Lean and Agile - Lean and Agile

Intro

We're Back

We're back. The Lean and Agile newsletter went quiet for a while. Life got busy — running a small business that does everything from sales to implementation doesn't leave much space for a regular publishing habit. But a lot has happened in the world of lean, continuous improvement, and local government transformation since we last sent one of these. AI is reshaping how councils think about process improvement. Local Government Reorganisation is forcing some authorities to redesign services from scratch. And the question we keep hearing from transformation leads — "how do we make sure change actually sticks?" — feels more urgent than ever. So we're starting again. No grand promises about frequency. Just good content, when we have something worth sharing — articles, events, and practical thinking from the world of improvement in public services. If someone forwarded this to you and you'd like to stay in the loop, subscribe at leanandagile.curated.co. Let's get into it.

News

LGA Drives Major New Public Health Improvement Programme for English Councils

The LGA has announced a major new improvement and support programme for local public health teams in English councils, launching in June 2026. The programme aims to help councils deliver measurably better health outcomes for their communities, extending the LGA's growing sector support offer into the public health domain. A useful example of structured improvement methodology moving into frontline service delivery — and a signal that councils are being encouraged to adopt more systematic, outcome-focused approaches across all services, not just back-office functions.

Events

Digital Transformation Conference London — November 2026

An enterprise-focused digital transformation conference in London in November 2026, bringing together technology, operations and transformation leaders to explore how organisations are modernising their operating models. Sessions cover process automation, AI integration, workforce change and customer experience redesign. A useful event for staying current with broader digital transformation thinking beyond the public sector — often a source of practical approaches that translate well into council transformation programmes.

DigiGov Expo — 23–24 September 2026, Excel London

The DigiGov Expo returns to Excel London on 23–24 September 2026, billed as the UK's leading public sector tech event. Six specialist theatres cover Digital Foundations, Citizen Experience, GovTech, AI, Cyber/Data/Security, and TechShuffle — with strategic partners including GDS and DSIT. Over 3,000 digital, data and technology leaders from councils, central government and the NHS attended in 2025; 2026 registration is open and free for public sector delegates. A strong event for understanding where council digital and transformation leads are focusing their attention, and a potential networking opportunity with senior local government technology professionals.

Government Technology & AI Summit 2026

The Government Technology & AI Summit 2026 brings together senior technology, digital and AI leaders from central and local government to discuss practical deployment of AI in public services, digital infrastructure, and technology-led transformation. With AI rapidly entering council operations — from chatbots to planning automation — this event surfaces where government technology leadership is heading. Worth monitoring for themes that overlap with process improvement and service redesign conversations with councils.

Lean

Applying the People, Process, Technology Framework in Government

A GovNet piece examining how the People, Process, Technology (PPT) framework applies in public sector organisations, helping government teams understand what employees need from technology and what processes must be in place for them to do their jobs effectively. The framework is a useful sequencing tool for transformation work — and a timely reminder that technology alone rarely solves operational problems. Directly relevant to conversations with councils about why process clarity needs to come before system selection, and a good plain-English reference for improvement leads who are navigating digital transformation programmes.

Inside the UK Lean Summit 2026

An interview with Dave Brunt, CEO of the Lean Enterprise Academy, previewing the redesigned UK Lean Summit held in Liverpool in April 2026. The article covers the summit's five keynote and sixteen sharing sessions — touching on hoshin kanri, problem solving, value stream design, daily management, and lean and AI — and explains the thinking behind the new Toyota UK Lean Practice Days. A good source of themes and case studies for newsletter content, and a useful primer on how the LEA frames lean transformation for practitioners across sectors.

Toyota Leadership Lessons: Part 8 - "The A3 isn't a magical tool" - Katie Anderson

When I was back in Japan last month for a visit – my second visit since moving back to the U.S. in June 2016 – I spent the day with my friend and Toyota mentor, Mr. Isao Yoshino. As always, I keep my notebook at hand to capture the many insights from our rich conversations.

Lean Thinking: assessing leanness

How can we measure process cycle efficiency, overall equipment effectiveness, and organisational leanness?

Continuous Improvement

What is your problem? - NHS Digital

Tero Väänänen, Head of Design at NHS Digital, considers the Cheshire Cat’s wise words to Alice and explains why it is important to define the problems we are addressing before trying to solve them.

10 Takeaways from the Lean Summit 2026

The Lean Enterprise Institute's round-up of the ten key insights from the UK Lean Summit 2026, held in Liverpool in April. Covers the event's keynotes and practical sharing sessions — including themes around hoshin kanri, daily management, AI integration into lean practice, and the importance of separating performance management from improvement management. A useful digest for those who couldn't attend, and a solid source of current lean practitioner thinking, case studies and quotable insights for newsletter content.

How to Ensure Continuous Innovation in the UK Public Sector

A GovNet article exploring the conditions that enable sustained innovation in UK public sector organisations — covering the culture, leadership behaviours and operational practices that support continuous improvement alongside day-to-day service delivery. Examines how councils can move beyond one-off transformation projects to embed ongoing improvement as a normal part of how they operate. A useful reference for framing CI conversations with senior council leaders who are thinking about long-term organisational capability rather than short-term project delivery.