Public Sector Innovation

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Public Sector Innovation is concerned with new or significantly improved ways of doing things, either within the structure of the public sector itself, or in the way in which public services are provided.
By facilitating the sharing of experiences and analysing country practices, the OECD’s work on public sector innovation seeks to develop a better understanding of innovative approaches and tools, and their impact on government performance and public service delivery.

Why innovation in the public sector?
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Today the public sector and the public services it provides are confronted by increasing demands, like how to manage the complex issues of demographic and climate change, or how to respond to users’ diverse demands. At the same time the public sector across OECD countries is operating in contexts of tight fiscal constraint, making it necessary to deliver better outcomes for lower costs.
Public sector innovation can support countries in this context, by enabling better outcomes and enhanced user satisfaction at lower or no additional costs. Innovation can take a variety of forms - with technology being just one among the many enablers - but fundamentally it is about changing the way something has been done in the past to deliver significant improvements for the present.

How can the OECD help countries to innovate?
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Countries have begun to introduce innovative practices, however knowledge and analysis remains limited and fragmented. Developing knowledge of what creates successful innovations depends on a systematic approach where the mechanics of change and its enabling factors are understood, alongside an understanding of the particular challenges faced by the public sector, and the needs and preferences of its users.
Through its work on Innovation in Public Service Delivery and the Observatory of Public Sector Innovation the OECD is supporting countries to better understand the theory and application of public sector innovation, sharing data on country experiences and assessing what works when innovating. This work will help countries to better understand the potential and risks of innovation, and how to approach it to ensure the best use of resources.

OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation
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The OECD is developing an Observatory of Public Sector Innovation. The Observatory aims to systematically collect, categorise, analyse and share innovative practices from across the public sector, via an online interactive database. See more info

Publications and documents
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Related work
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OECD e-Government Project explores how governments can best exploit information and communication technologies (ICTs) to embed good governance principles and achieve public policy goals.

OECD Public Engagement Project looks at how governments can ensure more transparency, consultation and participation in the design and implementation of public policies and services.