Beyond the Lanes: A Systems Approach to Transforming Public Services
- truthaboutlocalgov
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
Across the public and voluntary sectors, few leaders embody the spirit of systems thinking as fully as Rebecca Jarvis. With more than two decades of experience spanning the NHS, Local Government and the VCFSE, Rebecca has built a career on turning complexity into clarity and strategy into meaningful, measurable change. Her leadership has shaped major transformation programmes, reimagined commissioning models, and brought partners together across organisational and political boundaries to improve outcomes for people and communities.
What distinguishes Rebecca is not only her technical expertise, but her values. She leads with compassion, curiosity and conviction, creating the conditions for collaboration to thrive. Whether overseeing multi‑million‑pound commissioning portfolios, driving integration at scale, or coaching leaders to unlock their potential, she brings a rare blend of operational credibility and strategic vision.
In this thought piece and interview, Rebecca reflects on what systems thinking truly means in the context of public sector commissioning and why it matters now more than ever. She explores the difference between coordination and genuine collective intent, the barriers that hold systems back, and the opportunities that emerge when organisations align purpose, insight and resources around the lives of the people they serve.
From her work in Essex developing the Prevention and Enablement Model, to her cross‑sector leadership shaping population health approaches, Rebecca offers a grounded, human and deeply practical perspective on how public services can evolve. Her reflections challenge, inspire and illuminate what it takes to lead in complexity and why the future of commissioning depends on courage, connection and a shared commitment to doing better for communities.
This is Rebecca Jarvis, in her own words.
What does systems thinking mean to me in the context of public sector commissioning?
Systems thinking is about seeing the whole, not just the parts. Over recent years, I have seen a significant shift in public services toward recognising the individual strengths, needs and circumstances of people and families within the context of their lives. However, this holistic lens is applied far less consistently to the systems within which those services operate. Legislative changes such as The Care Act 2014 and the Health and Social Care Act 2022 placed clear duties on NHS and local government bodies to integrate, leading to improved collaboration and greater alignment. Yet, in my experience, this integration has not gone far enough.
I have often reflected on an analogy that helps bring to life some of the dynamics I observe in system working: a swimming pool. In this pool, organisations are well-intentioned and disciplined, each staying in their own lane. As they pass one another, they exchange polite nods, there is recognition, familiarity and a sense of shared purpose. At times, they even share space or resources, much like swimmers adjusting to accommodate one another in a lane.
Yet despite this proximity, they are not truly swimming together. Some move in the same direction, others in opposing ones, but each remains focused on reaching their own organisational end point. Progress is measured by staying within lane boundaries rather than by whether the system is moving people forward. For me, this captures the difference between coordination and true systems thinking cooperation without collective intent, alignment without a shared destination.
System’s thinking looks beyond individual symptoms to understand connections; interdependencies and the drivers that enable goals or outcomes to be delivered. It starts by exploring the consequence of an issue and works backwards to uncover what’s influencing it, driving on insights, intelligence and perspectives from across the whom system, not limited by organisational boundaries. It recognises that lives are complex and therefore the challenges facing society, and in-turn public services are rarely isolated; they are shaped by complex, interconnected factors, and their solutions are found not within one organisation but the connections between them. This is a critical skill set in the context of public sector commissioning if we are going to deliver public sector reform. Whilst Systems thinking is a defined leadership skill, it’s also a mindset that requires compassion, curiosity and courage. It’s about building trusted relationships, embracing uncertainty and hardwiring collaboration as the foundation for driving lasting change.
In today’s public sector we are navigating one of the most significant periods of transformation in decades, with rising demand, growing inequality and shrinking resources. Systems thinking provides both the framework and leadership capability to respond to this complexity. It enables us to keep people at the centre, use shared intelligence to understand need, and design collective responses that go beyond organisational boundaries. Strategic Commissioning cannot be delivered without system leadership capabilities. It moves commissioning from a transactional process to one whereby through a strategic and evidence-based approach we can reimagine how public services work together and invest in this change to improve lives and strengthen communities.
Can you share an example where a system’s approach led to better outcomes?
As Head of Commissioning for Adult Social Care in Essex, I was responsible for designing a programme of activity to promote wellbeing and independence, and in doing so prevent, reduce and or delay demand into Adult Social Care. Using data, insight and evidence to explore the drivers of demand showed an intrinsic link to physical and social activity. To respond to this, I knew we needed to go further than simply signposting someone to be active. We had to understand why people weren’t physically or socially active and find a connection that stimulated a change in behaviour. I wanted to think about how we used physical activity as a tool to independence and wellbeing, not simply as a way of exercising.
I had the privilege of working with Active Essex, and an organisation called Sport for Confidence to establish PEM, the Prevention and Enablement Model to document and evaluate the impact of a whole system approach to adult health and social care, placing physical activity at its core, with an aim to measure the impact on improving the lives of people living with disabilities and/or long-term health conditions
By developing a strategic partnership between Adult Social Care at Essex County Council, Active Essex, and Sport for Confidence CIC, alongside a diverse range of wider partners; PEM delivered a whole range of better outcomes in respect of peoples wellbeing and the independent evaluation concluded the Positive Impact of Embedding Physical Activity Into A Whole System Approach To Adult Health & Social Care Could Deliver £58.72 of Social Value Per £1 Invested.
What are the biggest barriers to system’s thinking in commissioning – and how can we overcome them?
If we defined commissioning as a methodology that can draw on all the levers within its disposal to design, plan and deliver activity to meet outcomes over the longer-term, the benefits of looking wider than one organisation to our collective system resource are vast. However, this is often where the biggest barriers remain.
