iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

With thanks to This Day and @jrf-uk.bsky.social for seed-funding this stage of the work. Links: Report for web and mobile: marshall-plan.netlify.app PDF: marshall-plan.netlify.app/report.pdf Marshall Plan website (incl. contact info): www.marshallplan.org.uk (/End)

marshall-plan.netlify.app

The Marshall Plan for Civic Life

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The goal ultimately is to develop a funding settlement that could act as a new social contract between people, government, civic actors, and wealth-holders. As the name suggests, this paper is very much intended to open a discussion! We would love to hear people's thoughts. (7/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

4. Investment and value capture - repayable and return-seeking capital, and mechanisms that redirect economic value, often locally. e.g. impact investment, place-based value capture, procurement and anchor institutions, and local government pension funds. (6/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

3. Philanthropy - giving from accumulated and surplus wealth, by foundations, businesses and individuals. e.g. foundation philanthropy and corporate giving, major individual giving, and legacies. (5/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

2. State and fiscal instruments - the use of taxes and and statutory powers to raise or channel resources towards civic life. e.g. hypothecated business levies, tax reliefs and payroll giving, direct taxation, and dormant assets. (4/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

We explore mechanisms across four quadrants: 1. Public contributions - mass, voluntary giving by individuals. e.g. membership and subscription models, community shares and co-operative ownership, crowdfunding, and civic dividends from goods and services. (3/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The paper explores historic and international examples of funding mechanisms, assessed against a series of design principles. This is not just about the amount of money, but the *type* of money and how it flows. Is the settlement resilient? Does it foster feelings of ownership, agency, and pride?

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

🔥 New today 🔥 The first publication from The Marshall Plan for Civic Life 👇 Today @kinship.works and @demos-uk.bsky.social have published a Discussion Paper to open a conversation about how to fund a decade of civic renewal. marshall-plan.netlify.app (1/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

🔥 New today 🔥 Can a new style of political leadership unlock the energy at the edges? As Andy Burnham rises to the Premiership, I've written an essay exploring the value of a more enabling style of political leadership. (1/n) medium.com/@jamestplunk...

medium.com

Can a new style of political leadership unlock the energy at the edges?

As Andy Burnham rises to the Premiership, this essay explores the value of a more enabling style of political leadership. What is enabling…

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Lovely to hear! Teachers are the people I hope it resonates with most:)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

As ever, would really welcome thoughts. Does the description resonate? What does it miss out? Do you see this same movement spreading in other areas? (/End) medium.com/@jamestplunk...

medium.com

How to grow tomorrows

What if schools were not just sites for delivering education, but societies in miniature? Thousands of chances to cultivate a better future

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

It's a shift that suits the complex terrain that public services now work in. A world in which we can't just keep doing things to people and for people - we have to build the relational capacity to do things *with* people, and to equip people to act in concert with each other. (6/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

What I think these pioneers are developing is a new logic of public action. A fundamentally different way to think about public services. It rebalances away from a logic of production and service delivery to one of cultivation - raising the capacity of communities. (5/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

In the article I argue that this work doesn't just reflect a new frontier in education reform. It's bigger than this - and it goes beyond education into others areas, from health, to social care, to probation. (4/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

This is just one example of schools as centres of civic life. It's part of a wider movement - and one that is gaining momentum. Just yesterday, The Reach Foundation published a new report with Confederation of School Trusts building on their argument that schools are central to civic life. (3/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

The post brings this to life with a case study of the Old Kent Road Family Zone, which is facilitated by Big Education at Surrey Square Primary School in southeast London. What a joy to write. Not least because I got to spend time in the joyful chaos of the Surrey Square Saturday marketplace. (2/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

I've written a new post exploring a fascinating turn in education reform. After a period in which there was pressure for ever narrower approaches to education, today's pioneers are advocating for a holistic model, with schools at the centre of a thriving civic life. (1/n) medium.com/@jamestplunk...

medium.com

How to grow tomorrows

What if schools were not just sites for delivering education, but societies in miniature? Thousands of chances to cultivate a better future

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

The post describes the frontier of public service reform and explains why it jars with the prevailing style of politics; draws on the historical literature to flesh out what we mean by enabling leadership; and shares a discourse and body language analysis contrasting Burnham and Starmer. (5/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

We've heard a lot of complaints about a top down style of politics, which sees politics as all about announcing things in speeches. We thought it would be timely to explore whether this could start to change now, with a different style of political leader. (4/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

This is the latest contribution from the Centre for the Edge, a partnership between @kinship.works and @jrf-uk.bsky.social in which we've been exploring how the centre of government could better support innovators at the edges. More on the wider work here: centrefortheedge.org (3/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

What is enabling leadership? Why do we need it? Does Andy Burnham embody it? And, if he does, can this approach survive the transition from Mayor to Prime Minister? (2/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

medium.com

Can a new style of political leadership unlock the energy at the edges?

