Mark Swift argues that places must move beyond one-off participation initiatives and invest in the civic infrastructure that enables civic capability, confidence, leadership and influence to accumulate across the life course. This blog is based on Mark’s recent report – Building Civic Capability: A Life Course Framework for Place. From participation to capability Over the … Continue reading “How Does Civic Power Accumulate?”
Tag: Mark Swift
Why Public Systems Need to Learn from the Outside-In
In this blog, Mark Swift argues that public sector transformation is no longer driven solely from within institutions. Increasingly, the most valuable insights are emerging from the spaces between systems, communities, and lived experience. This blog discusses the findings in Mark’s recent report – The Outside-In: The Role of Social Entrepreneurs in Public Sector Transformation. … Continue reading “Why Public Systems Need to Learn from the Outside-In”
Dialling Up Democracy: Renewing Trust Through Civic Innovation
Mark Swift discusses how participatory governance and democratic innovation can help rebuild trust in public life. This article draws on a policy working paper exploring how democratic innovation can strengthen trust, participation and governance in the UK. The full paper examines these ideas in greater depth and outlines practical pathways for “dialling up democracy” in the … Continue reading “Dialling Up Democracy: Renewing Trust Through Civic Innovation”
Rebalancing Health Innovation for Health Equity: Put Communities at the Centre
Alongside high-tech advances, we need long-term, values-led innovation in community-powered health approaches to tackle health inequalities and ease pressure on services, writes Mark Swift, LPIP Hub Place Fellow with colleagues Tanuka Palit, Henk Parmentier, Liam Spence and James Smith. A Broader View of Innovation Health innovation in the UK is flourishing. Advances in AI, digital … Continue reading “Rebalancing Health Innovation for Health Equity: Put Communities at the Centre”
Valuing What Matters: From Tick-Box to Stewardship – Reclaiming Social Value as a Driver of Trust, Equity, and Lasting Change
Mark Swift, LPIP Hub Place Fellow, argues that social value in public spending must move beyond compliance and tick-box exercises to a stewardship approach that embeds collaboration, citizen co-creation, and mission-driven investment to tackle inequalities and build resilient communities. When the Public Services (Social Value) Act 20121 was introduced in England and Wales, it was … Continue reading “Valuing What Matters: From Tick-Box to Stewardship – Reclaiming Social Value as a Driver of Trust, Equity, and Lasting Change”
Placecast Podcast – Episode Eight – Dream Before You Think: Unlocking Civic Imagination for Social Change
Episode Eight of the Placecast Podcast dives deep into the power of place-based leadership and social entrepreneurship with guest Mark Swift, a social entrepreneur with over 15 years’ experience in health and care. Hosted by Nicola Headlam, the conversation explores how community-centred approaches can transform health outcomes, reduce demand on public services, and reconfigure system … Continue reading “Placecast Podcast – Episode Eight – Dream Before You Think: Unlocking Civic Imagination for Social Change”