Seizing the moment
Liverpool City Region’s acclamation as one of the United Kingdom’s foremost builders of an inclusive economy is a byproduct of the energy, goodwill and ingenuity of local people, communities, stakeholders and partners. Given the growing appetite for fair, inclusive economies and economic projections that global growth will slow in 2026, it is all the more imperative we continue to prioritise inclusive, sustainable and resilient growth.
Context – State evolution
We have witnessed transformative changes to the State in its many manifestations over the last two decades: centralisation, decentralisation, devolution, localism, regionalism, and current talk is of super-regional and cross-border alliances. A successful, healthy and prosperous nation can only materialise when the people who help create the wealthy also benefit from it. There is room for optimism because we have a proactive, adaptive state that empowers citizens and creates conditions for shared prosperity, and in turn, creates the fertile ground and conditions to go further. This is the direction of travel that we must continue to build on with and for future generations.
What does genuine transformation look like?
Evidence shows the bold and imaginative remain ahead as demonstrated by those corporations transforming strategies, systems and identity to adapt to changing markets, customers needs and technology (Amazon, Netflix, Apple, IBM, Starbucks, Lego). However, successful reinvention is not the preserve of multi-national corporations. Across the public sector local authority-led initiatives such as those involving Preston, Wigan and Camden are creating more equitable and inclusive local economies by redistributing wealth and keeping it within the community. Due to Liverpool City Region Combined Authority taking a broader view of how to spend public money and how goods and services are procured to support broader forms of local value, Kindred and others have become beneficiaries.
There’s the doing – but don’t forget the thinking
We live in a rapidly changing environment which sets the context for policy-making strategy formation and investment decision-making. The collaboration has inspired a national pathfinder, created a template for other regions to follow, received national and international acclaim, leveraged innovative finance and empowered beneficiaries. However, what comes next requires a commitment to generating the thinking space, time and resources to stay ahead. It’s time to up the research and development capacity.
What we see and what is really going on
It is not only the headline performance metrics we should aspire to understand, but also the transformative impact of activity. What I register is Kindred’s centrality to the place-based policy agenda, drawing on the strengths of local neighbourhoods and working collaboratively across sectors. I also observe that by creating mutually supportive networks, reimagining the role of care workers, valuing creatives and culture, co-creating services to build capability are the consequence of interactions between people and organisations. We do good business because we value building relationships.
Innovation for procurement
Despite significant challenges, government since the early 2000 days of Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT) and the efficiency paradigm to ‘balance the books’ has simultaneously been creating opportunities for transformation and innovation. There is growing recognition that procurement is opening up as a strategic demand-side lever by government at all levels. Therein, I believe, lies a game-changing opportunity for STOs that are keen to deliver in the competitive ecosystem of innovation for procurement. The means by which could be through acting as a funnel for investment and innovation in food security, sustainability, innovative health measures, creative industries and fostering well being and care for all.
Pathfinder
As part of the collaboration, partners need to find the right balance around governance and strengthen trust further through timely action. Among the options could be a more rigid, hierarchical system but personal preference would be a networked form of governance in which key decision-making is distributed among multiple stakeholders. Let us take the opportunity to ensure that the Pathfinder becomes operationalised in the year ahead.
Finally, together we can shape the next chapter for Kindred – let’s make 2026 the year of bold action.
Jas Bains, Kindred Chair