The New Synthesis – Creating Greater Welfare and Value

What is the New Synthesis?

How do we navigate complex welfare challenges—so-called “wicked problems”—that cannot simply be eliminated but must be improved? One potential answer lies in “the New Synthesis,” a pragmatic theoretical framework designed to enhance public sector practice and policy development.

The New Synthesis is the result of a comprehensive international research project led by Canadian scholar and former top civil servant Jocelyn Bourgon. This ambitious project spanned an entire decade and included a broad spectrum of participants—public leaders, politicians, practitioners, and researchers from countries including Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, England, Brazil, and Singapore.

The project aimed to explore innovative and sustainable solutions to complex social challenges. The findings of this extensive research led to the formulation of the New Synthesis. This theoretical approach offers a dynamic and flexible method for addressing “wicked” problems—moving beyond traditional, linear problem-solving strategies.

The New Synthesis emphasizes the importance of collaboration, cross-disciplinary efforts, and engaging diverse actors in tackling complex welfare challenges. It is an approach that promotes innovation, adaptation, and learning as central elements in effective policy and practice development within the public sector.

Understanding the New Synthesis is crucial for anyone working in public sector management and policy development. It provides tools to better navigate and respond to the challenging, complex, and sometimes conflicting demands facing public organizations in the 21st century.

Wicked Problems and the New Synthesis

The public sector faces a range of wicked problems. Large generations are retiring while smaller generations take their place—resulting in more elderly people living longer and a shrinking labor supply. Many seniors have complex medical records with multiple diagnoses. Meanwhile, healthcare systems struggle to find and retain enough staff. This is just one example of interconnected problems that exist simultaneously.

Additional issues include climate change, refugee flows, rising obesity rates, and chronic diseases—along with many other wicked problems demanding action.

Can these be solved simply by demanding more for less? According to the New Synthesis theory: no. Instead, it requires a broader perspective that draws on society’s and citizens’ resources—potentially leading to long-lasting solutions.

Four Interconnected Focus Areas

Resources may not be increasing—but societal complexity certainly is. How does the New Synthesis help balance these scales?

The New Synthesis identifies four interconnected focus areas that public sector leaders should address:

Compliance: Despite societal change, some tasks remain constant—such as ensuring legal compliance and upholding classical virtues of public service. A solid foundation is always essential; it’s difficult to manage change without basic stability and well-functioning institutions.
Performance: Once the foundation is secure, attention can turn to continuously optimizing how the public sector delivers on political ambitions. Management techniques like LEAN, optimization initiatives, and operational leadership are used here.
Emergence: Emergence refers to new properties arising in complex systems that cannot be explained by their individual parts alone. In this context, emergence means enabling citizens as co-producers of welfare—and fostering environments for collaboration, public innovation, and collective problem-solving.
Resilience: The final focus area is resilience—the ability to adapt to new situations and handle crises or unforeseen events. Societal robustness depends on strong social bonds based on trust between people, businesses, and organizations.

Compliance and performance reflect classic management practice: ensuring rules are followed while also striving for efficiency. But today’s challenges require adding emergence (innovation) and resilience (adaptability) for effective governance.

Inspiration

We help you work with new structures

At LEAD we offer advisory services on how you can apply the theory behind the New Synthesis in your organization.

Presentations

Inspirational research-based presentations on the New Synthesis for all levels within your organization.

Sparring

Advisory support regarding implementation of the New Synthesis as a governance model.

Workshops

Facilitation of active workshops focused on the New Synthesis at both management and employee level.

LEAD’s approach to working with the New Synthesis as a governance model

At LEAD we help our clients introduce and optimize the New Synthesis in their governance models. We believe this holistic approach creates room for innovation and flexibility while increasing efficiency and resilience in the public sector.

We start by understanding your current governance structure and unique challenges—enabling us to tailor an implementation plan that ensures a smooth transition to the New Synthesis.

We emphasize cross-disciplinary effort and collaboration across sectors—recommending an inclusive approach involving participation from all organizational levels.

As part of our strategy we also foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation—encouraging environments where experimentation (and even failure) are integral parts of improvement processes.

By combining our deep understanding of the New Synthesis with a tailored client-centered approach, LEAD is dedicated to helping clients transform their governance models—and realize the benefits this groundbreaking theory offers.

Contact us for more information about what we can do for your organization

Are you facing organizational change? Do you need strategic advice or a cultural development program?

Contact us so we can tailor together a program that develops precisely those competencies and structures needed to strengthen and future-proof your organization.

Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen

Managing Director & Partner

Master of Law

Mobile: +45 22 42 18 11
Email: aba@lead.eu