Dr Lesley Rowan

Lesley's focus is on learning to design and deliver effective public services in an environment of complexity, rapid change and constrained resources. As a practitioner specialising in local authority delivery partnerships Lesley found traditional programme and project management approaches insufficient to work with these challenges. Learning about and applying systemic approaches had a powerful impact on her thinking and practice. 

Lesley joined the University of Exeter for the start of the new Systems Thinking Practitioner level 7 Apprenticeship/MSc Systems Thinking in the Public Sector in 2022. As an Academic Mentor she values the opportunity to work iteratively, for two years, with public sector staff who are applying systems approaches to their practice. This learning is demonstrating a significant positive impact for their workplaces and for their professional development. As a Programme Director, and colleague in a growing team, Lesley has developed a learning system approach to the integration of MSc and apprenticeship aspects of the course supporting staff induction and ongoing development. . 

Lesley has been a member of the UK Board of the professional body for systems thinking practitioners, Systems Thinking and Complexity in Organisation (SCiO) since 2018. She runs bi-monthly member Development Events, attracting international participation, that support integration of learning and practice.   

Since 2024 Lesley has provided systems thinking and practice consultancy and mentoring support to the Shaping Places for Wellbeing in Wales Programme. She is has also been an expert reviewer for the Swedish Sustainable Development Research Council since 2020, focusing on taking research into implementation for a sustainable Society. 

At the March 2026 Systems Thinking, Systems Practice Conference being delivered by the University of Hull Centre for Systems Studies (CSS), SCiO, The International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR) and The OR Society, Lesley made the following contributions: 

A case study 'A learning system approach to developing support for systems thinking practitioner students',

A workshop, co-delivered with Christian Heathcote-Elliott, on working with the Viable System Model with people new to the approach, building on a successful workshop undertaken with regional and national stakeholders through Public Health Wales,

A clinic following the workshop enabling participants to explore their own situations of interests practitioners

A participatory activity, with University of Exeter colleagues and students exploring 'Legitimacy: Boundary Judgements and Public Decision-Making in the UK?'