This presentation summarises the findings from new Solace research on the key leadership actions for innovation in local government in the UK. The research was undertaken with senior and middle managers 12 UK local authorities with a reputation for innovation. It builds on previous research by the UK's Accelerating Innovation in Local Government Research Project.

1. Key
Leadership
Ac/ons
for
Innova/on:
Solace
Innova/on
Research
Findings
2016
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2. Aims
of
the
research
To:
• Discover
more
about
what
senior
managers
in
leading
councils
are
doing
that
is
helping
to
achieve
more
major
cost-­‐saving
innova/ons
• Promote
&
discuss
the
learning
through
Solace
&
more
widely
• Suggest
addi/onal
ways
councils
might
accelerate
innova/on
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3. Should'we'agree'
long'term'
objec3ves'or'
evolve'innova3ons'
step'by'step?'
Should'we'take'
major'risks'or'be'
more'cau3ous?'
Should'we'direct'
and'drive'
innova3ons'from'
the'top'or'empower'
others?'
Should'we'encourage'
‘1000'flowers'to'
bloom’'or'priori3se'
areas'for'innova3on?'
Should'we'
encourage'
everyone'to'‘be'
crea3ve’'or'be'
more'focused?'
Should'we'spend'a'
long'3me'reflec3ng'
or'move'forward'
quickly?'
Should'we'look'for'
‘disrup3ve'ideas’'or'just'
adapt'and'improve?'
Should'we'agree'
inspiring,'bold,'
ambi3ous'plans'or'be'
‘more'realis3c’?'
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4. Research
conducted
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• Selected
councils
with
a
reputa/on
for
innova/on
• Interviewed
their
senior
&
middle
managers
• Produced
in-­‐depth
individual
case
studies
• Undertook
overall
analysis
of
the
leadership
ac/ons
• Compared
the
results
with
other
studies

5. Councils
involved
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6. Examples
of
innova/ons
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Joint
ventures
building
affordable
housing
Health
&
social
care
integra/on
Suffolk
Public
Sector
Partnership

7. KEY
LEADERSHIP
ACTIONS
FOR
INNOVATION
From
this
study,
previous
studies
&
other
relevant
research
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8. ©Accelera/ng
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Leaders
are
clear,
united
&
determined
about
the
outcomes
they
want
to
achieve
&
their
priority
areas
for
innova/on

9. ©Accelera/ng
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“Leadership
must
be
a
collec/ve
endeavour.
Whatever
the
challenge
is,
if
we
are
all
really
signed
up
for
it,
we
will
make
it
happen.”
Carolyn
Wilkins,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Oldham
Council
“At
the
beginning
we
set
out
clear
priori/es:
what’s
important,
the
things
to
drive
forward
with,
&
those
to
let
go
&
leave
behind.
Then
focus,
focus,
focus.”
Simon
Baker,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Staffordshire
Moorlands
&
High
Peak
t

10. Are
bold
&
ambi/ous,
while
understanding
residents’
concerns,
learning
from
elsewhere,
se^ng
realis/c
objec/ves,
&
taking
well
considered
risks
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“You
need
to
define
what
you
can
change,
&
what
you
can’t,
&
not
waste
people’s
/me
in
trying
to
do
the
impossible.
You
need
passion
&
ideas,
but
you
also
need
to
work
out
whether
something
is
opera/onally
viable.”
David
McNulty,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Surrey
“We
need
to
judge
whether
what
we
are
doing
is
a
good
idea
or
a
great
idea,
&
be
a
bit
discerning
about
not
trying
to
do
too
much.”
Charlie
Adan,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Mid
Suffolk
&
Babergh

12. Engage
with
key
partners
in
an
open
way,
evolving
innova/ons
together
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“We
work
in
a
much
more
‘system
leader’
type
of
way
now.
If
you
want
to
get
partners
into
the
room,
sharing
their
resources,
&
sharing
their
skills,
you
have
to
work
with
them
differently.
Rather
than
controlling
partnerships,
we
try
&
facilitate
our
work
with
others.”
Director,
Bristol
“Spending
/me
building
rela/onships
&
trust
with
people
in
other
organisa/ons
is
very
important.
Partnerships
are
about
people.”
Senior
Manager,
South
Tyneside

