Edge of Government Series
How to Scale Government Innovation Without Losing the Edge
In partnership with the UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation
Tuesday, Sep 8, 2026
Time is displayed in your local time zone
At this event, you’ll learn:
- How to identify the specific institutional hurdles early in your innovation journey
- Tactics for connecting your "edge" initiative to the high-level priorities of senior leaders
- Practical ways to exercise empathy for colleagues in risk-averse functions to find a path forward together
Speakers
Many government initiatives show promise at the edge but struggle at the last mile. Early results, user feedback and prototypes are rarely enough on their own when an initiative meets the realities of finance, procurement, human resources and audit.
This masterclass provides a roadmap for securing support for edge initiatives as they move from experimentation to permanence, and turning standalone acts of innovation into a core government capability. You will learn how to build the infrastructure, leadership buy-in, and team habits that allow innovation to happen again and again. We will explore how to transition from being a lonely innovator to a leader who creates the space for others to explore the edge.
Explore the Edge of Government hub to learn more about our partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation, including the Edge 50 list, case studies, interviews and upcoming masterclasses.
Who should join
Designed for those trying to move an initiative beyond pilot stage, this session offers practical insight into building credibility, aligning with system constraints and sustaining support when bureaucracy and silos threaten to slow progress.
How to join
This event will take place on Zoom. Joining instructions will be displayed once you register. The event will be recorded and the recording will be sent to all registrants. It may also be made available on Apolitical's platform for other members of our community to enjoy.
Apolitical is partnering with the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Cabinet Affairs to design and deliver this exciting event. As part of this partnership, Apolitical may share personal data with the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Cabinet Affairs including registration information, event attendance and insights, in order to facilitate this partnership. This personal data may be transferred outside the UK and the EEA, and to a country that does not currently have an adequacy agreement. Apolitical will only transfer data where there is an additional appropriate legal safeguard in place, such as an International Data Transfer Agreement. Data will be handled in accordance with the UK’s GDPR and the UAE’s Personal Data Protection Legislation.
Interested in how Apolitical can support you and your organisation? Learn about collaborating with us.
Image credit: Unsplash
Speakers
Angus Bargh
CEO, Open Plan
New Zealand
Fabio Zaffagnini
Creative Director and Founder, Rockin'1000
Italy
Angus Bargh, the founder of Open Plan, which develops and manages an ecosystem of open, federated geospatial tools on behalf of the charitable foundation, Digital Built Aotearoa. This includes the National Forward Works Viewer and the NZ Underground Asset Register – national platforms designed to shift the infrastructure sector from siloed information to shared visibility of planned works and underground assets. A Chartered Professional Engineer, Angus previously played senior leadership roles in delivering the horizontal rebuild following the Canterbury earthquakes. That time shaped his conviction that open data, knowledge-sharing, and purpose-built technology are essential to building future-ready communities.
