Terry Rich
Chair
Terry chairs the PSTA board, supporting its public purpose, governance, and development.
Capability for public service change
About the Public Service Transformation Academy
A registered social enterprise that develops public service capability through practical programmes, tools, peer learning, and work on live challenges.
Purpose
Our mission is to drive better outcomes for people and communities by developing the capability of public services to collaborate, innovate, and lead.
Many public service problems cross services, organisations, professions and communities. They involve different forms of knowledge, competing purposes, formal and informal power, uncertainty and history. A method can help. No method removes that reality.
The academy helps people see more of the situation, learn with others who occupy different positions, act on live work and build capability that remains when external support leaves.
History and provenance
The National Commissioning Academy was launched by the Cabinet Office in 2013. The Public Service Transformation Academy was formed as a not-for-profit social enterprise in 2016 and took on delivery of the programme.
More than 2,500 people have graduated from the Academy and its programmes, across local and central government, health, policing, housing, civil society, and other public services.
RedQuadrant is the lead partner. Specialist partners develop and deliver programmes, simulations and accredited learning.
What makes the work different
- Live challenges. Participants apply learning while the programme is running.
- Mixed cohorts. Different sectors and roles expose assumptions and create useful relationships.
- Whole systems. Outcomes, communities, providers, evidence, markets, power and delivery are considered together.
- Action learning. People inspect their own practice, test moves and adapt.
- Capability transfer. The aim is for public services to lead their own transformation, not depend on consultants for the same problem again.
People and faculty
Benjamin P. Taylor
Chief executive
Benjamin works at the intersection of public service transformation, systems thinking, cybernetics, and complexity. He leads the Public Service Transformation Academy and RedQuadrant.
Email BenjaminDavid Mason
Programme contact
David works with organisations, participants, and partners to shape and run the academy’s programmes and events.
Email DavidSarah Johnston
Contract management programme lead
Sarah leads the contract management programme and works with facilitators and practitioners from across public, private, and voluntary sectors.
Email SarahProgramme faculty is assembled around the subject, cohort and live work. It includes experienced public service practitioners, facilitators, coaches, and specialist partners.
Legal and contact details
The Public Service Transformation Academy Limited is a company limited by guarantee, registered in the UK under company number 10046052. VAT registration number 244 4776 87. Registered address: 167-169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor, London, W1W 5PF, UK.
Contact the academy or review policies and assurance.