A Study about Innovation in the Public Sector
Introduction: Innovation in a public sector context has been defined as the ‘creation and implementation of new processes, products, services and methods of delivery which result in significant improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness or quality of outcomes’. In short, innovation is the application of new ideas to produce better outcomes.Innovation occurs across the spectrum of Australian government public sector entities, from policy development to program delivery, from regulatory approaches to use of technology, from organisational innovation to provision of new or enhanced services. Importantly, innovation is a means to an end, not an end in itself. An appreciation of the importance and diversity of innovation, and how to achieve it, should be part of the knowledge, skills and behaviours of every public servant.
Drivers for innovation: Innovation is motivated and driven by a variety of short, medium and long‑term factors. In the public service the driving imperative for innovation is the need to respond effectively to new and changing government and community expectations in an increasingly complex environment. Examples include the consequences of an ageing population, addressing intractable social problems such as drug abuse, Indigenous disadvantage, supporting communities in rural and remote Australia, national security and counter‑terrorism, increasing concerns about climate change, the appropriate regulation of global financial markets and sustainable, effective and fair international development assistance. Keep reading…
