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Created by the Public Governance Directorate

This website was created by the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI), part of the OECD Public Governance Directorate (GOV).

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Innovation has always happened in the public sector and often in response to crises. Necessity is the mother of invention and crises force governments to act and innovate as we go, but who is capturing those insights, adapting dynamically, and changing the way “business as usual” is carried out in the public sector? As a recent experience revealed in Sweden, for successful proactive and anticipatory governance, suspension of disbelief and rehearsal are key, as are...
The International Sludge Academy, launched in 2023, is a partnership between the OECD and the Government of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia. Over the course of 5 months, 16 teams from 14 countries completed sludge audits on government processes and public services. Learn more about the Academy and the sludge audit approach in our previous blog: “Spotting the sludge: Behavioural audits to improve public services across countries.” Have you ever felt frustrated by an...
In many countries, innovation became a buzz word following the emergence of New Public Management approaches, periods of austerity and a focus on cost savings as a way to control government spending.  In Latvia – as in many other OECD countries – innovation is often associated with the ability of government to “do more with less”. But innovation can achieve much more than this. Innovation, working in new and novel ways to improve impact, can...
This is Part 2 of a blog series on Government Communities of Practice for Anticipatory and Foresight. The series explores existing research and international examples and identifies the factors and start-up practices that are likely to catalyse new ideas and embed innovation in organisations and institutions. Read Part 1: “What does it take to set up and run government communities of practice for anticipation and foresight?”  From January to June 2023, the OECD Observatory of...
According to the 2021 OECD Trust Survey, a majority of citizens are satisfied with their government’s delivery of public services. However, they also think there is little chance of a service being improved if people complained. OECD countries have already committed to Building Trust and Reinforcing Democracy through a broad set of actions to respond to some of the key governance challenges. One of the ways to do this is to improve government services, through...
This is Part 1 of a bolg series on Government Communities of Practice for Innovation, in which we will explore the existing research and international examples and identify the factors and start-up practices that are likely to catalyse new ideas and embed innovation in organisations and institutions. Read Part 2: “Engage, test, refine – and repeat: Designing and piloting a community of practice in Ireland“. Government communities of practice are not new. There are countless...
Blog

OECD OPSI Call for Interns

Are you eager to work on innovative projects and push the boundaries of what’s possible in the public sector? The OECD’s Observatory of Public Sector Innovation is searching for multiple talented individuals to join our team for a six-month internship experience in Paris (with the possibility to extend to 12 months)!   The deadline for application is Friday, 22 September 2023, 23:59 CET (instructions below).   The OECD Internship Programme is designed to provide highly…
Since the first behavioural insights (BI) unit in 2010, many BI teams have emerged around the world. While varying in missions, models, and methodologies, they share the common goal of enhancing our understanding ‘what makes people tick’ and how we might use this information for the betterment of policy and society. In 2017, the OECD published a first report on BI and Public Policy that presented data and insights from 60 pioneering BI units.   Unsurprisingly,...
Blog

OECD-OPSI Call for Interns 2023

Are you a motivated individual, eager to take on innovative projects and push the boundaries of what’s possible in the public sector? OPSI is searching for talented individuals to join our team for a six-month internship experience in Paris or remote (with the possibility to extend to 12 months)!  The deadline for application is Sunday, 23 April 2023, 23:59 CET (instructions below).  The OECD Internship Programme is designed to provide highly qualified and motivated students…
The OECD Directorate for Public Governance (GOV) is working closely with the Portuguese Centro de Competências de Planeamento, de Políticas e de Prospetiva (PlanAPP) on Strengthening Decision Making and Policy Development in Portugal. The project, which covers four specific modules, supports PlanAPP in becoming a core competency centre in the Portuguese public administration by enhancing its institutional and administrative capacities. PlanAPP, a new unit positioned within the Presidency of…