Demos Publications

The Talking Cure

jack.stilgoe@demos.co.uk ( Jack Stilgoe ) — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:17:52 -0100

Every day in the UK, more than a million conversations take place between doctors and patients. But in the noise of healthcare reform, the small conversations that matter most have been drowned out.

This pamphlet eavesdrops on the conversations that are taking place between doctors and patients, in particular around diabetes and mental illness. Here, professionals are learning to talk and listen to increasingly assertive patients. Improving the quality of conversations is key to empowerment and innovation.

For professionals and policy makers, this means letting go of some old assumptions about expertise and professionalism. The future of healthcare depends not only on new technologies and treatments but also on giving people the space to talk.

The Politics of Public Behaviour

duncan.oleary@demos.co.uk ( Duncan O'Leary ) — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:15:26 -0100

A combination of new challenges and new thinking has given rise to the politics of public behaviour. However, a debate that concerns itself with people’s personal behaviour raises important questions. Where do personal freedoms stop and mutual obligations begin? Which decisions should be public and which private? And how and when should government play a role?

This pamphlet presents three perspectives from different political traditions. Andy Burnham MP, Andrew Lansley MP and Chris Huhne MP offer contrasting views on the public implications of private decisions, and what they mean for the relationships between people and government. The pamphlet concludes with a framework with which to negotiate the politics of public behaviour.

Democratising Engagement

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:24:00 -0100

Governments around the world are starting to realise that engaging their citizens more in shaping the decisions that affect their everyday lives improves both legitimacy and the quality of public services. In the UK, addressing the democratic deficit is high on the political agenda. But the current model of consultation does not bring in the diversity of voices and perspectives that would make citizen engagement genuinely democratic.

This pamphlet draws on the Institute for Development Studies research project Spaces for Change, examining international attempts to democratise citizen engagement. The case studies show that genuine, inclusive engagement requires investment to create an enabling environment and to support society’s least vocal and least powerful people to find and use their voices. As other countries lead the effort to involve the public in meaningful conversations about policy, the pamphlet argues that the UK has much to learn from their experience.

A Common Language

duncan.oleary@demos.co.uk ( Duncan O'Leary ) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:34:20 -0100

The English language sits at the heart of a number of important debates. Economic success, social inclusion, integration, citizenship and national identity all affect, and are affected by, English provision for speakers of other languages (ESOL). In London, with an estimated 600,000 people of working age with varying levels of need, these issues are magnified. Providing half the English language courses in the whole of the UK, the capital is an important test case for national policy.

A Common Language starts from first principles. It underlines why English matters and sets out how policy can encourage and support learning. English language is vital to social inclusion, economic success and individual empowerment. But national policy needs to make fewer assumptions about people’s personal circumstances and aspirations if London is to become as inclusive and successful as it can be.

Culture and Learning Consultation Paper

john.holden@demos.co.uk ( John Holden ) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:47:30 -0100

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Many thanks to everyone who has responded to the cultural learning consultation. We had a major email problem when the consultation period was due to close on April 30th. If you sent a respone around that time, you will have received a message alerting you to the fact that your email was not delivered. If this is the case, we would be immensely grateful if you could re-send your response to cultural_learning@demos.co.uk MANY APOLOGIES FOR THIS INCONVENIENCE.

In the context of recent government announcements about cultural education, Demos today challenged cultural professionals and educationalists to provide a new and coherent direction for creative learning and for encouraging creativity through culture. Culture and Learning: Towards a New Agenda, a consultation paper written by John Holden, is published today to invite debate and responses. The paper's primary focus is on England, although many of the issues are equally relevant in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Cultural organisations, the education sector and the wider public are asked for their views on:

How to embed cultural learning more firmly in the education and learning sectors and in cultural organisations
How to identify the most effective leaders to drive improvement in cultural learning
How to develop a set of shared standards, and a definition of excellence relating to cultural learning
How to improve the profile, scale and effectiveness of cultural learning

You can download the consultation paper above, and an additional context paper here. Your comments will be welcome at cultural_learning@demos.co.uk.

The Everyday Democracy Index

paulskidmore@googlemail.com ( Paul Skidmore ) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:56:17 -0100

That’s why we have developed the Everyday Democracy Index (EDI). The EDI is a tool for assessing the democratic health of European countries across many different dimensions. That includes not just formal dimensions of democracy but also more everyday features of democracy – how important democratic principles and practices are to the cultures of workplaces, to people’s community life, to the way they interact with public services, and even to the way they talk to their friends and family.

This pamphlet sets out the argument and methodology behind the first EDI, which covers 25 countries in the European Union area. Europe is home to some of the world’s oldest democracies as well as some of its youngest. Across many of them the same debates are gathering momentum: Why are people voting less? Why are political party memberships dropping? Why is trust in politics so low?

