GPS system came out of the US Defence Department. Same as ARPANET, the basis of the modern Internet. NASA scientists put the man on the moon. Point here? Public sector innovation does not happen by itself but grows out of people and organisations (and their rules) which made inventions possible. This is the point of departure of a recent report Fostering innovation in the public sector we have produced which explores the role that central government functions...
Posts on Digital and Technology Modernisation
This blog was authored by guest blogger, Benjamin Kumpf Policy Specialist, Innovation, United Nations Development Programme “We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we make progress.” Richard Feynman, Noble Prize winning physicist, emphasized this paradigm as guiding principle for work in natural sciences. Based on what we have learned over the last three years in the Innovation Facility in the United Nations Development Programme…
There’s been a flurry of activity at OPSI over the past few weeks. While we’ve been working to pull together a systems thinking workshop that we will be hosting in Paris tomorrow (link in blog), a few of us made our way to Dubai to attend the 2017 World Government Summit in order to launch our latest report: Embracing Innovation in Government: Global Trends. We had the opportunity to meet innovators from all over the...
Over the last year, we have been working in partnership with the UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation (MBRCGI) to conduct a global review of ways governments are transforming their operations and improving the lives of their people though innovation. We have conducted extensive research into innovation trends and examples in OECD member countries and non-members alike, as well as a two-month open “Call for Innovations” to identify examples of innovative practices…
OPSI releases a new call for case studies from city governments to identify success stories in local public sector innovation. Access the city space of OPSI and fill in the questionnaire online to share your story by November 15, 2016 (details in blog). We invite you to contribute to our innovation scan and submit innovative city practices on the OPSI submission form. Case studies on what and what for? Cities have become the engine of...
If you are trying to raise awareness of innovation – both the need for it, and ways of doing it – and trying to help public servants learn about the process of innovation, how might you proceed? In Australia, we established ‘Innovation Month’ – a month long series of events and activities about innovation targeted at public servants and interested stakeholders and partners. In 2015, Innovation Month had the theme of ‘Dream, Dare, Do’ and...