Policy Press

Leading Public Design

Discovering Human-Centred Governance

By Christian Bason

Published

Jan 25, 2017

Page count

256 pages

ISBN

978-1447325581

Dimensions

216 x 138 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Jan 25, 2017

Page count

256 pages

ISBN

978-1447325604

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Jan 25, 2017

Page count

256 pages

ISBN

978-1447325611

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press
Leading Public Design

This powerful new book provides a clear framework for understanding and learning an emerging management practice, leading public design.

Drawing on more than a decade of work on public sector innovation, Christian Bason uses his extensive practical experience and research conducted among public managers in the UK, the US, Australia, Finland and Denmark to explore how public organisations can be redesigned from the outside in, shaping policies and services that are truly experienced as useful and meaningful to citizens, and which leverage all of society’s resources to co-produce better outcomes.

Through detailed case studies, the book presents six management practices which leaders in government can use to involve citizens, staff and other stakeholders in innovation processes. It shows how managers can challenge their own assumptions, leverage empathy with citizens, handle divergence, navigate unknown territory, experiment and rehearse future solutions through prototyping, and create more public value.

Ultimately, Leading public design provides a pathway to a new and different way of governing public institutions: human-centred governance. As a more relational, networked, interactive and reflective approach to running organisations, this emerging governance model promises a more human yet effective public sector.

Christian Bason is CEO of the Danish Design Centre, former head of the Danish government's innovation team MindLab, and a doctoral fellow at Copenhagen Business School.

Introduction: Design as a vehicle for exploration;

The public sector and its problems;

The changing nature of design;

In search of the next governance model;

Design practice in government;

Exploring the problem space;

Generating alternative scenarios;

Enacting new practices;

Design for public value;

Enabling human centred governance by design;

Take the curvy path: Leading change by design engagement.