Enhancing Social InnovationEnhancing Social Innovation by Rethinking Collaboration, Leadership and by Rethinking Collaboration, Leadership and

Public GovernancePublic Governance

Jacob Torfing and Eva SørensenJacob Torfing and Eva SørensenRoskilde University and CLIPSRoskilde University and CLIPS

NESTA, the 15th of November, 2013NESTA, the 15th of November, 2013

Focus on public innovationFocus on public innovation Since Schumpeter Since Schumpeter innovationinnovation has been seen has been seen

as a key driver of economic growth in the as a key driver of economic growth in the private sector private sector

By contrast, By contrast, public innovation public innovation has been has been described as an described as an oxymoronoxymoron

Growing focus Growing focus on public innovation:on public innovation:– Innovation systems: Innovation systems: enhanceenhance competitiveness by competitiveness by

transferring new R&T to private firmstransferring new R&T to private firms– NPM: NPM: innovation in public organizations will enhance innovation in public organizations will enhance

efficiency and facilitate tax cutsefficiency and facilitate tax cuts– Social innovation: Social innovation: policy and service innovation in policy and service innovation in

order to meet unmet social needsorder to meet unmet social needs

Why public innovation?Why public innovation?

The Good: The Good: High political and High political and professional ambitionsprofessional ambitions

The Bad: The Bad: Growing number of Growing number of wicked problemswicked problems

The Ugly: The Ugly: Rising expectations and Rising expectations and limited resourceslimited resources

A new innovation agendaA new innovation agenda The public sector is The public sector is more dynamic more dynamic

and innovativeand innovative than its reputation than its reputation But public innovation is often But public innovation is often

episodicepisodic and and accidentalaccidental As such, itAs such, it fails fails to enhance the to enhance the

organizational capacity for organizational capacity for innovationinnovation

Need to turn public innovation into a Need to turn public innovation into a permanent, systematic permanent, systematic and pervasive activityand pervasive activity

Celebrating innovation heroesCelebrating innovation heroes

Inspired by the private sector, the public Inspired by the private sector, the public sector has spent a lot of time searching for sector has spent a lot of time searching for its own its own innovation heroesinnovation heroes::– Elected politiciansElected politicians– Public ManagersPublic Managers– Private contractorsPrivate contractors– Public employeesPublic employees– UsersUsers

However, innovation is not the result of However, innovation is not the result of individual action, but rather a team sport individual action, but rather a team sport

Collaborative innovationCollaborative innovation

All phases in the innovation cycle are All phases in the innovation cycle are strengthened through strengthened through collaborationcollaboration

Collaboration Collaboration does not involve the search does not involve the search for unanimous consent, but is rather defined for unanimous consent, but is rather defined as as the constructive management of the constructive management of differences differences in order to find joint solutions in order to find joint solutions to common problems to common problems

Collaborative innovation ensures that it is Collaborative innovation ensures that it is the the ability to foster innovationability to foster innovation rather rather than than organizational boundariesorganizational boundaries that that determine who contribute to public determine who contribute to public innovationinnovation

Methods of collaborative innovationMethods of collaborative innovation

1.1. Spaces outside but close to service Spaces outside but close to service production production that enable employees to that enable employees to collaborate across organizational collaborate across organizational boundaries in order to develop and test boundaries in order to develop and test new ideasnew ideas

2.2. Partnerships Partnerships between public between public organizations and private firms that organizations and private firms that exploit complementary resourcesexploit complementary resources

3.3. Networks Networks with relevant and affected with relevant and affected actors who bring new experiences, ideas actors who bring new experiences, ideas and resources to the tableand resources to the table

4.4. Crowd-sourcingCrowd-sourcing that draws on the that draws on the wisdom of large anonymous crowdswisdom of large anonymous crowds

Innovation managementInnovation management

InteractionInteraction CollaborationCollaboration InnovationInnovation

InnovationInnovationmanagementmanagement

ActorsActors

ConvenerConvener FacilitatorFacilitator CatalystCatalyst

Barriers:Barriers:Lack of tradition,Lack of tradition,bad experience,bad experience, or demotivatingor demotivating

uncertaintyuncertainty

Barriers:Barriers:mental silos,mental silos,lack of trust,lack of trust,or conflict ofor conflict of

interestinterest

Barriers:Barriers:tunnel view,tunnel view,risk aversion,risk aversion,

or low degree ofor low degree of institutionalizationinstitutionalization

Three roles of innovation managersThree roles of innovation managers Convener:Convener:

– Create momentum, secure political support and Create momentum, secure political support and integrity, set the team, distribute roles, clarify the integrity, set the team, distribute roles, clarify the process, define milestones and deadlines, and align process, define milestones and deadlines, and align expectationsexpectations

Facilitator:Facilitator:– Provide administrative support, enhance trust, Provide administrative support, enhance trust,

develop common frames of reference, solve or develop common frames of reference, solve or mediate conflicts and remove barriers for mediate conflicts and remove barriers for collaborationcollaboration

Catalyst:Catalyst:– Provide new perspectives, construct threats, create Provide new perspectives, construct threats, create

incentives, bring new knowledge into play, change incentives, bring new knowledge into play, change the venue and mode of interaction, spur the venue and mode of interaction, spur transformative learning and manage risktransformative learning and manage risk

The need for a cultural revolutionThe need for a cultural revolution Hands-on Hands-on innovation management must be innovation management must be

supplemented by supplemented by hands-offhands-off innovation innovation management:management:

1.1. Active use of the HR functionActive use of the HR function– Ensure diversity and develop boundary spannersEnsure diversity and develop boundary spanners– Recruit and nurture creative talentsRecruit and nurture creative talents– Enhance collaboration, trust and influenceEnhance collaboration, trust and influence

2.2. Create public innovation cultureCreate public innovation culture– Combat the risk aversive, zero-error cultureCombat the risk aversive, zero-error culture– Enhance experimentation and fast learningEnhance experimentation and fast learning– Create flatter and more flexible organisationsCreate flatter and more flexible organisations– Drill holes in the public silos and create open, Drill holes in the public silos and create open,

borderless organizationsborderless organizations

Transforming gocvernance, Transforming gocvernance, enhancing innovationenhancing innovation

While While hierarchyhierarchy can help to set the agenda can help to set the agenda and and competitioncompetition can creative incentives, can creative incentives, collaborative forms of governance collaborative forms of governance bring together public and private actors bring together public and private actors with relevant innovation assetswith relevant innovation assets

In order to enhance collaborative In order to enhance collaborative innovation, we need to innovation, we need to shift the balance shift the balance from New Public Management to New from New Public Management to New Public GovernancePublic Governance