Systems have system leadership capabilities, but the pace of change is still often constrained by organisational boundaries and governance. Organisations want to work together, and in some areas show a willingness and commitment, be it through co-location or pooled budgets using commissioning as a tool to improve outcomes. However, systematically resources, (money, people, infrastructure), continue to be organised, regulated and controlled by different hierarchies; relinquishing or changing this requires navigating political, organisational and functional divides which more often not, results in a strategy but no plan to underpin how that strategy will be delivered over the longer-term.
There is not an agreed definition of commissioning across the NHS and Local Government or the role commissioning can play in transforming public services over the longer-term.
Integrated Care Boards have redefined their role as Strategic Commissioner with a view to using the NHS budget to improve population health and reduce inequalities. Realising this will need to involve changing how the NHS operates and how it works with partners, not just through the delivery of service but how services are designed, planned, funded and evaluated. Despite this, the NHS have embarked on redesign, ahead of LGR and there remain
Why do you believe collaboration between the NHS, Local Government, and charities is essential?
I came into public services with a passion to make a difference and be part of creating a society whereby everyone has the opportunity to thrive and one where if you needed a helping hand to live healthy and well and navigates life’s challenges, it was accessible to everyone. Lives are complex, these challenges don’t present neatly wrapped but are often multi-layered and interrelated.
Yes, Collaboration between the NHS, Local Government and Charities is essential because it allows us to make best use of our collective resource, avoid duplication and therefore make best use of the public pound, but it is more than that. It provides an opportunity to better understand challenges our population are facing, what’s causing them and why this results in demand for public services. It enables us to draw from multiple perspectives and use these insights and intelligence to inform what needs to change, and in turn the resources and conditions we needed to create to make the change.
As a leader, particularly in strategic commissioning, I am passionate about developing cultures that promote growth mindsets. One that looks at every problem or challenge through the lens of opportunity, that is open and able to draw on different perspectives but also one that is prepared to fail, listen and learn from that failure to make the change we aspire to deliver. Growth mindsets are about being open.
What unique strengths does each sector bring to the table?
Charities are grounded in purpose. They are deeply connected to people and driven by missions to improve lives, whether through the direct delivery of services or by creating the conditions that enable lasting change. They are creative not only in how they generate income, but in how they work in partnership with individuals and families to co-design solutions to some of the most complex challenges facing society. The NHS carries a profound responsibility to make the best use of the public pound, while also being home to some of the most brilliant clinical minds, professionals who have dedicated their lives to learning, practising and delivering their craft in the most demanding conditions, providing care that we rely on when we need it most.
Local Government shares this stewardship of public resources. It is also rich in expertise about place: how to shape environments, design systems and create the conditions in which communities and local economies can thrive. The power of systems thinking, particularly in the face of today’s political, financial and societal challenges, lies in bringing these distinct strengths together, aligning purpose, expertise and resources to achieve outcomes that none could deliver alone
Have you seen any standout examples of cross sector partnerships that made a real impact?
Active Essex is the Physical Activity and Sport Partnership for Essex, Southend and Thurrock. Their work to bring local partners together to ensure the power of physical activity and sport can transform lives has been groundbreaking.
What inspired you to work across different parts of the public and voluntary sector?
I didn’t set out to work across different parts of the public and voluntary sector. As my career progressed, however, I began to see the value of system leadership and felt compelled to better understand how different sectors design, commission and deliver public services. That curiosity has shaped my career, using insight from across sectors to lead whole-system change at scale.
How has your experience in each sector shaped your approach to leadership and commissioning?
My experience has helped me develop as a system leader, but it has also shown me that strategic commissioning can be applied in any setting. When the methodology is used well, the real skill lies in being curious, listening deeply, remaining open to learning, and bringing different forms of expertise together to find common ground; using shared purpose, evidence and insight to translate complexity into meaningful, system-wide change.
What advice would you give to someone considering a move between sectors?
Without challenge there’s no growth.
What’s one change you’d love to see in how commissioning is approached nationally?
It shifts from being a transactional procurement led model of delivery to strategic, long-term and transformational.
How do you stay motivated and resilient when navigating complex change?
· Find comfort in the uncomfortable.
· Protecting time to think and process.
· Using visual learning to help sense check
· Remain grounded in purpose and action.
What legacy or impact do you hope your work will leave?
I want to help shape a fair society, one where everyone has the opportunity to live the life they want to lead, to be happy and to thrive. A society that recognises life can throw us curve balls, and that any one of us, at any time, may need a helping hand to navigate them.
Achieving this requires strong system leadership. Public services have a privileged role in creating the conditions that make this possible, and I want to have said I was part of that work.
Rebecca Jarvis is an accomplished Executive Leader with more than two decades of experience across the NHS, Local Government, and the voluntary and community sector. Her career is defined by a deep commitment to improving outcomes for people and communities, driven by collaboration, compassion and a belief in the power of system‑wide innovation. She has led major transformation and integration programmes at scale, designing commissioning and delivery models that translate strategy into meaningful change. Known for blending operational credibility with strategic vision, Rebecca brings partners together across organisational and political boundaries to deliver sustainable improvements in complex environments.
At Executive level, she has overseen large commissioning portfolios and multimillion‑pound budgets, shaping population health approaches, tackling inequalities and shifting care closer to home. Her leadership is grounded in curiosity, courage and a relentless focus on impact, equally comfortable navigating the detail of delivery as she is influencing policy and system direction.
Alongside her executive roles, Rebecca is an accredited leadership coach, dedicated to unlocking confidence and potential in others. Authentic and values‑driven, she creates the conditions for people and teams to thrive. Across every role, Rebecca brings connection, clarity and purpose, committed to making public services work better for the people and communities they exist to serve.
