The second wave of our Innovations in Public Policy series launches with this piece from Catherine Needham (Professor of Public Policy and Public Management, University of Birmingham), Nicola Gale (Professor of Health Policy and Sociology, University of Birmingham) and Justin Waring (Professor of Sociology and Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities at Loughborough University) on System Diplomacy.
In a world where public services are increasingly complex and unpredictable, traditional models of system leadership often fall short. This piece suggests a shift – from trying to lead systems, to navigating them diplomatically.
From system leadership to system diplomacy [PDF 0.2MB]
The piece argues that:
- Complex public service systems can’t be led, and we risk setting leaders up to fail if we focus too much on system leadership.
- System stewardship – a potential alternative approach - doesn’t give enough attention to pluralistic, diverse and competing agendas.
- System diplomacy can reflect people’s ability to work for common goals without losing their own vantage point, and give us a way to understand micro politics and soft power.
The Innovations in Public Policy series features insights from leading academics and researchers from across the UK on some of the key ideas shaping the policy conversation. It aims to provide those involved in developing policy, and those impacted by it, with a deeper understanding of the thinking behind the decisions that will shape our lives. You can read all the pieces in this series here.
The authors’ article on this topic, published in Public Money & Management, can be read here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2025.2462230
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