From Woe to Flow

Reviews / Votes

"Across public services, our ability to generate and implement strategies that work, consistently and sustainably, lags way behind other innovations. Algorithms, artificial intelligence and neuroscience are starting to reshape the world around us but technological innovations in how best to spend billions of pounds of public money receives only a fraction of the attention. Some will point to political processes, project management or 'evidence-based policy making' as the way this should be done, but all of them fail to address the fundamental question: who is really in charge? From Woe to Flow and OpenStrategies answers this question head on: we, the public, are in charge because if we can't or don't want to use what is provided, for whatever reason, then we will not. Keeping the focus firmly on 'Uses' the OpenStrategies PRUB system offers an advanced approach to systematically building insight, wisdom and local knowledge of citizens and service users into strategies. It helps decision-makers avoid expensive white elephants steering them instead towards properly informed decisions about where to put effort and money. It is a tool for the modern era - one in which people are respected and institutions coproduce services with citizens. It could also save you a lot of time and heartache." - Merron Simpson, CEO, New NHS Alliance

"Public institutions usually operate in a complex context that involve many stakeholders. We have all seen several programs and organisations working towards very similar goals, seemingly with little coordination between them. Open Strategies breaks strategy down to its essence and offers a common language for doing so: your organisation does projects, that lead to results and (only!) when these results are put to use you achieve the intended benefits. The world may is complex enough, so we really need a simple method so we can work towards a mutual understanding of what we are working towards. And more importantly: what we are actually doing to achieve our goals." - Edo Plantinga, independent program manager for the Dutch digital government

"This is a book that delivers valuable insight into the "what", "how" and "why" of an actionable strategy system within a complex environment. The author helpfully develops a nine-stage process, which equips you with a common language to successfully implement open strategies which ultimately create sustainable benefits. It also addresses the importance of accountability in a meaningful and democratic way, shifting the emphasis from "who" you are accountable to, to "what" you are accountable for. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to practitioners, students and academics seeking an alternative and more nuanced understanding of strategy to the orthodoxy." - Dr Rebecca Casey, Newcastle University, UK