When I was young, my parents resisted getting a microwave oven, believing it would encourage us to eat unhealthy and poor-quality food. It wasn’t until years later, when a friend actually bought them a microwave, that they relented, and started benefiting from the quick-fix cuisine it offers. They haven’t abandoned proper pots and pans, but they’ve found a way for tradition and expedience to coexist. Fast forward to today, and there’s a similar shift happening...
In an era where the urgency to transition our economies and societies towards environmentally sustainable and inclusive models is widely recognised, it is more important than ever for governments to engage in dialogues with citizens. Tackling the climate crisis does not only require major technological progress but changes in our daily lives, including in transportation and consumption modes. Moreover, the rise of artificial intelligence and automation transforms societies in fundamental ways,…
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...
A matter of methods, mindsets, and mechanisms. Why innovation portfolio management? Innovation Portfolio Management has long been used by the private sector to improve returns on investments. The potential of using the same approach to improve social returns is huge. A growing number of OECD Member countries and organisations in the international development sector are exploring innovation portfolio management. Follow, for example, the exciting work of OECD-OPSI, OECD INDEF, CGIAR, UNDP, UNICEF…
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…
Preservation of language is paramount to safeguard cultural identity, foster communication and expression, preserve knowledge and embrace linguistic diversity. Language preservation efforts support the promotion of more inclusive and diverse world and, when coupled with digital technology, can help reduce the current limitations of speech-technology favouring the most widely recognised languages. In our small but mighty Baltic nation of Estonia, a project is underway to ensure the preservation…