Strategies for Good: Innovation in the Public Sector

Most strategic plans include a commitment to ‘innovation’. However, few organizations are often prepared to actually ‘do’ innovation and a preference for the status quo can be difficult to overcome. This course presents key theories and concepts alongside real-world examples to demonstrate various approaches to innovation in the public sector to address complex problems. It illustrates the BSIA’s research on the science of public policy and global social governance and offers strategies for leading innovation at regional, national and transnational levels. Participants will learn about the full innovation cycle - from establishing the innovation mindset and nurturing innovation teams to managing perceptions of risk and communicating effectively with decision-makers and stakeholders. Sessions describe and explain innovation approaches (e.g. open data and innovation challenges), technology tools (e.g. Blockchain and artificial intelligence) and key phases of the innovation cycle, including synthesizing evidence, building empathy for users, ideation, prototyping and impact evaluation. In each session, cases will be presented which demonstrate key concepts in real world settings - showcasing how social innovation approaches are implemented in a range of content areas and providing insights and inspiration for future projects. The course focuses on skill building and the process of public sector innovation, making it equally valuable for those working in local municipal governments to those in multinational organizations working across nations.