As Andy Burnham rises to the Premiership, this essay explores the value of a more enabling style of political leadership. What is enabling…

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I was logging in with my Government Gateway ID, which it said I could do, but maybe that's wrong and I have to use One Gov?

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Ah, the joys of interacting with HMRC. I need an authentication code from the app in order to login to my account, but I need to login to my account in order to set up the authentication codes. Has anyone broken out of this particular doom loop? (No, they do not answer the helpline.)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

More info here (including an initial list of funding mechanisms we are interested in): medium.com/@jamestplunk... Website here to read more and to reach out: www.marshallplan.org.uk. (6/6)

medium.com

A Marshall Plan for Civic Life

There is a growing movement for civic renewal, with broad political support. But one question remains unanswered: how do we fund this work…

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

We are building the coalition for this agenda and would love to speak to potential partners - keystone supporters of the work, or of particular aspects. With thanks to seed-funding from This Day and JRF. (5/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Yet one key question remains unanswered: how do we fund this work at the scale required? This is the question the Marshall Plan will set out to answer. (4/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

We are also now clearer what this work entails. We have seen the emergence of a communitarian statecraft - a way to use the power of the state and public institutions to foster thriving communities. There is now appetite, across government, philanthropy, and business, to support civic renewal. (3/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

In a time of political division, there is a growing consensus that national renewal in Britain cannot happen without a revitalisation of civic life. (2/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Ok, this is a big one: Announcing the Marshall Plan for Civic Life. A landmark programme of research and deliberation to develop a funding settlement for civic renewal. More from @pollycurtis.bsky.social and me about the work: medium.com/@jamestplunk... Website: www.marshallplan.org.uk (1/n)

medium.com

A Marshall Plan for Civic Life

There is a growing movement for civic renewal, with broad political support. But one question remains unanswered: how do we fund this work…

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Agree, although often the crappy hardware is because hospitals are locked into a web of different supplier contracts - software, hardware, support. A much more aggressive effort to exit these kinds of contracts would help.

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

💯 I would say it’s the single most important piece

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Reposted by James Plunkett

James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

New: Can the NHS leapfrog the rest of government on public sector digital work? (1/n) medium.com/@jamestplunk...

medium.com

Could the NHS leapfrog the rest on public sector digital work?

Start small, think big

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Yes, there are a *lot* of basics to put in place. But there are also reasons to think that, over the medium-term, the NHS could lead the way, starting to define what next generation public sector digital work looks like. Interested in views! (/End) medium.com/@jamestplunk...

medium.com

Could the NHS leapfrog the rest on public sector digital work?

Start small, think big

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

So what should we aim for in the next five years? In this new post I argue that there's a case for starting small, but aiming big. (3/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

This is a pivotal moment for digital work in the NHS - and therefore for public sector digital reform more widely. With new digital leadership at the top, it's a chance to finally put in place the conditions this work needs. (2/n)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

New: Can the NHS leapfrog the rest of government on public sector digital work? (1/n) medium.com/@jamestplunk...

medium.com

Could the NHS leapfrog the rest on public sector digital work?

Start small, think big

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

One of the oddest signs of our times is that so many people want to run marathons and half marathons that getting a place is like trying to buy Beyoncé tickets. A nice thing, I think? Or have we all just gone mad?

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

"Organizations at the edges talk about scaling in a language of systems change (3.9× more than the centre), movements (3.9×), community-led change (23x), paradigms (5.7×), and field-building (edge-only)." No wonder there's friction when the centre tries to 'scale' edge innovations! (2/2)

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Some Friday reading. One snippet: "There are stark differences in the way the centre and the edges think about scaling. The centre uses phrases like ‘roll out’ (3.4x more than the edges), as well as ‘milestones’ (5.7×), ‘targets’ (3.9×), ‘pilot’ (2.0×), and ‘implement’ (1.9×)... (1/2)

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Reposted by James Plunkett

James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

🔔 New today! 🔔 How do worldviews differ between the centre of government and innovators at the edges? A major new publication from The Centre for the Edge initiative from Kinship Works and Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). And a new website too! 1/2 medium.com/@jamestplunk...

medium.com

The centre is from Mars, the edges are from Venus

How do worldviews differ between the centre of government and innovators at the edges? And can we stop these differences from being a…

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

As ever, we would love to hear feedback. The analysis is experimental; we are publishing it in order to improve the method and interpret the findings together. We'd love to know what resonates and what doesn't, and ideas for ways to improve or broaden the research and recommendations. /End

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

We've had an amazing response so far, so today we're also launching a website, sharing all the publications, roundtable write-ups, and further resources. We are building a community - people working at the centre of public life, learning how to spread the energy at the edges. centrefortheedge.org

centrefortheedge.org

Centre for the Edge

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

We've made seven recommendations for how to bridge these differences and make them less of a barrier to institutional renewal - and perhaps even a source of productive tension. All in the article: medium.com/@jamestplunk... 9/n

medium.com

The centre is from Mars, the edges are from Venus

How do worldviews differ between the centre of government and innovators at the edges? And can we stop these differences from being a…

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