Jeff has 25 years of experience working to change public policy and practice, first as a public interest lawyer and then as a policy adviser at the heart of government, in politics and in think tanks. He has been at Collaborate since 2017, leading place-based work and supporting the development of our growing collaborative leadership practice. He is the co-author of Changing Local Systems, a practical guide for people working to improve local responses to homelessness, and Systems Leadership in HLS, writing the chapter Human Learning Systems: Public Service for the Real World. In addition to his legal qualifications, Jeff has a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School and was a policy fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy. 

In their own words:

The world I want to see is fairer, kinder and less judgemental, with people and communities more in control of their own lives. This has motivated me to work for change across my career, and to support others doing the same.  

I enjoy (almost) every aspect of my work, but particularly like being in the room supporting groups to make progress on the work they need to do. I’m not afraid of discomfort, and I balance encouragement with challenge. I work hard to listen to discordant or ignored voices and bring their perspectives into the conversation. 

Inside and outside the room I have often been valued for my abilities to simplify complex problems, to give them shape, and craft narratives to help organisations, groups and places find a path forward.

Jeff Masters Projects