Public Sector Executive Podcast

21st century problems require 21st century solutions, and nowhere proves this as effectively as the public sector. Whether its using the latest technology to guide policy decisions, or simply making the sector more environmentally friendly, digital and data offer the answers to many of the questions being asked of public sector organisations. Martin Dolce and Dan Westley, from Oracle UK, joined host Dan Benn to talk about the work that Oracle are doing to support cloud, data, and digitisation progress across government. Martin is the Sales Director for Public Sector; Central Government and Defence, whilst also being UK Regional Director for the North West, whilst Dan is Cloud Engineering Director at Oracle. Offering a wealth of knowledge, Martin and Dan were on hand to talk about how Oracle Cloud can support the ambitions of organisations across central government, including by helping them through major projects. Touching on one of the projects that Oracle embarked on with a major government department, Martin said: “We engaged with the Department for Work and Pensions about 18 months ago. They had a stated objective around their journey to cloud; they had about 30% of the business in the cloud and 70% on prem(ises) and they wanted to flip that around. “But they recognised that a lot of their real core applications, that touch us all today… were still on Oracle legacy software and they had deferred upgrading that platform because they were challenged on budget, and so that rolled on and on and they were in a position where there wasn’t a natural migration path…” By approaching Oracle, the Department was able to embark on a journey of transformation that ended up with a successful migration, whilst also building confidence within the department. To hear all about how Oracle has supported organisations ranging from central government organisations, to one of the world's most successful Formula One teams, listen to the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

Devolution is offering regions the opportunity to control more of the decisions that are being made locally, with communities reaping the benefits of every combined authority that pops up around the country. Established in March 2017, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is one of the most recently established combined authorities and it follows in the footsteps of areas such as Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and the Liverpool City Region. For the 53rd episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, spoke to host Dan Benn about some of the most important issues facing his region, as well as what drives him as a leader. Touching on the impact that pride in a region can play in economic growth, Dr Johnson said: “If you can build up a framework of a sense of pride, identity, then business comes. There are a lot of examples where the culture – and the culture is of many things, it goes across the digital industry, across the arts – drives the economy…” Another topic of discussion was the emphasis that the mayor places on combating climate change, with his role as a paediatrician influencing this: “I have done my role as a doctor easily over 30 years and in the last 20 years, when I’ve been a consultant, I’ve been able to diagnose and treat children with respiratory conditions and can given them the best medicines in the world. The real sin here is that it doesn’t matter that I can give them the best medicine, it doesn’t matter that I can diagnose it, I know that if they live next to busy roads or if they live in poor housing – all of these things, in recent times have been shown through tragic situations of child deaths… are not acceptable… “(I work) day in day out to make sure that all the officers at the combined authority realise the importance of putting public health, as well as the importance of air quality, the environment, at the heart of all policy development.” To hear more about the role that Dr Nik Johnson plays as a medical professional and a local government leader, listen to the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

The state of council finances is one of the most pressing issues across the public sector right now. As councils face bankruptcy, cut funding and reduced services, and the demands for those services from communities pile on the pressure, the government is set to announce its budget for the next financial year. In the 52nd episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast Cllr Pete Marland joins host Dan Benn to discuss the challenges that councils face. Pete is Chair of the LGA’s Economy and Resources Board and Leader of Milton Keynes Council Touching on the increase in demand for social care services, Pete said: “More or less for every ten pounds they (councils) collect, they now spend eight pounds on children’s social care and adult social care. Obviously what that means is that there’s only two pounds left for everything else that councils do.” Pete and Dan also explored the point of local government if councils aren’t given power to make local decisions, with Pete saying: “Ultimately, I think there becomes a fundamental question about what the point of local government is if you end up just delivering statutory services set from the middle and not having any local flavour to it. “What’s the point in local elections if all a local leader has to do every morning is get up and deliver statutory children’s care and not concentrate on what’s right for Manchester, or Lincolnshire, or wherever it may be.” To hear from a leading voice within local government, listen to the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

It is the role of local government leaders to make the decisions that will best deliver for the communities that they represent. That much is obvious. How can they do this, however, if they are not accurately representative of those very communities? Great strides have been made in ensuring that everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, or social class is represented in some way within local government. Chief Executive of Westminster City Council Stuart Love joins host Dan Benn to talk about why this work is important, the different work that is being done in Westminster, and how his background influences his stance on equality and diversity. Touching on his leadership model, Stuart said: “I do wear my heart on my sleeve as a leader, and that’s not for everybody. I get that. I don’t think that there’s a one-size-fits-all approach to this. “The most important thing for me, though, is this has got to be led by the people at the top of the organisation… The whole thing around EDI (equality, diversity, and inclusion) is not something that can be farmed out to somewhere else.” Stuart also discussed how success in diversity and inclusion can be measured within the public sector: “The public sector is not very good at talking about why this is such an important thing. But if you look at the changes in our organisation, that fact that our organisation is now much more representative of our communities… the organisation has increased by 10% in terms of our global majority staff over the last six years. “That means we’ve gone from being around 32% to now 42% of our organisation and, because of that, we have much greater resident satisfaction and residents feel more engaged.” To make sure you get Stuart’s expert insight on such a key issue for leaders around the country, listen to Episode 51 of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

