Welcome to the UPD Consulting blog.  Several years ago, we were a handful of consultants, survivors of the reform battles we waged from inside government and public education with the scars to prove it, reconstituted to help people like us who continue to fight the good fight for better government service.  We have since grown into an “established” consulting firm with a couple dozen consultants of similar pedigree (ex-public sector reformers) and a solid reputation in the government and education accountability arena.

So what?  There are tons of management consulting firms out there with lots to say about just about any subject out there.  Why should anyone listen to us?  What makes us any different?

Good questions all, and since we approach the leaders and “thinkers” of government and education reform with a respectful level of skepticism and irreverence, we’d expect no less from our kind readers.

The honest answer is, we’ve seen a lot.  Good intentions, good ideas, logical reforms, amazing IT systems, dedicated managers, and tons of money all aimed at “fixing” how the public sector works.  So, why are people like us still in business?  We don’t have all the answers, but we think we’ve got something to say even if we don’t take ourselves (or anyone else) too seriously.  Our goal is to facilitate discussion and learn from each other, maybe even spark an idea that hasn’t been tried before.  This isn’t meant as a soapbox so much as a whiteboard.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy following our blog and we encourage you to participate.  Even if it’s just to laugh at our hubris.