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Fostering Innovation in Government

This section pulls together information about successful strategies that have been successfully used to encourage innovation in the public sector.

Notes from a Reflective Practitioner of Innovation

This classic article by Ellen Schall was first published in Innovation in American Government (Brookings Institution Press, 1997). The author served as Commissioner of the Department of Juvenile Justice in New York City from 1983 to 1990 and was credited for turning what had been a fairly troubled agency into an innovative and highly effective organization. In this article, Schall provides a superb overview of the strategies she used with respect to frontline workers and organizational structure to bring about profound change. Contains a great deal of useful--and actionable--wisdom. Reprinted by the kind permission of the Brookings Institution Press.

Creating an Innovative Organization

In this article from State and Local Government Review, Bob Behn distills lessons from several of the innovative and high-performance government organizations he has studied. He starts with the premise that "[creative organizations] are created by leaders who establish the conditions necessary to bring out the innovative ideas within everyone." Not all of his hints are easy to implement (he is, after all, writing about public management), but he cites several compelling examples of public sector organizations that have used these tactics with tremendous success. This is a great read. Reprinted by the kind permission of State and Local Government Review.

The Link Between Innovation and Motivation

Most employees have ideas about how to improve their organization. Unfortunately, many managers fail to encourage employees to contribute their ideas--or inadvertantly discourage them from doing so. This article discusses several techniques managers can use to foster innovation in a way that can energize employees and improve your operation.

Reframing the Conversation on Management

Would you ever guess that the U.S. Department of State has a Center for Administrative Innovation? Or that the administrative sections at six U.S. Embassies are ISO 9000 certified (and seven more will be soon)? This speech by Assistant Secretary of State for Administration Bill Eaton outlines the management philosophy that has launched a major transformation of administrative services at State. This is a great story of quality, innovation, performance measurement--and leadership. Posted by GovLeaders.org with permission.

We Are the Key to Reform HTML PDF

This column, first published in the April 2002 issue of the Foreign Service Journal, argues that mid-level managers at the State Department are vital to the success of Secretary of State Colin Powell's reform efforts. It outlines seven simple management principles that managers can use to help make the State Department a more effective organization--and a better place to work. Reproduced by GovLeaders.org with the consent of the American Foreign Service Association.

Creating a Culture of Innovation [PDF]

This report from the IBM Endowment for the Business of Government outlines how Phoenix cultivated the culture of innovation that enabled it to become the "Best Run City in America."

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