This presentation sets out the key questions in the Local Councils' Innovation Framework. It can be used by leaders in councils, individually or together, to review what more they might do to achieve more successful major innovations, more quickly. A shorter version has also be posted, as well as PDFs.

1. ©Accelera(ng
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Government
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Project

2. Innova&on
=
New
+
Relevant
New
ways
of
saving
money
New
ways
of
delivering
New
organisa&onal
arrangements
New
ways
of
improving
democracy
©Accelera(ng
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Government
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3. How
can
local
government
leaders
achieve
more
major
innova(ons,
more
quickly?
©Accelera(ng
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4. Research
Findings
Chief
Execu(ves’
perspec(ves
Leading
Councillors’
perspec(ves
Middle
Managers’
perspec(ves
Frontline
Employees’
perspec(ves
Learning
from
other
sectors
Learning
from
other
research
©Accelera(ng
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5. THE
LOCAL
COUNCILS’
INNOVATION
FRAMEWORK
SUMMARISES
THE
RESEARCH
FINDINGS
©Accelera(ng
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Leaders
can
use
the
Framework’s
eight
factors
to
review
what
more
they
might
do
to
achieve
more
successful
major
innova(ons,
more
quickly

6. 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
©Accelera(ng
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7. 1.
Are
ci&zens’
and
service
users’
priori&es
and
aspira&ons
central
to
the
council’s
approach
to
innova&on?
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8. “It
is
only
by
examining
the
fundamentals
of
service
purpose
from
the
ci(zens’
perspec(ve
can
we
begin
to
uproot
service
costs
and
reseVle
them
in
new
ways.”
Barry
Quirk,
Chief
Execu&ve,
Lewisham
©Accelera(ng
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“We
need
to
restore
trust
and
build
a
more
sustainable
rela(onship
between
the
local
state
in
all
its
many
forms
and
our
ci(zens.”
Mar&n
Reeves,
Chief
Execu&ve,
Coventry

9.
E.g.
Could
more
be
done
to:
• Understand
residents’
aspira(ons,
needs
&
priori(es
more
deeply?
• Develop
innova(ons
with
service
users?
• Unlock
&
develop
more
capacity
for
innova(on
with
local
communi(es?
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10. 2.
Is
the
council’s
poli&cal
vision,
&
its
priority
areas
for
innova&on
clear?
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11. “There
is
no
point
in
trying
to
innovate
if
you
have
no
idea
what
your
vision
is.”
David
Hodge,
Leader,
Surrey
County
Council
“You
can’t
do
everything
at
once.
You
have
to
understand
the
capability
of
your
organisa(on
for
change.”
Mar&n
TeT,
Leader,
Buckinghamshire
County
Council
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12. “Build
innova(on
into
strategic
objec(ves”
“Set
a
clear
strategic
direc(on
–
wider
than
own
directorate
&
the
council”
“Iden(fy
areas
where
there
may
be
opportuni(es”
“Iden(fy
things
to
stop
doing”
“Be
honest
&
clear
about
desired
outcomes
&
s(ck
to
them”
“Recognise
that
some(mes
innova(ons
are
not
quick
wins”
“Priori(se”
“Face
reali(es”
“What
will
council
look
like
in
5
years
(me?”
“Don’t
be
overambi(ous”
“Members
are
too
geared
to
the
next
elec(on”
“Accept
what
the
financial
situa(on
means”
“Start
the
hard
conversa(ons
now”
“Put
effort
into
the
right
places”
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Middle
managers’
comments

13.
E.g.
• Is
poli(cians’
vision
inspiring,
but
aVainable?
• Have
poli(cians
agreed
the
innova(on
priority
areas?
• Are
poli(cians
prepared
for
experimenta(on,
&
considered
risk
taking?
©Accelera(ng
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14. 3.
Are
leaders
and
managers
leading
for
innova&on?
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15. “Communicate
with
&
engage
staff”
“Take
concrete
ac(on
to
implement
decisions”
“Empower
&
trust
staff”
“Go
for
it
–
leap
forward
when
you
know
you
have
got
to
do
something”
“Passion
needs
to
be
passed
on”
“Senior
managers
need
to
be
visible,
get
out
of
their
ivory
tower”
“We
need
less
control,
more
support”
“We
want
listening,
straight
talking,
trust
building;
more
open,
honest
communica(on”
“Sell
the
corporate
vision”
“Be
brave
&
courageous”
“Provide
clarity
to
the
vision
&
expecta(ons”
“Be
united”
“Put
members’
ambi(ons
into
a
realis(c
plan
”
©Accelera(ng
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Middle
managers’
comments

