Relational Public Services X Academia with Profs Hannah Hesselgreaves and Chris Fox 1 0

Radical Reformers podcast · Jan 21, 2026 · 1h 4m

All the buzz is about relational public services – and rightly so. In this week’s Radical Reformers, we welcome not one, but two experts in the subject, Professor Hannah Hesselgreaves and Professor Chris Fox from the Policy Evaluation Research Unit at Manchester Metropolitan University. They explore the role academia plays in the development of public service reform and public policy, and how it should play a deeper, more relational role in public service reform, far beyond traditional evaluation. A key theme is the value of involving academics early on as learning partners who help test…