There are other democracy indices out there, but whilst they may be good at identifying the differences between, say, Belgium and Burkina Faso, they are less good at revealing the contrast between democratic experiences in Finland and France. Starting with Europe, we hope to begin a new conversation about democracy where they leave off, with countries around the world.

We need to connect these debates, we need to invigorate them and we need a new starting point. This is what the Everyday Democracy Index aims to achieve.

This marks the start of a conversation about Everyday Democracy and we want to hear what you think. To get involved, go to the interactive website, visit the project page or contact kirsten.bound@demos.co.uk.

You can listen to a podcast with the authors Paul Skidmore and Kirsten Bound here.

Making It Personal

charlie@charlesleadbeater.net ( Charles Leadbeater ) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:55:32 -0100

This report advocates a simple yet transformational approach to public services – self-directed services – which allocate people budgets so they can shape, with the advice of professionals and peers, the support they need. This participative approach delivers personalised, lasting solutions to people’s needs at lower cost than traditional, inflexible and top-down approaches, by mobilising the intelligence of thousands of service users to devise better solutions.

The self-directed services revolution, which began in social care with young disabled adults designing and commissioning their own packages of support, could transform public services used by millions of people, with budgets worth tens of billions of pounds. From older people to ex-offenders, maternity to youth services, mental health to long-term health conditions, self-directed services enable people to create solutions that work for them and as a result deliver better value for money for the taxpayer.

Self-directed services can be taken to scale safely while minimising fraud and risk. They can also be good for equity because they empower those people who are the least confident and able to get what they want from the current system. Self-directed services give people a real voice in shaping the service they want and the money to back it up. Previous approaches to public service reform have reorganised and rationalised public services. Self-directed services transform them.

Podcast
Listen to a podcast with two of the authors, Jamie Bartlett and Niamh Gallagher, here.

Annual Security Lecture 2007

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:24:10 -0100

This year Sir Richard Mottram, the former Permanent Secretary, Security, Intelligence and Resilience at the Cabinet Office gave a lecture on Building a national security architecture for the twenty-first century.

Sir Richard was appointed both Security and Intelligence co-ordinator and Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee in November 2005 (his post was subsequently retitled Permanent Secretary, Intelligence, Security and Resilience). In his post he oversaw the Civil Contingencies Secretariat and the Intelligence and Security Secretariat and led the inter-departmental work on counter-terrorism and crisis management. He supported the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary, and other lead Ministers in handling terrorist incidents and civil emergencies. He retired from the Civil Service in November 2007.

The lecture series is kindly supported by a consortium of companies: BT, E.ON, National Grid, The Security Institute and QinetiQ.

National Security for the Twenty-First Century

charlie[dot]edwards@demos[dot]co[dot]uk ( Charlie Edwards ) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:11:42 -0100

The report provides a balanced analysis, examining both successes and failures in national policy, and offers an innovative set of recommendations which should be of interest to policy-makers, officials and analysts alike.

Dr Paul Cornish, Head, International Security Programme, Chatham House

This is one of the most innovative analyses of the world's new security challenges that I have seen. By arguing for systems-based analysis of security challenges, a transparent national security apparatus, and a focus on public value, "National Security for the Twenty-First Century" proposes a radical departure from conventional national-security analysis and policy which is manifestly failing to provide the comprehensive human security that our societies and future generations need.

Thomas Homer-Dixon, George Ignatieff Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies at the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at University College, University of Toronto.

This is an important contribution to the current debate on national security. Readable, relevant and provocative the report makes sense of a complex area of policy and offers some valuable ideas for how the British Government should respond to the threats and hazards of the 21st century.

Sir David Omand, Visiting Professor, King’s College London and former Security and Intelligence Co-ordinator, Cabinet Office

The government remains structured around functions and services with separate budgets for defence, foreign affairs, intelligence and development. Whitehall departments, intelligence agencies and the police forces that make up the security architecture have changed very little in the past two decades, despite the end of the Cold War and the attack on the World Trade Centre in 2001.

Based on a 12 month research project, this pamphlet sets out an approach to national security drawing on reforms and innovations from governments elsewhere in Europe and the United States and suggests some new ideas designed to shape the future of the national security architecture.

FYI

peter.bradwell@demos.co.uk ( Peter Bradwell ) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:59:27 -0100

Everyday life leaves a 'footprint' of personal information: details about where we go, whom we are friends with, the things we buy and the culture we enjoy. But this is not merely a case of ‘Big Brother’: surveillance is now just as much about how people watch each other. And from more personal services to the many new ways to communicate with and learn about each other, we are keen for the benefits this openness affords.

