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: joan.munro@btopenworld.com Twitter: @JoanMICL