Latest thinking

Probation PBR - (a lot) more questions than answers

Blog

09 May 2013

Matthew Taylor

There should be no one who knows more about the perils and pitfalls of payment by results (PBR) than Justice Secretary Chris Grayling. After all it was he who as a DWP minister oversaw the implementation of the Work Programme which is as yet failing to demonstrate the step change in efficiency and performance that he is hoping to see from the probation service.

Corrupting care

Blog

08 May 2013

Matthew Taylor

Here is an extract from a speech given yesterday by Liz Kendall Labour’s shadow spokesperson for care and older people:

UKIP - A harbinger of democratic stress? by Anthony Painter

Blog

07 May 2013

Anthony Painter is the newest Director in the RSA's Action and Research Centre leading on the Independent Review of the Police Federation for which the RSA is acting as secretariat. Here he argues that the UK's democracy will be severely tested by the rise of UKIP.

The Big Idea: Tog Studio - Empowering people through design and collaboration

Blog

03 May 2013

Jamie Cooke

Tog Studio host ‘live-build’ events. This means that people who are usually excluded from the construction process take an active role in building their own project. In doing so participants are empowered to learn practical skills and teamwork to deliver a valuable community asset.

Flushing the toilet on water wastage

Blog

03 May 2013

Nathalie Spencer

Flushing the toilet is something that most people do automatically without putting too much thought into it. But given that the average Brit flushes the toilet five times per day and that older toilets can use up to 9 litres of water per flush, perhaps this is something we should be taking more notice of.

Every little helps?

Blog

01 May 2013

Matthew Taylor

We had an excellent seminar this morning exploring the idea of ‘community retail’ with a range of experts and also colleagues from ASDA.  The supermarket chain tells a powerful story about its intention to make stores community hubs, a story given weight by the employment of part time community life champions in every store and its commitment to open up its property to free community use. ASDA HQ had expected the free space offer to lead to about 7,000 community uses over the first few months. In fact, and perhaps reflecting the closure of many publicly funded facilities, over 21,000 community groups – from bee keepers to the victims of domestic violence -have availed themselves of free spaces.

Experiments in living

Blog

29 Apr 2013

Matthew Taylor

Local authorities are forever saying they want more powers and more freedom. They often turn out to be less good at explaining what exciting things they would like to do but which they are unable to pursue at present. In a similar vein, a reason for lack of enthusiasm for Mayors is the absence of a story about the kind of transformational change that only someone with the personal mandate of a Mayor would be able to achieve.

Sustainable communities through skill sharing

Blog

29 Apr 2013

Steve Broome

This post is by Jemima Gibbons FRSA.  Follow her at @JemimaG

The world's most influential economic policy maker is Plato. It's not a good thing.

Blog

29 Apr 2013

One of the best aspects of the RSA is its ethos of trusting in the general public to come up with solutions to big problems. Indeed the Society’s raison d’etre for a very large part of its existence was to offer cash prizes and honours to anyone who could develop new inventions or ideas in response to challenges set by the RSA. It was by this method, for example, that the Society played a central role in revolutionising agricultural practices in the eighteenth century.