This document discusses social and public sector innovation from the perspective of the OECD. It provides examples of innovation as both radical and incremental changes to services and processes that improve outcomes for citizens and government operations. The OECD works to collect, share, and analyze innovative practices across countries. However, obstacles to innovation are often internal rules, procedures, and bureaucratic inertia within public organizations. The OECD recommends establishing innovation labs and teams, opening data, and using behavioral science and culture change to better support innovation in the public sector.

1. PUBLIC SECTOR
INNOVATION
OECD Perspective on Social Innovation and the Public
Sector
26 – 27 October 2015, Brussels
Hannah Kitchen, Policy Analyst, OECD
Hannah.kitchen@oecd.org
ESF Project 4985

2. New solutions that work for social and public
problems
1. New
2. Implemented
3. Improvements
How we view social and public sector
innovation

3. Some examples
• Radical and incremental
• Services and processes
• Impact for citizens and government operations

4. OECD work on public sector innovation
Collecting, sharing and analysing innovative practices

6. Opening data for social innovation

7. New teams for innovation: Innovation Labs

8. Rules and processes (or perceptions?)
• Phantom rules and
procedures
• Unwritten rules and
conventions
• Unexercised
discretion
• Inertia
• Red tape reduction
• Rule exemptions
• Innovation delivery
teams
• Behavioural science
• Culture change
“The largest percentage of obstacles were internal to the
bureaucracy, encompassing more than 50% of all obstacles…”
Sandford Borins, 2014

9. Human resources supporting innovation

10. Useful sources
The Innovation Imperative in the Public Sector:
Setting an Agenda for Action, 2015
• Provides framework and introductory discussion to key
areas that organisations should consider to support
innovation.
The Innovation Imperative in the Public Sector:
Making Innovation Work
• Early 2016 OECD report on the organisational
architecture that can support public sector innovation.
OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation
• Look up examples of innovations from other countries,
share your own innovations and discuss with peers.