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Compares the perspectives of chief executives, frontline employees, and local political leaders on what helps to accelerate innovation in local government. Based on research with English local councils.
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Accelerating Innovation in Local Government: Three Perspectives
Joan Munro
Innovation definition used Innovations are changes to services, products, organisational arrangements or democratic approaches that are both: � New to the council [organisation] � Deliver additional value for service users &
citizens [customers & other stakeholders] The innovation continuum goes from small scale improvements to radical disruptive, game changing, breakthrough changes
Local government examples
Vertical pier
Contact centres
Annual magic festival
Residents’ personal
computer links
New ways of avoiding
potholes Tele-care
Council- owned private
company
Report rubbish on
mobile
Inter-agency working
Shared services
Pay on mobile Community
run libraries
Community volunteers mentoring
unemployed
Publish data for
open use
Elected Youth Council
Older peoples’ mutual support ‘circles’
‘Tell Us Once’
Portable traffic lights
Social enterprises
Private sector
partnerships
Dementia friendly cafes
App for tourists Local
forums
Becoming a bank
Child-friendly city
Co-operative Council
Research objectives Aims � Identify what local government leaders
might do to accelerate innovation council-wide
� Disseminate and promote this learning to local councils
� Further the research evidence on leadership actions that help to achieve innovation in public services
Research � Interviews with 18 chief executives � Three discussion groups of chief executives � Development and testing of Local Councils’
Innovation Framework with councils � 19 employee focus groups in six councils � Discussion with LGA Improvement &
Innovation Board � Politicians’ Masterclass on innovation � Interviews with ten leading politicians (so far) � Planning research with middle managers
Local Councils’ Innovation Framework
CITIZEN & SERVICE USER FOCUS � Politicians’ and chief
execs’ declared central focus
However…. � Little in-depth research
on service users’ lives & concerns
� Residents & service users rarely involved in developing innovations
� Few taking action to unlock community capacity for innovation
POLITICAL VISION & PRIORITIES
All agree need to: � Look ahead & anticipate
issues � Have clear, attainable,
long term ambitions & objectives
� Take calculated, essential risks
However…. � Few clear about the
priority areas for future innovations
LEADERSHIP All agree need for: � Bold, united, determined top
team, focused on achieving innovations
� Leaders to communicate priorities & reasons for innovation convincingly
� Leaders to listen to others � Persistence However employees stress… � Communication should be
done personally � Middle & frontline managers
need to pro-actively encourage innovation
STRATEGIC APPROACH TO INNOVATION All agree:
� Capacity/time to implement innovations is a major issue
Few: � Set aside specific resources for
innovation � Recognise the need for training
& expertise in innovation processes
� Protect innovation processes from organisational norms
� Right kind of technology expertise
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE All agree: � Fresh ideas should be
encouraged � Intelligent failures should
be learnt from However… � Employees say there is
little time for reflection or creative thinking
� Few recognise the potential benefits of learning from other sectors or abroad
CROSS BOUNDARY WORKING � All agree need to work
across internal silos & with other councils
� Politicians & chief execs major focus on external partnership
However … � Employees feel need
more practical actions to build cross-council links
� Few private sector contracts appear to be delivering innovations
EMPLOYEES All agree need: � Motivated, committed
employees � To encourage employees
to contribute ideas However employees say… � They need to be genuinely
involved in innovation processes from the start
� Little or poor feedback on their ideas
DELIVERY � Most innovative
councils have corporate programme & project management approach
However… � The biggest, most
expensive, services appear to be achieving less innovations
� Few systematically learning from successes & failures
Politicians set the strategic context for
innovation
Senior & middle managers lead for
innovation
Frontline managers & employees are engaged
in key innovations
Effective innovation delivery mechanisms
A Strategic Approach to Innovation in Councils
Issues for council leaders
Deciding: � How and where innovation should sit in
the organisation’s overall strategy � Whether to use the word ‘innovation’ � When and where the conditions are right
for more major, radical innovations
Resources & contact details
Local Councils’ Innovation Framework: http://www.city.ac.uk/centre-for-creativity-in-professional-practice/research/local-councils-innovation-framework LGA Creative Councils Community of Practice: http://tinyurl.com/councilinnovation (You will need to register for full access to documents) Email: [email protected] Twitter: @JoanMICL