Policy Lab grows advisory group expertise

“Fred and Frances are highly recognised leaders in their fields,” says Sydney Policy Lab Director Dr Kate Harrison Brennan. “I am absolutely delighted that they are joining the Lab’s advisory group. Their respective expertise in design and futures thinking, as well as community engagement, will further enrich the advice we receive as we kick-start a public research and development system for public policy.”

Dr Frances Foster-Thorpe is Executive Director of Shaping Futures and Data Insights at the NSW Government Cabinet Office where she continues a career progressing large-scale national reforms within Australia’s federal system and with community partners.

Based in the US, Fred Dust is the former global managing partner of international design firm IDEO and founder of Dust & Company. At Dust & Company he describes applying “the craft and optimism of human-centered design to the intractable challenges we face today.”

The Advisory Group is comprised of leading thinkers and practitioners from a wide range of backgrounds who share their knowledge and experience in dialogue with Lab leadership, shaping strategy and priorities.

Dust and Dr Foster-Thorpe join the five existing members of the Advisory Group: Kirsten Andrews, Bernadette Black AM, Lee Cooper, Robyn Holt and Professor Jaky Troy.

The Advisory Group will welcome the newest members at its Thursday 14 November meeting.

Fred Dust

Fred Dust is the founder of Dust & Company and works at the intersection of business, society and creativity. As a designer, author, educator, consultant, trustee and advisor to social and business leaders, he is one of the world’s most original thinkers, applying the craft and optimism of human-centered design to the intractable challenges we face today. Dust & Company uses a combination of catalytic convenings, difficult games and micro curriculum to enable large scale change in institutions and across cultural, governmental, philanthropic, non-profit and for-profit organisations and strives to do so for the world at large.

Using the methodology from his book Making Conversation, he also works as the Senior Dialogue Designer with The Rockefeller Foundation to explore the future of pressing global needs as well as with The School for Advanced Research, The New Museum, The Einhorn Collaborative and other foundations to host constructive dialogue with leaders like David Brooks, Reverend Jenn Bailey and Vivek Murthy to rebuild human connection in a climate of widespread polarisation, cynicism and disruption. He is proud to be faculty at the Esalen Institute.

As a former Global Managing Partner at the acclaimed international design firm IDEO, Fred works with leaders and change agents to unlock the creative potential of business, government, education, and philanthropic organisations.

Dr Frances Foster-Thorpe

Frances has a government and research background and has focused on how to progress large-scale national reforms within Australia’s federal system and with community partners.

Since 2019, Frances has been the Executive Director of Shaping Futures and Chief Data Officer in the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet. During this time Frances has established a NSW foresight team, which supports foresight capability nationally through the NSW Trend Atlas. She also led the National Disability Data Asset pilot, working with the disability community to design a new way of co-governing national data and digital assets with the affected community and secure agreement to this approximately $100 million initiative.

Frances is now working in partnership with the NSW Coalition of Peak Organisations and NSW agencies to reform how Aboriginal communities can access NSW Government held data, be involved in decisions about that data, and progress towards Aboriginal Data Governance and Sovereignty.

Frances has a DPhil & MSc from Oxford, where she was a Commonwealth scholar, and degrees in Arts (Hons) and Law from UNSW.