14. Create
an
organisa/onal
culture
that
encourages
crea/ve
approaches
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“Culture
is
crucial.
We
allow
people
to
be
the
voca/onal
public
servants
they
want
to
be.
We
encourage
explora/on
&
curiosity.
We
try
to
give
people
confidence.
Nothing
is
a
daa
idea.
We
work
out
whether
it
is
doable.”
Paul
MaHhews,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Monmouthshire
“You
keep
bringing
that
organisa/onal
narra/ve
back
to
what
you
are
trying
to
achieve.
You
are
not
doing
innova/on
because
it
is
the
next
sexy
thing,
but
because
that
is
what
you
need
to
do
to
create
public
value,
to
serve
the
people
of
Surrey,
especially
the
most
vulnerable.”
David
McNulty,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Surrey

16. Develop
&
empower
other
innova/ve
leaders
e.g.
middle
managers
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“You
need
a
different
type
of
leader
in
local
government
now.
It
is
not
about
just
running
services
anymore.
It
is
about
a
really
solid
understanding
of
local
government
&
where
it
is
going,
coupled
with
an
ability
to
see
the
bigger
picture,
to
iden/fy
the
change
required,
&
being
able
to
work
with
poli/cians
&
staff
to
deliver
that
change.”
Senior
Manager,
South
Tyneside
“We
have
been
very
focused
on
developing
the
skills
of
our
middle
managers.
We
recognise
that
the
best
ideas
come
from
middle
managers.
They
are
in
a
becer
posi/on
to
understand
customers’
needs.”
Senior
Manager,
East
Hampshire
&
Havant

18. Invest
/me,
resources
&
effort
into
developing
their
innova/on
priori/es
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“To
innovate
you
have
to
invest.”
Director,
East
Hampshire
&
Havant
“We
put
our
money
where
our
mouth
is.”
Donna
Hall,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Wigan

20. Convincingly
communicate
the
reasons
why
priority
innova/ons
are
important
Talk
to
key
people
such
as
their
managers,
employees
&
residents
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21. ©Accelera/ng
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“Innova/on
happens
through
people.
We
need
people
with
the
right
mindset
&
the
right
behaviours.
We
aim
to
make
sure
everyone
is
connected
to
the
purpose.”
Paul
MaHhews,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Monmouthshire
“The
biggest
future
transforma/on
will
be
achieved
through
changing
the
way
people
work.”
Donna
Hall,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Wigan

22. Genuinely
listen
to,
&
involve,
others
in
developing
innova/ons
(e.g.
managers,
employees,
residents,
service
users,
partners
&
local
businesses)
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23. ©Accelera/ng
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“Part
of
the
mayor’s
role
is
to
challenge
the
city,
to
try
to
come
up
with
some
of
the
answers
to
our
issues.
There
is
something
fundamental
about
providing
a
plaform
for
the
city’s
crea/vity,
rather
than
believing
that
we
have
all
the
answers.”
Max
Wide,
Strategic
Director,
Bristol
“We
focus
on
what
macers
to
the
people
of
Oldham.
We
look
at
what
we
can
do
with
our
resources
to
address
their
priori/es,
which
are
not
necessarily
about
tradi/onal
councils
services.”
Carolyn
Wilkins,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Oldham

24. Track
the
progress
of
priority
innova/ons
e.g.
using
project
management
or
‘more
agile’
techniques
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25. ©Accelera/ng
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“We
always
set
clear
/melines,
keep
our
foot
on
the
pedal
&
don’t
allow
things
to
dria.”
Simon
Baker,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Staffordshire
Moorlands
&
High
Peak
“You
need
an
innova/on
process
that
is
based
on
a
cycle
of
orienta/on,
ac/on,
reflec/on,
reorienta/on,
ac/on,
reflec/on,
reorienta/on.”
Charlie
Adan,
Chief
Execu5ve,
Mid
Suffolk
&
Babergh

26. Persist
for
long
enough
to
embed
&
scale
up
major
innova/ons
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“We
address
our
challenges
with
confidence
&
an
absolute
determina/on
to
deliver
the
Council’s
long-­‐
term
vision.
Our
confidence
is
due
to
the
commitment
&
immensely
posi/ve
a^tudes
of
our
staff,
elected
members
&
partners.”
Mar5n
Swales,
Chief
Execu5ve,
South
Tyneside
“We
are
taking
a
collegiate
approach,
with
weekly
mee/ngs
that
drive
the
work
forward.
We
are
exploring,
feeling
our
way
forward,
towards
a
clear
goal.”
Senior
Manager,
Monmouthshire

