How to get ESF programmes to trigger innovation?

Prof Sue RichardsProfrichards@tiscali.co.uk

5-6 November, 2012, EIPA, Maastricht

Loosely coupled systems and appropriate logics Paradigm change A New Synthesis for Public Administration Innovation – UK Innovation in Denmark comments 3 UK case studies of innovation in complexitySo what does this mean for ESF? Avoid tightly coupled system System leadership is crucial Public value and accountability Both / and – complexity is here to stay

Content

Karl Weick – different logics are appropirate at different levels – engage with chane. Preserve difference

Policy level – overall direction and accountability

Middle level – framing practical action Front-line – engage change Upper levels should cherish capability of

lower levels, not crush See UK experience

How tightly coupled should ESF be

Who are these men?

Who are these men?

Isaac Newton Charles Darwin

Led by Jocelyne Bourgon, former head of Canadian Public Service

Australia, Brazil, Canada, Netherlands, Singapore, United Kingdom

A New Synthesis of Public Administration: Serving in the 21st Century . Ed J Bourgon, Queen's Policy Studies, Ottawa, 2011

Mix of emerging practice and academic thinking 5 working conferences Concluded that traditional capability needs to be

supplemented by new capability in resilience and the capacity to innovate in the face of complexity

New Synthesis project

Framework of New Synthesis Project

Policy results

Civic results

Government(authority)

Governance(collective)

Performance

Emergence

Compliance

Resilience

Science pipeline Interest in innovation capability Many new ideasSkilled community of intermediaries

InitiativesDifficult to take to scale

Public service innovation in UK

‘A message came through loud and clear that there is no shortage of good ideas in the public sector; but the challenge is to make something of them on a larger scale.

With this in mind, it is important to consider innovation as a linked process from initial idea generation or identification, through scaling up and development, to launch and subsequent diffusion, with the latter stages just as significant as the former.

Therefore, managing innovation is important, but it is equally important that public servants do not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach. Different types of innovation in different settings require different sources and forms of support.’

Beyond Light-bulbs and Pipelines, Prof John Bessant, Tim Hughes and Prof Sue Richards, Sunningdale Institute, 2010, London

Report

‘product innovation’ – changes in the things (products/services) which an organization offers, • ‘process innovation’ – changes in the ways in which they are created and delivered, • ‘position innovation’ – changes in the context in which the products/services are introduced and branded, and • ‘paradigm innovation’ – changes in the underlying mental models which frame what the organization does.

Distinguish between the 4 Ps of innovation

Bureaucracy and innovation are incommensureable paradigms. Bureaucracy normally drives out innovation. What are the secrets of subversion?

Good story of facilitating innovation at the micro level, but how to take it to scale?

What is there about the wider Danish public culture that makes it hospitable to innovation. Is there a tradition of trust and respect for those on the front line?

Reflectioons on the Danish Mindlab story

Widespread disillusion with centralised planning approach, especially silos

Strong local networking between local government and local public service bodies which are managed from the national level

Recruitment of cadre of local officials to work at the top of central government – for managerial reasons

Articulation of the case for a more ‘place-based’ approach – narrative

3 cases of innovation emerging from complex situations. Context

Families in crisis National Family Intervention Project (FIP)

framework Swindon Hired a consultancy based on anthropology

(Freire) – build skills and confidence to re-enter society rather than being outcast. Good results

Charismatic local leader - buy-in to the project

Swindon – micro-level

Public services silos. Built the relational capacity to work together for children

80 people from across services – design methodology

Many things changed – joint professional teams at micro-locality, facilitation of parenting support networks, changes in professional practice.

Good results – but then fundamental change of the health service reduced relational assets

Croydon – locality-wide engagement

‘Counting Cumbria’ Austerity Designed by senior Treasury official (ex-local) with a small

number of localities asked to work across silos to improve service and save money

Led by former permanent secretary (ex-local) Magnet for (ex-local) top officials who joined ‘high level

officials’ group Not a ‘Prince 2’ management board but the voice of locality

in Whitehall Whitehall resentment – ‘this great movement’ – but new

head of the civil service is from this group Election of 2010 led to brand change but not abandonment

of the principle

Total Place – national programme

‘Leadership’ is value-based, ‘management’ is technically-based – we need both.

Leadership involves going beyond the role to achieve results.

System leadership – inlfuence Build leadership capbility in others

ESF needs the right strategic leadership to trigger innovation

We need to ‘work in the task environment and in the authorising environment’ (Mark Moore, Creating Public Value)

Formal and informal authorising environment Develop a compelling narrative about

innovation – support with statistics Demonstrate an understanding of the

concerns of the accountability system, but make the case that if we do not work with the complexity of the real world we are condemned to fall behind

ESF needs high level legitimation in order to trigger innovation

Both traditional merits of bureaucracy, and building the resilience of citizens, and ensuring high performance is defined as innovation in a complex environment

Policy results

Civic results

Government(authority)

Governance(collective)

Performance

Emergence

Compliance

Resilience

Watch out for Adam Smith

Respect the different logics that apply st different levels of the system

Facilitate good communications understanding

Stop stopping innovation Work on the authorising environment

How can ESF trigger innovation