Dilemmas of Policy Innovation in the Public Sector: A Case Study of the National Innovation Summit

Abstract

Policy innovation is a significant challenge for the public sector. This article illustrates its magnitude through a case study of the National Innovation Summit. The article concludes that the Summit represented an elaborate process of search and engagement that sanctioned an outcome that was, in most respects, largely pre-determined. Its outreach and deliberations served the political purpose of mobilising industry and media attention and communicating the government's commitment. But there is no evidence that it exercised any substantive influence on policy development. The obstacles confounding any other outcome are considerable. Strategic thinking is inhibited by various organisational factors including lock-in to a present successful strategy, the constraints on policy choices associated with multiple veto points and the need to maintain medium term fiscal and policy discipline across a wide range of agencies and claimants. The article explores ways these inhibitions might be overcome.

Understanding Employee Motivation to Innovate: Evidence from Front Line Employees in United States Federal Agencies

“…This top‐down approach to public sector innovation squares nicely with the ideal of overhead democracy and the traditional approach to policy implementation, where elected officials enshrine innovations in legislation and executive orders (Golden 1990; Marsh and Edwards 2009; Mele 2010). It emphasises initial planning and design of the innovation, including the development of clearly stated goals, detailed plans, and effective controls for limiting discretion during the implementation phase (Mazmanian and Sabatier 1983; Majone and Wildavsky 1984).…”

Innovative work behaviour in the public sector: The roles of task characteristics, social support, and proactivity

“…IWB in government is important because innovation influences, and is influenced by, the government's diverse policy challenges, its emphasis on effectiveness, and its need for legitimation (de Vries et al, 2016;Marsh & Edwards, 2009). Although innovation is important for business growth (Damanpour, Walker, & Avellaneda, 2009), the public sector is often viewed as a sector that is not very innovative.…”

Innovation Agents in the Public Sector: Applying Champion and Promotor Theory to Explore Innovation in the Australian Public Service

“…Historically, analyses of public sector innovation have moved from awareness of its importance, to identifying barriers impeding it, to active attempts to embed innovative practices (Bason ). Although innovation is critical to government given its diverse policy challenges (Marsh and Edwards ), ‘the current understanding of the sources of public innovation is inadequate’ (Sørensen and Torfing : 844). Further, despite recognition that innovations must be steered by individuals (Frost and Egri ) few studies focus on the range of critical human agents who do this, particularly in a public sector context, such as the types of roles played and how barriers are overcome to progress innovations.…”