John Seddon is an occupational psychologist and management thinker, credited with developing the systems approach to the design and management of service organisations. He has been an ardent critic of public-sector reform, arguing that the reform agenda has worsened public services and driven up costs. Those who follow and apply his ideas achieve performance improvements that make official targets look un-ambitious. John’s campaign for freedom from command and control in the public sector generated huge press interest in August this year when he called for the Audit Commission to be axed. He argues that dismantling the inspection regime would replace compliance with responsibility in the public sector. John is the author of: 'Systems Thinking in the Public Sector,' Triarchy Press, 2008 and 'Freedom from Command and Control,' Vanguard Press, 2003.