Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie (patio11) Achieving results in the physical world, with Adam Jarvis of “Public Service”
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Jul 3, 2025 
Adam Jarvis, a New Zealand civil engineer and passionate public sector advocate, joins to discuss the daunting challenges facing infrastructure projects today. He highlights the skyrocketing planning costs for water pipes and the burdens of regulatory scar tissue. The conversation explores the impact of talent sorting on public institutions, the need for reformed hiring practices, and the role of technology in improving infrastructure workflows. Amidst these challenges, Jarvis finds hope for enhancing government capabilities and engaging communities more effectively.
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Adam's Local Government Impact
- Adam Jarvis worked for a local government serving about 100,000 people, allowing him to engage closely with city projects.
- He introduced extinct bird species, built a city's first separated cycleway, and reformed low-carbon investment strategies.
Political Capital Controls Project Speed
- Political capital is the critical factor determining how quickly public sector projects like cycleways are delivered.
- Lengthy regulatory and political processes often extend projects from months to years before actual physical work begins.
Funding Complexity Creates Conflicts
- Multiple government funding sources impose numerous, often conflicting objectives on public projects.
- This creates complexity that forces projects to satisfy 'everything to everybody but nothing to anybody' simultaneously.