28. The
nine
case
studies
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29. Great
progress
• The
managers
&
poli/cians
appeared
to
be
taking
a
much
more
comprehensive
strategic
approach
to
innova/on
than
most
councils
in
our
previous
studies
• The
managers
were
upbeat
&
enthusias/c,
excited
about
what
they
were
doing
&
achieving
• The
findings
suggest
that
poli/cians
&
senior
managers
in
councils
are
becoming
much
more
sophis/cated,
knowledgeable
&
confident
about
genera/ng
innova/ons.
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30. Ac5ons
highlighted
in
most
case
study
councils
• Be
bold,
ambi/ous,
united
&
passionate
(9)
• Build
innova/ve
partnerships
(9)
• Create
an
innova/ve
organisa/onal
culture
(8)
• Develop
&
empower
innova/ve
leaders
(8)
• Understand
&
involve
residents
(6)
• Move
with
pace,
take
considered
risks
(6)
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31. Ac5ons
highlighted
in
majority
of
case
study
councils
• Resource
priority
innova/on
processes
(5)
• Engage
employees
(5)
• Be
disciplined,
focused
&
determined
(5)
• Learn
from
elsewhere
(5)
• Use
more
‘agile’
processes
(5)
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32. Ac5ons
highlighted
in
a
minority
of
case
study
councils
• Commissioning
for
innova/on
• Maximising
digital
exper/se
• Fostering
cross
council
networks
• Recrui/ng
staff
with
the
right
a^tudes
for
innova/on
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33. Some
councils
might
benefit
from
Iden/fying
more
clearly:
• Services
that
are
running
well
–
where
only
minor
improvements
needed
• Services
that
are
poor
–
where
performance
needs
to
be
improved
significantly
• Services
that
are
low
impact
or
low
priority
–
which
should
be
stopped
• The
cri/cal
areas
for
major
innova/ons
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34. There’s
no
universal
formula
• Some
councils
are
in
a
becer
posi/on
to
be
trailblazers
for
innova/on
(e.g.
because
of
their
history,
culture,
poli/cal
stability,
local
residents)
• Others
councils
can
learn
from
them,
use
their
success
as
evidence
to
make
a
case
for
innova/ons
locally
• Leaders
need
to
make
judgements
about
what
is
possible,
depending
on
their
circumstances
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35. Judgements
leaders
need
to
make
• How
far
ahead
to
plan
given
the
uncertain
strategic
context
• How
long
to
reflect
for
before
star/ng
to
develop
an
innova/on
• How
precise
to
be
about
what
they
want
to
achieve
• Whether
to
try
to
develop
something
completely
new
or
to
adapt
others’
ideas
• Whether
their
normal
performance
management
system
is
capable
of
overseeing
the
development
of
innova/ons
or
they
need
to
use
more
flexible
methods
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36.
The
Local
Councils’
Innova/on
Framework:
Leaders
can
use
the
Framework
to
review
their
ac/ons
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Ci#zen'&''
service'user''
focus'
!
Culture'
promotes'
innova#on''
Effec#ve'
delivery'
mechanisms'
for'innova#on'
Cross'
boundary'
innova#ons'
Strategic'
approach'to'
innova#on'
Leaders'&'
managers'
lead'for'
innova#on'
Clear'
poli#cal'
vision'&'
priori#es'
!
Employees'
skilled'&'
mo#vated'for'
innova#on'
For
the
full
version
of
the
latest
Framework
see:
hcps://goo.gl/p647l

37. 0ther
resources
• The
full
research
report:
hcp://www.solace.org.uk/knowledge/
reports_guides/key-­‐leadership-­‐ac/ons-­‐
for-­‐innova/on-­‐final-­‐report
• The
case
studies:
hcp://bit.ly/1OvJaEe
• Presenta/ons
on
innova/on:
hcp://www.slideshare.net/joanmunro
• NESTA
Innova/on
Skills
Bank:
hcp://www.nesta.org.uk/develop-­‐your-­‐
skills
• Design
Council
service
redesign
process:
hcp://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-­‐
opinion/design-­‐process-­‐what-­‐double-­‐
diamond
joan.munro@btopenworld.com
@JoanMICL
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