This paper from the Heywood Fellowship sets out a systems-based model for developing a UK national strategy that integrates all sectors of society, not only government. It conceptualises the UK as a “national ecosystem” composed of multiple interlocking social systems (economy, politics, law, culture, etc) driven by five key “national capacities”: people, means, resources, capital, and institutions.

The report argues for aligning public, private, and third-sector strategies through shared long-term objectives and collective stewardship. By analysing how these capacities interact and overlap, the framework aims to improve coherence, resilience, and foresight in policymaking across the whole of UK society.