But there is a tension at the heart of this surveillance society. We are increasingly willing to engage in this world of easily available personal information. But that information is increasingly relied upon by the public and private sector to make important judgements about people. There is now more opportunity than ever for those decisions to be made without our consent or involvement. Personal information can be interpreted and used long after the everyday interactions it originated from.

This pamphlet argues that individuals do not have enough influence over how personal information is used, and that we need to reconnect the everyday experience of giving away our details with the longer-term consequences. With a range of recommendations aimed at individuals, businesses and government, FYI sets out a new framework to put individuals at the centre of the information flows and the decisions that govern them.

Seen and Heard

peter.bradwell@demos.co.uk ( Peter Bradwell ) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:42:15 -0100

Until now, action to improve the lives of children and young people has tended to focus on the institutional spheres of home and school. Yet quality of life also depends on the access to and quality of shared resources such as streets, parks, town centres and playgrounds. And here, in the everyday spaces of our towns and cities, we increasingly exclude and marginalise the young. In the pursuit of sustainable communities and urban renaissance, children and young people are too often left out of the script.

Children and young people have limited independence – both financially and spatially –and depend on shared spaces more than others. With trends in Britain pointing towards less outdoor play, increased parental anxiety and less tolerance for children and young people, the impact of an unwelcoming public realm on their health and well-being is becoming increasingly clear.

Seen and Heard: Reclaiming the public realm with children and young people draws on six case studies to explore the everyday experiences of children in public. It argues that we need a paradigm shift in the way we think about the built environment- one which addresses the deepening segregation between generations. The needs of the young are not opposed to those of other users of public spaces, but closely aligned. With a range of recommendations designed to empower frontline professionals and young people, this pamphlet offers practical steps to create communities that are welcoming for all.

Out of Step

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:06:54 -0100

British armed forces are currently more active than they have been for decades. Service personnel are serving with distinction in demanding operational environments across the world, including in active combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The performance of UK military personnel in these theatres has been exceptional, and in general supports the widely held view that British soldiers, sailors, and air men and women remain among the best and most capable in the world. However, senior military figures have been vocal in warning of overstretch and under-resourcing; dissatisfaction among service personnel is high, with many leaving early; and in key areas the services are struggling to meet their recruitment and retention targets.

Out of Step sets out a comprehensive analysis of the challenges facing the British armed forces at home and abroad and offers a set of practical ways to meet the challenges of the future.

Agile Government: A Provocation Paper

jamie.bartlett@demos.co.uk ( Jamie Bartlett ) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:07:20 -0100

Jamie Bartlett and Simon Parker have worked together with the State Services Authority of the Victoria State Government to produce a provocation paper exploring the concept of agility in government, as part of an ongoing project.

The paper addresses the need for agility in the public sector environment, and seeks to provoke debate on how agility might aid government in meeting changing citizen needs, and in shaping those needs in the first place.

Responses
While in Australia doing research for the Agile Government project, Dr Geoff Gallop, former Premier of Western Australia and now Director of the Graduate School of Government, University of Sydney, presented an excellent formal response to the provocation paper. It can be downloaded here.

Inclusion, innovation and democracy

charlie.tims@demos.co.uk ( Charlie Tims ) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 16:22:20 -0100

The creative and cultural industries are perhaps the most visible and potent emblem of the way the post-industrial age is transforming Britain’s economy. The rise of a global division of labour has meant that, for the first time, significant numbers of people are able to concentrate on producing ideas, art and technology. The implications are profound: new kinds of people, with a deeper sense of self; new kinds of jobs that engage our creative and personal energy; and new kinds of product, in which customers and professionals come together to create shared value.

In an important sense, the last 30 years have seen the unprecedented democratisation of the kind of creative work that was previously open to only tiny numbers; a trend that looks set to continue into the future. The UN estimates that the creative industries account for more than 7% of global GDP and that they are growing at a rate of 10% per year. This paper argues that the process of democratisation is incomplete. The very things that give the creative and cultural industries their vitality – their speed, fluidity and turnover of people, organisations and ideas, also work to exclude people from non-traditional backgrounds.

Equally Spaced?

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:23:19 -0100

Drawing on expertise from the fields of regeneration, community activism and education, the report works with a broad conception of public space that will elicit a response from beyond the usual confines of the planning and design sector. Written by Joost Beunderman and Hannah Lownsbrough, the report explores people’s motivations for entering public spaces, and assesses the potential for interaction that can be found herein. In particular, it explores some of the specific dimensions of public space - those that are most salient for people working in communities affected by tensions and misunderstandings.

The report ends with a series of practical recommendations for those working in the field, drawn from the case studies and from an analysis of existing literature.