What I’ve been doing
It’s been over a month since I last published weeknotes so I’ve been doing quite a bit. This week specifically I’ve been “clearing the decks”. I’m off for two weeks on a ‘familymoon’ and am very excited about the adventures we’ll have. I had two weeks off for my wedding but of course there was lots to do and people to see then so this is the first two weeks holiday I’ve had in a long time (certainly the first since COVID).
I’ve got all the regular tasks completed (such as payroll, newsletter, website updates, reconciliation, programme management tasks) and I’ve been doing some administrative support as the planning for PAIRS 2026 starts picking up. We’ve also, in the last couple of weeks, had funding confirmed for a 12-18 month project to look at ‘building workers power to shape public sector AI’. We’ll be working with TUC on that. Whilst I’m off we’ll be submitting a bid to support the transition of the Data and AI Civil Society Network into a decentralised and sustainable model…I really hope that comes off. There’s such good work being done but without a bit of money behind it to administrate it there’s a little loss of potential.
Since my last weeknotes we’ve also delivered two Design Labs…one in partnership with the GDS on involving the public in service design and the other with DfE on collective decision making in schools and colleges around AI. There’s already some plans and thinking about the next steps for both of those which will help harness the enthusiasm we felt in both rooms.
We also had an in person team meeting last month which was lovely. Great to get our heads together in the same space and work through some organisational - and wider sector - thinking.
What I need to take care of
Absolutely nothing. It’s all done…or I’ve forgotten to do it.
What I’ve been inspired or challenged or moved by
A few months ago I saw this video (or a clip of it on Instagram) of a herd of elephants in San Diego Zoo forming an “alert circle” when an earthquake strikes. I mainly observed how incredible this was that they react before anything is particularly perceptible to us as humans (presumably feeling the earth beginning to move) and thought about how this tells us something about being in balance with your environment.
Then, more recently, I saw this clip of Kamala Harris doing a speech in which she references the video…and the powerful message it carries for us about standing shoulder to shoulder and protecting the most vulnerable.
What I’ve been reading
I’ve been making the effort to read a bit more recently and am progressig with ‘The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series’ by Jessica Radloff. I’m taking a Susie Dent fiction book on holiday. I’m not sure there’ll be enough sitting down time to read any though!