In short
Reimagining Public Institutions is an online community of practice we’ve launched as a creative antidote to institutional fatalism.
Most of us working in or around governments know two fundamental truths: institutions matter enormously—and yet, they can be maddeningly difficult to change. Whether it’s cumbersome bureaucracies, outdated rules, or simply the habit of doing things the way they’ve always been done, institutional inertia often feels inevitable.
We also know that the status quo simply won’t do. Climate emergencies, rapid technological shifts, generational fairness—our institutions weren’t designed for this level of complexity. While it might occasionally feel comforting to complain about how “the system” isn’t fit-for-purpose, our times demand a bit more than just commiseration.
Hosted on the Apolitical platform, the Reimagining Public Institutions community isn’t just another digital discussion group. Think of it as a club for rebels with a cause—a safe but intellectually lively space to grapple openly with how we govern, organise, and adapt. It’s somewhere you can admit you don’t have all the answers, but are determined to find them anyway.
Within this community, policymakers and civil servants come together to explore alternative governance models, share stories of transformation (including the occasional, refreshingly honest failure), and co-create a shared vocabulary for institutional innovation.
You’ll find resources, ideas, practical support, and, perhaps most importantly, a healthy dose of collective imagination.
The community is a collaboration between Apolitical, Demos Helsinki, the Transition Collective and TIAL.
We warmly invite you to join us. Bring your curiosity, your challenges, your stories, and your scepticism too. Better institutions are urgently needed—and contrary to popular belief, they’re entirely within our reach.
We hope you’ll help us prove it.
Rethinking institutions in an era of demographic transition
New project: Interchange
The climate convergence: Extreme heat as a catalyst for cross-sector innovation
Mobilising the collective intelligence of nature — Internet of animals
Redefining data sovereignty: Māori data governance in the digital age