16. E.g.
Are
leaders
&
managers:
• Focusing
enough
(me
&
effort
on
innova(on?
• Bold,
united,
convincing
communicators?
• Involving,
&
listening
to
others?
• Persis(ng
un(l
innova(ons
are
delivered?
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17. 4.
Is
the
council
taking
a
strategic
approach
to
innova&on?
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in
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18. “Make
(me
for
crea(ve
thinking”
“Invest
to
save”
“Ensure
there
are
adequate
resources
to
deliver
the
agreed
priority
schemes”
“Do
less,
but
do
it
properly”
“Need
to
allow
(me
to
think,
reflect
&
engage”
“Create
more
(me
to
think
&
(me
to
implement
priori(es”
“Free
up
(me,
we
are
the
squeezed
middle”
“Stop
trying
to
do
change
on
a
shoestring”
“Give
us
enough
resources
to
get
head
above
the
parapet
-­‐-­‐
(me
away
from
the
day
job
to
look
upwards
&
outwards”
©Accelera(ng
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in
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Middle
managers’
comments

19. E.g.
Does
the
council
have:
• Enough
resources
&
(me
devoted
to
innova(ons?
• Sufficient
digital
exper(se?
• Clear
plans
&
accountability
for
innova(ons?
©Accelera(ng
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20.
5.
Does
the
council’s
organisa&onal
culture
promote
innova&on?
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21. “Innova(on
is
oeen
understood
as
a
mysterious
fringe
prac(ce
by
geeks.
What
we
are
about
is
trying
to
create
an
eco-­‐system,
and
the
DNA
of
innova(on,
as
a
daily
part
of
the
way
the
organisa(on
organises
itself
to
deliver.”
Kersten
England,
City
of
York
Chief
Execu&ve
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22. ©Accelera(ng
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E.g.
Is
innova(on
promoted
through:
• Leaders’
&
managers’
everyday
behaviours?
• Safeguarding
(me
for
reflec(on
&
crea(ve
thinking?
• Healthy
debates?
• Looking
elsewhere
for
fresh
ideas?

23. ©Accelera(ng
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Government
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Is
innova(on
promoted
through:
*
Leaders’
and
managers’
everyday
behaviours,
prac(ces
and
stories?
*
Values,
norms
and
working
prac(ces?
*
Safeguarding
(me
for
reflec(on
and
crea(ve
thinking?
*
Healthy
debates,
that
challenge
and
test
accepted
assump(ons?
*
Pro-­‐ac(vely
looking
elsewhere
for
fresh
ideas,
from
other
councils,
other
organisa(ons
(including
those
in
other
countries)?
*
Celebra(ng
innova(ons?
6.
Are
cross-­‐boundary
approaches
genera&ng
significant
innova&ons?

24. E.g.
Is
the
council
innova(ng
through:
• Cross-­‐council
working?
• Partnerships
with
external
organisa(ons?
• Its
commissioning
and
contract
management
arrangements?
©Accelera(ng
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25. 7.
Are
the
council’s
employees
mo&vated
and
skilled
for
innova&on?
©Accelera(ng
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26. E.g.
Does
the
council:
• Have
enough
employees
with
the
aitudes
&
skills
needed
to
deliver
innova(ons?
• Encourage
employees
to
develop
beVer
ways
of
doing
things?
• Genuinely
involve
frontline
employees
in
innova(on
processes?
©Accelera(ng
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in
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27. 8.
Does
the
council
have
effec&ve,
disciplined,
delivery
mechanisms
for
innova&ons?
©Accelera(ng
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28. E.g.
Does
the
council
have:
• Effec(ve
ways
of
tracking
innova(ons
to
ensure
they
are
delivered?
• Sufficient
innova(on
exper(se?
• A
straighjorward
approach
to
learning
from
successful
&
unsuccessful
innova(ons?
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29. Your
overall
reflec(ons
In
rela(on
to
innova(on:
• What
is
the
council
doing
well?
• How
can
you
build
on
these
strengths?
• Where
do
you
need
to
do
things
differently?
• What
significant
opportuni(es
do
you
have?
• What
should
you
stop
doing?
• Which
ac(ons
are
most
important?
• What
do
you
need
to
do
in
the
next
year?
• What
will
you
personally
do?
©Accelera(ng
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30. Resources
&
contact
details
Local
Councils’
Innova(on
Framework:
hVp://(nyurl.com/LGIF2014
Local
Councils’
Innova(on
Framework
Self-­‐Assessment
tool:
hVp://bit.ly/1SSk2qP
Summary
of
research
findings:
hVp://(nyurl.com/LGinnLF814
Presenta(ons
on
innova(on:
hVp://www.slideshare.net/joanmunro
joan.munro@btopenworld.com
Tel:
0779
2952
498
@JoanMICL
©Accelera(ng
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