Adaptability: Champion

The DesignGov experiment was an 18 month initiative of the Australian Public Service to apply design-led innovation to cross-agency problems. This resource is based on the experience of DesignGov and is intended to be a resource for others that might be looking to establish and operate a public sector innovation lab. This resource is offered as a personal contemplation about what should be considered when establishing, running and, possibly, closing a public innovation lab.

Features: Checklist

Kickbox is an innovation process that Adobe developed for its own use and then open-sourced so everyone can use it. It is both a process for individuals and a system for deploying that process across an organization at scale. It’s designed to increase innovator effectiveness, accelerate innovation velocity, and measurably improve innovation outcomes. It can also optimize innovation investments by reducing costs compared to traditional approaches. Adobe distributed 1000 physical boxes…

Features: Facilitators guide, Guiding framework, Video guidance

A series of 16 individual templates for different service design methods and techniques, plus posters with a guiding methodology for use in your own workshops. The posters do not include much step-by-step guidance so these are best used by people who have used these methods and techniques previously. The publisher's website also includes some case studies. Available in English and Dutch.

Features: Examples or Cases, Guiding framework, Techniques

Guide to service blueprinting. The reader analyses their own interaction with service users. Through the tools of personas, scenarios, and the decomposition of a scenario into a blueprint of its elements, the reader can understand and improve their services from a Human-Centred design person

Features: Guiding framework, Tactics

The Collective Action Toolkit (2nd edition) is a set of activities and methods that enables groups of people anywhere to organize, collaborate, and create solutions for problems affecting their community. It guides users through methods according to six action areas, with suggested pathways from one method to the next. For each method, step-by-step instructions are given, in addition to the time, roles, and materials needed. Some methods include canvasses to guide activity. The toolkit is…

Features: Facilitators guide, Guiding framework, Techniques

This resource offers on ways to do things differently by introducing basic guidance on the process of design thinking. It provides guidance on how to introduce this new approach into day-to-day work in the public sector. It was developed for both policymakers and people who design and deliver public services who need to make large changes in how they serve their citizens. It includes guidance on creating an environment set up to do design work as well as an overview of some of the most commonly…

Features: Guiding framework, Techniques

This resource tells the stories of 20 teams, units and funds established by governments and charged with making innovation happen. i-teams, short for innovation teams, are dedicated teams, units and funds, to structure and embed innovation methods and practice in government. They are largely affiliated with Bloomberg Philanthropies and its associated i-teams program and usually within local governments. This resource analyses the diversity of structures and approaches, their impacts, and the key…

Features: Guiding framework

A platform for researchers to share findings and methodologies and a repository of theoretical and applied research on open and innovative governance techniques and tools. It includes: A platform for researchers to share findings and methodologies; A repository of theoretical and applied research on open and innovative governance techniques and tools; A diversity of publication types – from research reports and journal articles to books and dissertations; A taxonomy for browsing research by…

Features: Peer-reviewed literature repository

This web-based resource was designed to build an understanding of how adopting an experimental approach can be used to make policies more effective. It focuses on designing and delivering trials. It includes interactive guidance to determine which type of trial is appropriate.

Features: Examples or Cases, Interactive diagnostic

An introduction to service design for public servants, and a set of practical ways to include design methods in your work. This resource was developed for the City of New York but is relevant to other cities, governments, and innovation labs as well.

Features: Guiding framework, Tactics