In the 50th episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, Leader of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council Cllr Anne Handley talks about the upcoming devolution deal for the region and what it can bring to East Yorkshire. Councillor Handley delved into the potential that East Yorkshire holds, ongoing transport issues and, touching on just how important the deal is for the region, said: “It’s really important. We are the last part of Yorkshire to actually have any kind of deal… “…We need the funding like everybody else, and why shouldn’t we have it?” Whilst discussing some of the challenges that the deal poses, including the consultation around it, Cllr Handley added: “We need to let as many people know as we possibly can, and do some myth-busting, explain what the positives of this will be and get the local residents on board so that they’re talking about it and know about it. There’s a job to be done to start with because you say the word combined authority and it’s such a misnomer. “I really wish it wasn’t in purely and simply because we’re not combining.” To hear more about the devolution deal for East Yorkshire, listen to the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

On the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, Councillor Amanda Hopgood joins host Dan Benn to discuss the devolution deal that has been secured for the North East of England. As the Leader of Durham County Council, Amanda is brilliantly placed to talk about all of the main facets of such an important deal, especially with £4.2 billion of investment coming into the region. Speaking on this investment, Amanda said: “[It’s] absolutely immense for a region like ours that sadly, on many of the indexes and scales, is top of all the wrong ones. Where we can make huge inroads is around adult education, housing, jobs, and health, all of which will hopefully change aspirations and the future of our residents in a positive way. “That, for me, is the most important thing that we’re doing here. Bringing that power and money to local decision-makers who know what the residents in the North East need. We know what skills we need, as opposed to someone in Whitehall or Westminster telling us.” Speaking about some of the potential challenges of the devolution deal, Amanda went on to say: “Most people are sceptical of another tier of possible bureaucracy in local government, so the biggest challenge we have is to make sure that, when the mayor - whoever they may be - is elected next year, we hit the ground running and have some things that can be delivered quickly so people see the benefit.” To find out more about the exciting possibilities of this devolution deal, as well as some of the real challenges that councils in the North East face, listen to the latest Public Sector Executive Podcast.

As central government aims for the UK to be net zero by 2050, councils around the country make plans for how to reduce emissions. This episode’s guest, Oldham’s Councillor Abdul Jabbar outlines the importance of coming together to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint, the benefits of achieving net zero, and how Oldham Council are working to do just that. Touching on the role that the public sector can play in sustainability, Cllr Jabbar said: “I think it’s really important that the public sector gives true leadership in this space. I think something like one third of the carbon emissions in the country come from the public sector, so obviously we’re a big polluter in terms of the emissions.” Councillor Jabbar also spoke about challenges being faced by organisations: “I think the biggest one has been finance. Clearly the local government sector in particular has had its grants cut from central government by a huge amount and that’s had a very big impact in terms of our plans to take forward projects in relation to climate change, so that’s a major issue.” To hear what Cllr Jabbar has to say about the mission to achieve net zero carbon emissions, listen to the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

The Leader of Liverpool City Council Liam Robinson spoke to PSE’s Dan Benn about the importance of transport links being decided locally, the homelessness crisis that is only worsening across the country, the financial pressure that many councils find themselves under and lots more. Speaking about the cancellation of HS2, Liam said: “I think we’ve found the process predominantly over the course of the last six to seven years very, very frustrating with the way that the North of England, particularly big cities like Liverpool, haven’t been equal partners in the conversation, the planning and the delivery of that. The way that Rishi Sunak decided to, sort of, obliterate the plans we found was completely and utterly unacceptable.”

In 2020, most of the world stopped. People were forced to stay at home and many people were furloughed. This episode's guest, however, was thrown into the forefront of the government's response to to the Covid-19 pandemic, leading the tracing system and working alongside local and central government bodies. Host Dan Benn is joined by Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Leeds City Council, to discuss loyalty, the pressures of Covid-19, and the importance of transport to a city like Leeds.

In this episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, host Dan Benn is joined by Martin Cresswell (Chair of the Lampton Group) and Shantanu Rajawat (Leader of London Borough of Hounslow Council) as they discuss the importance of innovation in the public sector. Shantanu, Martin and Dan also touch on the topic of Local Authority Trading Companies, their effectiveness, and how they support innovation and development.

