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22 september university of edinburgh
SDinGov Kick off
Party
Join us 22 September for an evening of drinks and fun!
Say hello, catch up, and meet some friendly faces before things get busy.
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Let’s get the party started
As platinum sponsors We’re kicking off
SDinGov 2026 with a proper welcome
BREAK THE ICE
Start the week on a high note by meeting fellow attendees, speakers, and organisers in a low-key setting. It’s easier to spot friendly faces when you’ve already shared a drink.
NO PRESSURE, JUST PINTS
Or wine, soft drinks, snacks — whatever suits you. This is a casual evening with good vibes, not name tags and networking scripts.
FIND YOUR PEOPLE
Whether you’re into service design, systems change, or just passionate about making public services better, this is your chance to connect with others who get it.
Evening Agenda
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18.00 18.30
Arrival and drinks
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18.30 18.35
Welcome from TPXimpact
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18.35 19.20
Panel Discussion
Systems mapping: why is it needed and how can we ramp up the practice
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19.20 20.30
Networking, drinks and nibbles
PANEL DISCUSSION
Systems mapping:
Why is it needed and how can we ramp up the practice
At this year's SDinGov Opening Night Party, amid drinks, tapas and some excellent company, we'll delve into the challenges of moving from service design to systems design in Government.
To get the discussion going, we’ll hear from new GDS initiatives working to this end. Linda O'Halloran, TPXimpact Senior Partner for market-shaping will be joined by Andy Parker, Design Lead for the next iteration of the Service Standard and Liz Adams, Service Owner for GDS Local. They’ll explore:
- What is systems design and systems mapping?
- Why and where it is needed in Government?
- And what will it take to mainstream the practice where it is needed?
Your Host and speakers
Linda o'halloran
Senior Partner, TPXimpact
Linda O’Halloran has spent the last 15 years leading innovation at the intersection of central and local government. She led the 2018 Local Digital Declaration movement, and various programmes at MCHLG and GDS before joining TPXimpact to develop our market-shaping practice.
Andy Parker
Senior Service Designer | Service Transformation, GDS
Andy leads Service Design at GDS as part of the Service Standards team. Over a 25 year career, Andy has navigated table-layouts, and rounded corners, the emergency of UX and ’the cloud’. In 2026 he began a series of articles exploring the changing landscape of service design, its interplay with systems thinking and the need to look at the bigger picture. (He’s also an ex-freelance music journalist, had a practical joke about Street Photography go viral in UK press and, full of useless trivia).
Liz Adams
Service Owner | GDS Local, GDS
Liz Adams is the Service Owner for GDS Local, the team setting up No. 10 North’s Digital Devolution Unit, and helping GDS to better serve Local Government.