#fogdt

In July 2018, I travelled to London. Not for a project, not on official business – and yet as a newly started public sector employee. My destination was the OneTeamGov Global Unconference in Westminster. 700 people from 47 countries, all working in the public sector in one way or another, all sharing the same basic conviction: government can be better – and we want to contribute to that.

No panels. No presentations. The agenda was built on the spot, together, on A6 cards. Whoever wanted to bring a topic brought it. Everyone else voted with their feet – literally.

That day, I took few handwritten notes and typed even less on my smartphone. Some of the things on my mind: How do you get decision-makers to feel the reality of their users – not through PowerPoint slides, but as a lived experience? What motivates organisations to collaborate when money – as was often the case in Switzerland (working hypothesis at the time) – isn’t a lever? How do you create formats in which people are willing to share their real problems with each other, not just their successes?

There were no ready-made answers. But there were ideas: fortnightly ‚Show & Tells‘, ‚Cross-governmental Meetups‘, ‚Peer Learning‘ formats. And many small, practical things.

What occupied me most that day wasn’t any single topic. It was the realisation that people who work in public administration and want to change things often feel very alone – and that this loneliness disappears the moment you bring them into the same room.

Eight years ago, I returned from London with a few notes, many new contacts, and one thought: we need this in Switzerland too.

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This October, We’re Starting Something Similar in Zurich

On 30 and 31 October 2026, we are organising the unconference „Staat mal anders – denk die Verwaltung neu“ in Zurich. Around 50 practitioners from Swiss public administrations, one and a half days, an agenda we build together. No keynotes, no panels. „Just“ people with something that moves them and that they want to share with others.

The participation fee is CHF 180. All further details and the registration link at: staatmalanders.ch

If you work in the public sector and you’re reading this: you’re the one we mean.

Our unconference – by public administration practitioners, for public administration practitioners – is a one-of-a-kind opportunity.

I hope to see you there.

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