The APG’s adoption of the term ‘incidental person’¹ coincided with the expansion of negotiation of placements of IPs to encompass not just industry but also government bodies, including APG member John Latham’s placement with the Scottish Office (1975-76). APG’s shift from industrial placements to government placements was made possible by conceptual creator and APG co-founder Barbara Steveni’s negotiation of the seminal Whitehall or Civil Service Memorandum with the U.K. government in 1972. The role of the IP was further expanded by APG’s successor Organization and Imagination (O+I, 1989-2009) and their Southwark Education Research Project (SERP) with the Southwark Education Department.

Central to the APG’s notion of the IP was that they had an interest in organisational structures and operating critically and creatively in this context. Whether that organization be an industry, government body or educational institution, the IP commands their own language, material or approach. Within the organizational structure, the IP’s activity is not predetermined. In fact, it is importantly undefined. Therefore, the IP has the advantage of critically observing aspects of organizations that individuals immersed in their everyday routine cannot always recognise. While the IP’s objective will always begin as undefined, their intention is to critically question and prioritize long-term benefits over short-term gain for the betterment of society as a whole.