On episode 44 of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, host Dan Benn was joined by former Lord Mayor of Manchester, Carl Austin-Behan OBE. Carl spoke about everything ranging from his time in the RAF, being Manchester’s first openly gay Lord Mayor, and the important work he does now, with the LGBT Foundation. Speaking on his time in the Royal Air Force, Carl said “they just sat me down and said ‘ do you have homosexual tendencies?’ In that split second I had to make my decision, whether I was going to be true to myself and this was the moment where I could be, or I could lie. “I think If I’d said no, the Air Force would have been like ‘thank you very much, we just had to ask’ but they asked again, and I burst into tears.” Carl also touched on the improvements that have been made in workplaces, since that time, saying that “Because of the way that a lot of organisations have moved on, I think they also realise that they’ve got to treat the LGBTQ community in their workforce, with respect. Also, we’ve now got things like LGBT History Month, which we never used to have, and everyone knows about. “It does frustrate me sometimes because, if you’re a business or organisation that are bringing people in to do a talk – which is great, but it doesn’t have to just be during LGBT History Month or Pride Month. For me, permanent visibility is permanent acceptance.”

On episode 43 of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, Lucy Trueman, Managing Director of Trueman Change, joined host Dan Benn to discuss all things relating to organisational culture. Lucy touched on everything from how to identify the culture within your organisation and how to be aware of the messages you are sending to other employees, to the shifting culture of the modern workplace. Touching on how to work on changing a culture's organisation, Lucy said: "Step one is definitely to get awareness of it and that awareness needs to come from staff, from customers, and from other people. It doesn't just come from the leadership team." To hear more from an expert in organisational change, make sure that you listen to the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

Conservative borough councillor, 19-year-old Harrison Allman-Varty. They discussed the importance of politics to young people, his priorities, and taking a common-sense approach to planning. “I think conservative councillors are in a tricky position.” Harrison said when talking about one thing that he regards as one of the most important things for councillors to do. “They’re in a tricky position because they want to protect the green belt as a fundamental thing and they want to conserve those spaces, but the conservative party also embodies the whole entrepreneurial homeownership, buy your own home. The two actually struggle to go hand in hand. “I think what that means, when it comes to planning, is that there’s got to be a bit of give and take.” To hear more from the next generation of local government leaders and gain important insight into some of the most pressing public sector issues in 2023, make sure that you listen to the Public Sector Voices podcast.

In this episode of the PSE Podcast, host Dan Benn talks to Shailen Popat, Director of the Msc in Public Management at the University of Birmingham, about what it takes to educate the future workforce of the public sector.

In the 40th episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, host Dan Benn spoke to Cllr James Jamieson about all things local government. As Chairman of the Local Government Association, James took us through some of the most pressing issues being faced by local government at the moment including the housing crisis, meeting housing targets, achieving net zero carbon emissions, and issues with a lack of funding impacting the services that councils provide. Speaking about the effort councils are making to continue providing for their communities despite dwindling funding, James said: “Every council is doing its damnedest to support its residents. No two places are alike and that means that the pressures that different places face are different.” To hear James’ expert insight into the struggles being faced by local councils in 2023, as well as other insightful guests, make sure you tune into the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

The public sector, naturally, holds immense amounts of data to help make informed decisions on how to deliver key services for people. With these huge amounts of information, spread across different departments and all levels of governance, it is clear to see where there may be issues with how data is shared around. Considering the sheer amount of the data available, there are many barriers that will stop departments easily sharing data around. James explained some of these barriers, saying: “During the pandemic, sharing data became more important than ever, as you can well imagine. One thing that it shone a light on was the complexities of doing so. Access restrictions and boundaries between organisations have always posed challenges for onward sharing of data and analysis of data, and analysts working within government have often had to navigate complex legal frameworks and isolated working.” Not only does there need to be a solution that effectively allows access to the data in a way that helps users interpret it so they can make a decision, it also needs to remain secure due to the nature of the data involved. This security element intrinsically has a link to a change in the data-sharing culture of government departments.

In Episode 38 of Public Sector Executive's Public Sector Voices podcast, Chris Cromar spoke to Cambridgeshire County Councillor, Councillor Alex Bulat about her campaign to allow non-British (non-EU/Commonwealth) citizens the right to vote in local elections.

In Episode 37 of Public Sector Executive's Public Sector Voices podcast, Chris Cromar spoke to Managing Director and Founder of Trueman Change, Lucy Trueman about how her organisation can help make meaningful change happen in the public sector.

In Episode 36 of Public Sector Executive's Public Sector Voices podcast, Chris Cromar spoke to the Welsh Local Government Association's (WLGA) Equalities Spokesperson, Cllr Jane Mudd about the need for greater diversity in Wales' councils.

In Episode 35 of Public Sector Executive's Public Sector Voices podcast, Chris Cromar spoke to the President of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) about their calls for councillors in Scotland to be paid the real Living Wage.