other than the fact that you’ll end up in thoughtful, sometimes mes...

Government spends more money than any other business or sector. It is one of the most powerful levers we have to tackle the great challenges of our time, to shape markets and improve communities. Yet it is broken. But it doesn't have to be. Join Lina Svensburg, Marcela Jabor and myself as we dig into the exciting world of procurement and the innovations that are transforming how government spends...

In this episode, I sit down with Tamara Zakharia to explore insights from her recent report from the UN on the enabling conditions for public sector innovation in emerging economies. We dive into her practical and thoughtful framework—covering everything from strategic direction and governance models to the internal and external enablers that help innovation take root and thrive. Whether you're wo...

For my final dispatch from Samarkand, I reunite with Caroline Star from the School of International Futures — this time in the breathtaking Registan Square. We reflect on a week full of inspiration, connection, and big ideas at the UN Public Service Forum. Caroline shares highlights from her foresight workshop, and we both take a moment to appreciate the powerful closing talk by Robyn Bennett that...

In this special dispatch from Samarkand, I’m joined by Almero Oosthuizen from the Western Cape Government (South Africa) and Alejandra Rodas Gaiter from the Innovation Lab for Bogotá (Colombia). Together, we reflect on our experience speaking at the closing plenary panel: Innovation Labs in Action. We dive into some big themes: 🧠 Shifting mindsets inside government 🌱 Moving from ego-centric to e...

As we wrap up an incredible few days in Samarkand, I sit down with the brilliant Robyn Bennett, whose closing repertoire reflection was a highlight for many at the forum. In this conversation, Robyn shares the key themes, big ideas, and quiet moments that stood out — from innovation and inclusion to the unexpected connections that made this gathering so memorable. It’s a thoughtful close to a week...

What happens when a country treats employment as a public good, not just a market outcome? In this episode of Something Cool—a CivicPunks series that spotlights bold thinkers reshaping the public sector—I sit down with Kate Phillip, Program Lead for South Africa's Presidential Employment Stimulus Program, one of the most ambitious public employment programs in the world. South Africa is facing a d...

Another dispatch from the Creative Bureaucracy Festival—this time from the official podcast studio in Berlin! I sit down with Dr. Louis Klein, head of the International Federation for Systems Research, for a wide-ranging conversation that spans continents and big ideas. We talk about his work supporting education reform in Morocco, the growing breakdown of trust in public systems, and why systems...

In this episode of Civic Punks at the Creative Bureaucracy Festival, I sit down in the festival's "official" podcast studio with Mikko Annala from Demos Helsinki. We discuss the bold work that Mikko and his team are doing to reimagine how institutions operate in the 21st century—from building new governance models to driving systems-level change. We dig into his partnership with Apolitical, The Tr...

In this episode from my time at the Creative Bureaucracy Festival, I sit down with Dr. Alex Ryan to unpack some of the key insights from the recent gathering of the States of Change Network. Alex shares three powerful tensions the group explored—tensions that could shape how we respond to the unravelling of key systems in our society. From the future of democracy to the role of institutions, this...

Join me in this first episode of my series exploring why Canada has slipped from 3rd to 47th in the UN E-Government rankings. I sit down with Viet Vu, co-author of the DAIS Report, "Byte-Sized Progress: Assessing Digital Transformation in the Government of Canada." Access the full report here: http://bit.ly/4hlUlQh Note: The report initially referenced Canada's 2023 ranking at 46th. By 2024, the r...

🚨 Major Update Alert! 🇬🇧 The UK just dropped its biggest digital government announcement in over a decade! Dive into this four-part series to understand what happened and why it matters. 🎥 In this first episode, I dissect the "State of Digital Government" report, a brutally honest look at the current state. I'll guide you through the crucial insights and lay the foundation for the UK's ambitious...

In this podcast, I share my thoughts on the most important trends from 2024 that are impacting public service. I'll also share my top picks for the must-read books and must-listen podcasts for public servants around the globe. To cap it off, I discuss the critical developments I'm keeping an eye on for 2025 that could shape our work in the public sector. Don't miss out on these insights to stay in...