Rodney Barber

Rodney is a Wellington-based social entrepreneur, public-value advisor, and IMF public investment expert. He works with cities, districts, and nations to strengthen how collective decisions are made—so policy intent translates into measurable improvements in economic, social, cultural, environmental, and governance outcomes. His work focuses on a critical but often overlooked space in public systems: the gap between formal decision processes and lived experience. Through his Better Decisions, Better Outcomes approach, Rodney helps public leaders move beyond siloed planning, compliance-driven consultation, and short-term delivery pressures toward relational, whole-of-system decision-making that builds trust and reduces implementation risk. Alongside his international advisory work, Rodney leads ACoRN, a community-led resilience trust that serves as a live pilot for testing how institutions and communities can decide together under real-world constraints. This work provides practical evidence that stronger decision systems can improve outcomes at scale. Rodney’s work champions learning, shared responsibility, and accountability for what truly matters in people’s lives.