Parliamentary Inquiry Witness

I was chosen as one of the design industry’s spokespeople to give evidence as an expert witness to a parliamentary inquiry into public sector procurement of creative services.

The inquiry built on the findings of the Cox Review of ‘Creativity in Business’ and was undertaken by the Associate Parliamentary Design and Innovation Group, in partnership with the Design Business Association. It took place at the Houses of Parliament, was co-chaired by Baroness Janet Whitaker and Baroness Estelle Morris, and also included Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive of the Design Business Association, and David Godber, previously Deputy Chief Executive of the Design Council.

The findings were later published in a document titled ‘Design and the Public Good’.

Cabinet Office

I was invited to deliver a workshop and a series of break-out groups at the Cabinet Office on ‘How to commission design and get the most from design consultancies, and also understand brand terminology’. The Cabinet Office is a central function in government, supporting the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, so this was a valuable opportunity for those participating to deepen their understanding of a key area of influence. Around 20 design commissioners attended from various government departments.

Government Communication Network

The Government Communication Network is made up of members from across all government departments, whose roles involve professional communications in varying forms. I was asked to deliver a workshop on ‘Managing clients and large projects’, drawing on my previous experience working at HM Revenue & Customs.

Office of Government Commerce

The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is an independent office of the Treasury that advises public sector organisations on procurement and acquisition, with the aim of improving value for money for the taxpayer. I designed and ran a workshop for 60 board members and senior managers on ‘Why OGC’s reputation matters: understanding their current reputation and how it can be improved’.