Why ending well may be the most important moment in local government reorganisation
To seize the opportunities local government reorganisation presents, councils need to be intentional about how they ‘end’. This is a version of an opinion piece…
Insights & resources
Neighbourhood working in Wigan: from locality models to a relational, hyperlocal approach
In 2023–24, Collaborate worked alongside IPPR North to support Wigan Council to review The Deal and explore what a “new era” could look like for…
Taking a test and learn approach: resources and insights for tackling complex challenges
The challenges we face as a society are complex and no one person or organisation can solve them alone. Complexity is the result of the…
Why we’re working together to help councils make the most of Local Government Reorganisation
By bringing together a leading national law firm, a national governance charity and renowned systems change specialists, we aim to help councils shape the future…
Learning cycles in practice
Learning Cycles are at the heart of the Human Learning Systems (HLS) approach to organising and governing public service, offering a structured yet flexible way to make sense of complex work, generate insights, innovate and improve practice. They are also core to how we at Collaborate help organisations to work in complexity.
People, purpose and power
Five pioneering councils have teamed up with Collaborate CIC to share insight, solve problems collectively and build their influence – all with a common goal: to work with people, not impose solutions on them.
From implicit to intentional: advancing equity in Human Learning Systems
Human Learning Systems (HLS) like a number of other public service reform big ideas, places relationships at the heart of public service. Inherent in this,…
The Local Area Retrofit Accelerator: testing a collaborative approach to creating a system change strategy
What if more strategies were developed collaboratively and through participatory approaches? What if they drew on the widest possible range of insight and data to…
What does a place-based approach to Human Learning Systems look like?
Practical insights from pioneering places The need for reform in public services has never been stronger or more urgent. Since taking office the Government has…
Rethinking research infrastructure one year on: from energy to embedded practice
Since early 2021, Collaborate and the British Science Association (BSA) have been working with communities through Ideas Fund, an equitable, relational programme that foregrounds partnerships…
The bigger you go, the less you know: seizing the local government reorganisation opportunity
With the appointment of a new minister, MHCLG has an opportunity to refocus local government reorganisation and make sure it achieves the impact the effort deserves.
Start as you mean to go on – Best Start in Life Strategies
With the appointment of a new minister, MHCLG has an opportunity to refocus local government reorganisation and make sure it achieves the impact the effort deserves.
Leadership in Human Learning Systems
This blog was co-authored by Leigh Brown and Naomi Diamond.We’ve been exploring what kind of leadership is needed for Human Learning Systems (HLS) – and…
From the work, through the work: our equitable evaluation approach for the Making it Happen programme
Evaluators are objective experts and final arbiters, working retrospectively with data that matters because it can be counted. Sound familiar? At Collaborate, we take a…
Reimagining research collaboration: how can universities help their local places thrive?
What if research collaboration was less about exchanging evidence and insight across organisations, and more about learning together? Our new report invites universities and their…
Transformational Best Start in Life Strategies
Across the UK, local authorities, health and community partnerships are working hard to give every child the best start in life. But they’re operating within…
The case for putting place-based, relational approaches at the heart of local government reorganisation
“The bigger you go, the less you know” Collaborate has worked with Test Valley Borough Council to build the case for why place-based, relational approaches…
Commissioning with communities: a toolkit for a human learning systems approach
Are you wondering how to get started on a different approach to commissioning, working with communities? Is the new procurement act leaving you uncertain about…
Leading Greater Essex: impact for 2024 cohort
Collaborate facilitated the 2024 cohort of Leading Greater Essex (LGE), building on the success of previous cohorts, but also adding further developments, to enhance and…
Active Partnerships: trusted supplier
Collaborate is to delighted to have been confirmed as a trusted supplier for the Active Partnerships National Organisation. Active Partnerships is a nationwide movement, physical…