For Pendronwrs

Welcome, Pendronwr*

You’re the person who asks the difficult questions. Not because you enjoy being awkward, but because you genuinely want things to make sense, and feel frustrated when they don’t.

You respect governance. You value good processes. But every now and then you find yourself wondering whether an accepted way of working actually serves the purpose it was designed for. You’re the person quietly asking, “Have we ever stopped to think why we do it this way?”

Perhaps you’re the child in The Emperor’s New Clothes. Not because you think everyone else is wrong, but because you’re bothered when things don’t quite add up.

If that sounds familiar, welcome. This is a place to question assumptions respectfully, explore new ideas and think more deeply about public service writing, governance and decision-making.

🧡 Rethinking risk management

  • What are the limitations and problems of traditional risk management in the public sector?
  • Is “risk appetite” always a helpful concept for public organisations?
  • What happens when we apply conventional risk management to wicked problems?
  • Do target risk scores sometimes create an illusion of certainty?

🧡 Taking care of the Board

  • Do board packs really have to be so long?
  • Are we helping boards think, or simply giving them more to read?
  • In what ways can boards and board members be vulnerable; and how can PenPushers like us support them?

🧡 AI and public sector corporate writing

  • Will AI improve governance, or simply make poor governance look better?
  • What should public servants never outsource to AI?
  • What are the risks and pitfalls of using AI for public sector corporate writing?

*About the name: Pendronwr is my adaptation of the Welsh verb pendroni, meaning to ponder or to reflect deeply. I’ve added the suffix -wr, which in Welsh often denotes someone who does something (rather like the English endings -er or -or). I originally thought I’d invented the word, but later discovered it has been used by someone else to describe Hamlet! I use it here to describe someone who enjoys querstioning assumptions, thinkin critically and exploring the deeper ideas behind public service writing, governance and decision-making.