LONDON, June 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Apolitical launched a global platform for government and its partners at Admiralty House, Whitehall in collaboration with the UK Cabinet Office. The platform is the first of its kind.

About the platform 

Apolitical’s online platform is designed around the critical policy topics of our time and connects public servants at all levels of government to people tackling the same problems elsewhere. It brings together ideas, people and evidence in an inspiring way that encourages action. 

Co-designed with senior public servants in more than 30 countries, Apolitical is built on the belief that what’s working in one government is likely to hold lessons for others, and is inspired by the aesthetic and agility of consumer tech. To make vast volumes of policy data tailored and accessible, the platform is also incorporating cutting edge artificial intelligence, through partnerships with Oxford University spinout companies, MindFoundry and Oxford Semantic Technologies.

The three policy topics launched today are Innovative Public Partnerships, Inclusive Growth (both sponsored by the UK Cabinet Office) and Data for Impact (sponsored by the Open Data Institute). Each policy topic is designed with the guidance of an independent editorial board, and is indexed to related issues, to bridge the traditional silos in government that can inhibit innovation. The content is written with the sharpness of news – and ranges from case studies and evidence reviews to thought leadership on the topic at hand. 

The Challenge

“In the private sector managers are expected to know, and show, what their competition is doing, what they need to copy from them, the mistakes they need to avoid and where they are the best already,” says Paul Kirby, Non-Executive Director at the Cabinet Office and former Head of Policy at Number 10. “In governments around the world, people mostly don’t know what’s really happening in other countries.  And they feel excused from knowing because it’s so hard to find out. We need to get rid of that excuse by making it easier.”   

Apolitical’s platform presents the solution to this challenge.

The Solution: a force multiplier for citizens 

Robyn Scott, co-founder and CEO of Apolitical, says: “The average OECD country spends about 40% of its GDP on government. That’s $16 trillion a year. If just 1% of this was spent 50% more effectively, it would unlock $80 billion to tackle society’s hardest challenges. Inspired by this huge force multiplier potential, Apolitical aims to help countries everywhere find the best solutions to complex problems like climate change, terrorism and inequality by actively sharing each other’s successes and mistakes.” 

Lisa Witter, Executive Chairman and co-founder, adds: “We believe Apolitical can play an important role in strengthening governments’ capacity and agility and, in doing so, help to rebuild  the public’s trust in institutions and democracy – creating a virtuous cycle. At present, every major country in the world employs thousands of people in government to reinvent the wheel. That hive of minds is the biggest resource available to any government anywhere.”

*NOTES FOR EDITORS*

Apolitical profile

Co-founded by two experienced female entrepreneurs, Robyn Scott and Lisa Witter, Apolitical is backed by mission-driven investors in the UK, Europe, North America, Asia and Africa and supported by an EU Horizon 2020 innovation grant.  Apolitical was recently named one of the 100 most disruptive companies in the world in the @Disrupt100 Index which said: “Apolitical’s new approach to solving common problems could potentially impact everyone on the planet.” Apolitical’s partners include the governments of the UK and the UAE, as well as the Open Data Institute, GovLab, and the Bernard Van Leer Foundation. Apolitical’s media partnerships include Fast Company, the World Economic Forum and Civil Service World. 

Already public servants in 48 countries are using the platform to share and discover case studies about what’s working and to exchange ideas. Visit www.apolitical.co to learn more. 

Press enquiries

Lisa Witter
Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Apolitical
+4917684119870
lisa.witter@apolitical.co

Accompanying images

Please find attached three images of Apolitical’s platform.

Related Files

(1) Policy Fields .pdf

(2)Resources Within a Policy Field.pdf

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SOURCE Apolitical