Paris Marx is joined by Rosie Collington to discuss the consequences of outsourcing tech to the private sector, how it causes governments to lose important capacities to serve the public, and how the push for open government data empowered large tech firms.Rosie Collington is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at University College London. She’s also the co-author of The Big Con: How the Consulting Industry Weakens Our Businesses, Infantilizes our Governments and Warps our Economies with Mariana Mazzucato. You can follow Rosie on Twitter at @RosieCollingto.Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.Also mentioned in this episode:Rosie wrote a paper called “Disrupting the Welfare State? Digitalisation and the Retrenchment of Public Sector Capacity” for New Political Economy, and a report calling “Digital Public Assets” for Common Wealth.Palantir has a massive and controversial contract with the NHS. That hasn’t stopped Peter Thiel from criticizing the UK’s public healthcare system.Mar Hicks wrote about the masculinization of the computer workforce in Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost Its Edge in Computing.Support the show

Economist Mariana Mazzucato and collaborator Rosie Collington debunk the value of consultancies. They highlight failures in responding to challenges like climate change and COVID-19. They discuss the role of government, the drawbacks of excessive reliance on consultants, and the need for mission-oriented policy. They delve into historical context, aligning government actions with citizens' interests, and strengthening organizational capacity. They also address the impact of consulting firms in global health and the importance of transparency for driving change.

Rosie Collington discusses the decline of state ambition in addressing sustainability challenges. She explores the impact of consulting firms on government functions, emphasizing the need to rebuild state capacity for green transitions. The episode also touches on academia's role in demystifying ideas for sustainability solutions.