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Simon Parker

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Simon Parker is interested in public service reform and local governance. His current projects include work on restoring trust in councils and on the future of New Zealand's public services

Simon Parker works on public service reform and local governance. Before joining Demos in May 2005, Simon worked on public services policy for the CBI, where he led programmes on local government and public sector employment reform. He has also worked as a journalist for the Guardian and LGC, where he contributed articles on public management and politics.

Simon's current work includes projects on trust in local government, public service collaboration and social innovation. He is author of Re-imagining Government, a report that looks at the future of public services in New Zealand.

He's particularly interested in the following themes:

  • Public service reform - how can we make the state a democratic partner in people's lives?
  • Political renewal - how can we develop more vibrant grassroots politics?
  • The future - how can we use futures thinking to help the country think strategically about big challenges like climate change?
Unlocking_innovation-web-1
Unlocking Innovation
Authors
Simon Parker , Sophia Parker
Publication Date
2007-07-10
Publication Type
Collections

Collaborative_state_-_web-1
The Collaborative State
Authors
Simon Parker , Niamh Gallagher
Publication Date
2007-03-29
Publication Type
Collections

Competition and choice have become the watchwords of public service reform over the past decade. But while these principles have delivered some important gains, they are not enough in isolation. Tight accountability and choice have often come at the expense of fragmenting the way that schools, hospitals and councils provide their services. Service improvement has come at the expense of the capacity to solve local people’s problems.