Ideas in Action
About the Series
Exploring Practical Approaches to Today’s Public Service Challenges
The series brings together timely conversations on leadership, technology, service delivery, organizational design, and governance, always grounded in the realities of public sector work. Through concrete examples, case studies, and practitioner insights, participants explore how ideas move from concept to implementation, where they create value, and where caution or adjustment is needed.
Rather than promoting a single framework or solution, Ideas in Action emphasizes learning across disciplines and contexts. Each workshop offers a focused opportunity to build judgment, expand perspective, and strengthen the ability to evaluate new approaches in light of public values, constraints, and responsibilities.
By the end of the series, participants will be better equipped to assess emerging ideas, ask sharper questions, and apply lessons from diverse experiences to improve how their organizations design policies, deliver services, and solve public problems.
Ideas in ActionTen Things To Know About Data Centers
Build a practical understanding of how data centers work and what drives their growth. Examine how decisions about siting, energy consumption, resilience, and community impact intersect with public priorities.
Ideas in ActionCrisis Engineering for Public Systems: Designing Resilience Under Pressure
Join Marina Nitze, Matthew Weaver, and Mikey Dickerson, founders of Layer Aleph and co-authors of Crisis Engineering: Time-Tested Tools for Turning Chaos into Clarity, for a conversation with Beth Simone Noveck on how governments can design systems that hold u…
Ideas in ActionTools for Innovation: Service Blueprinting 101
The session will introduce core concepts in service design. You will learn about how service design has been used to strengthen public service delivery, and will gain practical tools and resources to bring service design approaches into your own work.
Ideas in ActionDon't Think of a Robot: Low-Tech Questions for AI Planning
How public leaders can ask the right human-centered questions before adopting AI, grounding decisions in mission, accountability, and public trust.
Ideas in ActionWho's Afraid of Agentic AI? How to Compare, Purchase, and Deploy Agents Responsibly
Over the past six months, the AI boom has grown even more chaotic. Startups frequently overpromise, while the public sector falls ever further behind in understanding, let alone adopting AI capabilities. In this dynamic, IT specialists and procurement teams st…
Ideas in ActionIntegrating Feedback Loops and Iteration in Policy Implementation
Public servants increasingly operate in complex policy environments where outcomes cannot be fully anticipated and learning from implementation is essential. This workshop explores practical ways to embed feedback loops and iteration into policymaking, drawing…
Ideas in ActionSimple Rules for High-Performing Public Teams
Learn three practical rules for creating high-performing, energized teams grounded in psychological safety, empowerment, and simplicity.
Ideas in ActionIntroducing Grantwell: Using AI for Municipal Technical Assistance
In this session, Quentin Palfrey, Director of the Office of Federal Funds for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Anjith Prakash Chathan Kandy, AI engineering at The Burnes Center for Social Change, will introduce Grantwell, an AI-enabled grant-writing assi…
Ideas in ActionBeyond Yes And - Navigating Polarities for Government Innovation
Learn how to move beyond either/or thinking and work productively with the competing demands that define public sector leadership. In this workshop, you’ll practice practical polarity-management tools to navigate complexity, hold tension constructively, and le…
Ideas in ActionHuman-Centered AI: What Happens When AI Is Built With Families, Not Just for Them
Learn how generative AI can support families by translating, simplifying, and summarizing complex Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This session showcases AIEP. a new tool developed by the Burnes Center for Social Change's AI for Impact program in part…
Ideas in ActionSystems for Success: Rewiring Agencies to Deliver at Speed and Scale
Learn how public agencies can move beyond fragmented efforts to build operating systems that consistently turn priorities into results. The session focuses on practical ways to align leadership, operations, data, and accountability so teams can execute faster,…
Ideas in ActionAfter 101: Building Confidence and Capability with Generative AI
Learn how to take the next step after generative AI basics by identifying high-impact use cases and designing safe, trustworthy workflows for daily public sector work.