# Beyond the Status Quo: Leading Public Sector Transformation

Practical lessons on public-sector leadership, delivery, and transformation for people trying to make government work better.

Page: <https://rssamplifier.com/aaronpercival-substack-com>  
Feed: <https://rssamplifier.com/aaronpercival-substack-com.md>

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## [Keeping Our Simplifications Honest](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/seeing-like-a-state)

_2026-08-11 · Aaron Percival_

Three Habits for Governing With Data, Not From It

## [When the Means Becomes the End](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/when-the-means-becomes-the-end)

_2026-07-21 · Aaron Percival_

The one about Robert Merton and why rules and measures drift from their purpose

## [What Gets Counted Gets Done](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/the-legible-half-of-the-job)

_2026-06-30 · Aaron Percival_

The Pattern Across Five Auditor General Reports

## [The Conversation We Don't Have](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/the-conversation-we-dont-have)

_2026-06-09 · Aaron Percival_

Technical debt and the limits of public sector IT planning

## [What 64 Years of Olympic Cost Overruns Can Teach US](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/why-we-keep-making-the-same-mistakes)

_2026-05-19 · Aaron Percival_

A new Flyvbjerg paper, and what it means for our work

## [Stop Calling It a Culture Problem](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/the-cost-cutting-prisoners-dilemma)

_2026-04-28 · Aaron Percival_

Defensive behaviour during cuts is a design choice

## [The Innovation Paradox](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/the-rational-stagnation)

_2026-02-10 · Aaron Percival_

Why Public Servants Rationally Choose Stagnation

## [Strategic Misrepresentation](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/strategic-misrepresentation)

_2026-01-20 · Aaron Percival_

How Unrealistic Promises Get Approved

## [2025 Year in Review](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/2025-year-in-review)

_2025-12-30 · Aaron Percival_

Why Government Needs Value Discipline Now

## [Why Your Project Isn’t Unique And How to Deliver It Better](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/why-your-project-isnt-unique-and)

_2025-12-09 · Aaron Percival_

Happy Tuesday, Transformation Friends.

## [Browse ThreatCrush Modules (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/unDdvR33Wf6B)

_2025-12-09 · **Sponsored**_

Install community-built security modules to extend real-time threat intelligence and monitoring

## [Think Right to Left: Defining the Why for Better Public Sector Results](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/start-with-why)

_2025-11-18 · Aaron Percival_

Happy Tuesday, Transformation Friends.

## [Why Government Projects Fail, and How Thinking Slow, Acting Fast Can Fix Them](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/think-slow-act-fast)

_2025-10-28 · Aaron Percival_

Happy Tuesday, Transformation Friends.

## [When IT Projects Go Wild: What We Need to Know](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/when-it-projects-go-wild-what-we)

_2025-10-07 · Aaron Percival_

Happy Tuesday, Transformation Friends.

## [Spending Smarter: Lessons from the UK’s Office for Value for Money](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/what-the-uks-office-for-value-for)

_2025-09-16 · Aaron Percival_

Happy Tuesday, Transformation Friends.

## [How the Social Value Model is Reshaping Public Procurement](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/how-the-social-value-model-is-reshaping)

_2025-08-26 · Aaron Percival_

Happy Tuesday, Transformation Friends.

## [What Plato’s Cave Teaches Us About Changing the Status Quo](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/what-platos-cave-teaches-us-about)

_2025-08-05 · Aaron Percival_

Happy Tuesday, Transformation Friends.

## [Every Role Matters: Building a Value-Centric Culture in the Public Sector](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/every-role-matters-building-a-value)

_2025-07-15 · Aaron Percival_

Connecting roles to purpose for stronger public impact

## [Rediscovering the Purpose in Public Service](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/rediscovering-the-purpose-in-public)

_2025-06-24 · Aaron Percival_

What I Learned When I Asked: Why Are We Here?

## [How the Social Value Act has Changed UK Procurement](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/transforming-public-spending)

_2025-06-03 · Aaron Percival_

Transforming Public Sector Spending

## [Find it on Amazon (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/SYFxScOHkbDu)

_2025-06-03 · **Sponsored**_

Open the Amazon product listing to see details and availability

## [Strategic IT Budget Optimization](https://aaronpercival.substack.com/p/strategic-it-budget-optimization)

_2025-05-13 · Aaron Percival_

Making Smarter Choices