1. Accelerating Innovation in Local Government: The implications for OD Joan Munro & Susan Biddle

2. 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

3. Local government examples Vertica l 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 Easy Council Co-operative Council

4. A simplified innovation process Investigate issues to fully understand problems & opportunities Investigate issues to fully understand problems & opportunities Generate & consider many potential creative solutions Select, prototype, test & develop most promising potential solutions Execute

5. “Ideas are a dime a dozen. What’s more important is the execution: the alignment of the right ideas, the right team, the right development process, the right leadership, the right level of risk management, the right target, the right time to market and so on.” Jones and Samlionis, IDEO, 2010

6. Isaksen & Tidd 2006 Organisational climate for Innovation Challenge & involvement Freedom Trust & openness Idea time Idea support Playfulness/h umour Debate Risk taking Low conflict

7. Amabile et al 1996 Key factors in organizational creativity Encouragement of creativity from: Organization Supervisor Workgroup support Encouragement of creativity from: Organization Supervisor Workgroup support Autonomy/Freedom Sufficient resources Organizational Impediments (bad) Pressures: Work challenges (good) Workload pressures (too much bad) Pressures: Work challenges (good) Workload pressures (too much bad)

8. Collins & Hansen 2011 Companies with long term success  Leaders not more risk taking, visionary & creative  More disciplined, evidence-focused & paranoid  Key is ability to scale innovation & blend creativity with discipline  Fast decisions & actions dangerous  Changed less in response to external turmoil & uncertainty

9. Difference from encouraging high performance?  Encourage debate, diversity & creative ideas  Outcomes more uncertain  Need to take some considered risks  Harder selling unproven idea  Need to experiment, prototype  Needs more courage to be pioneer  Takes longer to prove worth

10. Bason 2010 Public sector leadership roles for innovation Politician  Formulating a vision that demands innovation  Investing in innovation capacity  Expecting managers to innovate Senior manager  Engaging managers in a dialogue about innovation  Crafting and implementing innovation strategies  Encouraging innovation Middle manager  Using innovation techniques e.g. creative design processes  Creating space for innovation  Embracing divergence Team leader  Encouraging staff to reflect  Recruiting and developing for diversity  Encouraging experimentation & learning

11. Some of the challenges in innovating in public services  Political issues, public accountability & visibility  Multiple stakeholders  Risk issues  Difficulty in making long term plans & investments  Reducing resources & capacity  External regulations/inspection

12. Overall 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

13. Research undertaken  Individual interviews with 18 chief executives  3 discussion groups of chief executives  Development and testing of Local Councils’ Innovation Framework with councils  19 employee focus groups in 6 councils  Inviting sector comments on findings Currently looking at the role of leading local politicians and innovation. Planning work with middle managers later this year.

14. Key findings: chief executives  Most current innovations adaptations from other councils or small scale  Political leadership & attitudes are key  Few councils have a comprehensive, strategic approach to innovation e.g.:  Few focusing on, investing in & protecting key long term priority areas for radical innovations  Few have expertise in innovation nor understanding of latest technology  Little in-depth work on innovation with service users & residents  Private sector contracts don’t necessarily bring innovation  Project management is helping to deliver innovations

15. Local Councils’ Innovation Framework

16. MANAGERS SAFEGUARD TIME & RESOURCES FOR INNOVATION MIDDLE & FRONTLINE MANAGERS PROACTIVELY ENCOURAGE INNOVATION MANAGERS BUILD CROSS COUNCIL LINKS FOR INNOVATION MANAGERS BUILD CROSS COUNCIL LINKS FOR INNOVATION SENIOR & MIDDLE MANAGERS GENUINELY LISTEN TO & INVOLVE EMPLOYEES Key findings: Employees SENIOR MANAGERS COMMUNICATE THE COUNCIL’S AMBITIONS FOR INNOVATION CONVINCINGLY SENIOR MANAGERS COMMUNICATE THE COUNCIL’S AMBITIONS FOR INNOVATION CONVINCINGLY

17. Comparing chief executives’ and employees’ views  Both agree about the importance of achieving innovations  Employees very concerned about leaders communicating in person & honestly  Lots of agreement about what needs to be done by leaders  Frontline employees think many leaders are not doing what is needed well enough

18. 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

19. Issues for organisations Deciding:  How and where innovation should sit in the organisation’s overall strategy  Whether to use the word ‘innovation’  Whether the conditions are right for more major, radical innovations

20. Resources 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: https://knowledgehub.local.gov.uk/web/jo an.munro.2/profile

21. References for theories  Amabile, T., Conti, R., Coon, H., Lazenby, J., and Herron, M. (1996) Assessing the Work Environment for Creativity. Academic Management Journal, 39 (5) pp. 1154-1184  Bason, C (2010) Leading Public Sector Innovation: Co-creating for a better society. Bristol, UK: Policy Press  Collins, J, with Hansen, M. (2011) Great By Choice. New York: Harper Business.  Isaksen, S. and Tidd, J. (2006) Meeting the Innovation Challenge. Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

22. Recommended web references  Audit Commission (2007) Seeing the Light: Innovation in Local Public Services.  Australian Government (2010) Empowering Change: Fostering Innovation in the Australian Public Service.  Gillison, S., Horne, M. and Baeck, P. (2010) Radical Efficiency: Different, better, lower cost public services. NESTA  Mulgan, G.(2007) Ready or Not? Taking Public Sector Innovation Seriously. London: NESTA  National Audit Office/Ipsos Mori (2009) Innovation: The Perspective of Frontline Staff.  Patterson, F., Kerrin, M., Gatto-Roissard, G. and Coan, P. (2009) Everyday Innovation. NESTA

23. Contact details Susan Biddle: sjbiddle1@gmail.com Tel: 0787 9548 877 Joan Munro: joan.munro@btopenworld.com Tel: 0779 2952 498