"Michael Barber outlines the steps that will enable courageous education leaders around the country to execute their plans and bridge the gap between hope and reality."
―Joel Klein, Chancellor
New York City Department of Education
"No one knows system reform better than Sir Michael Barber. His delivery contains bold, inspiring, crystal clear ideas that are never more timely than today. A must-read for reformers at all levels of the system."
―Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus
University of Toronto Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
A step-by-step approach to delivering results
Michael Barber, former chief advisor on delivery to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and his colleagues Andy Moffit and Paul Kihn thoroughly describe Barber′s proven reform delivery processes in this practical field guide. The timing is ideal, as Barack Obama′s administration prioritizes education reform. Citing education reform case studies from more than 20 countries, the authors assert that most previous reforms were unsuccessful due to failed implementation. This book focuses on how to accomplish meaningful results, including:
- Significant and ongoing education reform
- Excellence and equity across public education
- Students who are prepared to lead America′s future
The authors illustrate a field-tested program that ensures reform is achieved in the most profound sense, with students able to see, feel, and reap the benefits of a high-quality education.
Sir Michael Barber has been chief education advisor at Pearson since September 2011 and is the founder of Delivery Associates.
In 2001, he founded the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit in No10, Downing Street, which he ran until 2005. In this role he was responsible for ensuring delivery of the government′s domestic policy priorities across health, education, crime reduction, criminal justice, transport and immigration. The sustained focus on delivery from the heart of government, and the processes the PMDU developed, were a significant innovation in government, of interest to numerous other countries and global institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank. Tony Blair described the PMDU as “utterly invaluable.”
From 2005 to 2011 he was a partner at McKinsey and Company where he played a leading role in creating a public sector practice and founded the global education practice. In 2009 he founded, in Washington DC, the Education Delivery Institute, a not-for-profit organisation that works with more than a dozen US States to apply systematic delivery approaches to improving outcomes in schools and public higher education.
Since 2009, on behalf of the British government, he has visited Pakistan over 30 times to oversee a radical and, so far, successful reform of the Punjab education system.
He is the author of numerous books and articles, such as How to Run a Government published by Penguin in 2015 and Instruction to Deliver (Methuen 2008), which tells the story of his time in Downing Street, and was described by the Financial Times as “one of the best books about British government for many years.” Deliverology 101 is the textbook on how to deliver in government and was written as the curriculum for the Education Delivery Institute.
Andy Moffit is a Senior Practice Expert and a co-founder of McKinsey & Company’s Global Education Practice. Moffit joined the firm in 2000 and has served clients in the financial services, non-profit and public sectors on a wide range of strategic and organizational issues. Since 2005, he has worked exclusively with education clients―large urban districts, state education departments, national foundations and nonprofits, and private companies―on large-scale reform and key strategic efforts. He is a frequent commentator at education sector conferences and publications. Moffit was an elementary school teacher in Houston, Texas from 1991-93 as a corps member of Teach For America. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Oxford University and Yale Law School, at which he studied education law and policy. He is based in McKinsey’s Boston office.
Paul Kihn is an Associate Principal in McKinsey and Company′s Education Practice, where he specializes in human capital strategy, system transformation, and the delivery of large-scale reform. During his six years at McKinsey, Paul has worked with large urban school districts, local and national non-profits, and state and federal public sector agencies in K-12 and higher education. Prior to joining McKinsey, Paul worked as a public middle school teacher and administrator and community youth worker in South Africa, Ireland and New York City. He is a graduate of Yale College and Columbia University′s Teachers College and Graduate School of Business. He lives in Washington, DC.
