local councils' innovation framework review tool for leaders

©Accelerating Innovation in Local Government Research Project

THE LOCAL COUNCILS’ INNOVATION FRAMEWORK: IMPLICATIONS FOR YOUR COUNCIL?

Joan MunroAccelerating Innovation in Local Government

Research Project


Innovation = New + Relevant

New ways of saving

money

New ways of

delivering

New organisational arrangements

New ways of improving democracy

Local government examples

Vertical pier

Contact centres

Annual magic

festivalResidents’ personal

computer links

New ways of avoiding potholes

Tele-care

Council- owned private

company

Report rubbish on mobile

Inter-agency

integration

Shared services

Pay on mobile Community run

libraries

Community volunteers mentoring

unemployed

Publish data for

open use

Elected Youth Council Older peoples’

mutual support ‘circles’

‘Tell Us Once’

Portable traffic lights

Social enterprises

Private sector partnerships

Dementia friendly city

App for touristsLocal

forums

Becoming a bank

Giving users control of their

care

Co-operative Council

Parking App


Simplified innovation process

Investigate issues to fullyunderstand problems & opportunities

Generate & consider many potential creative solutions

Select, prototype, test & develop most promising potential solutions

Execute


How can local government leaders achieve more major innovations, more quickly?


Research Findings

Chief Executives’ perspectives

Leading Councillors’ perspectives

Middle Managers’

perspectives

Frontline Employees’ perspectives

Learning from other sectors

Learning from other research


THE LOCAL COUNCILS’ INNOVATION FRAMEWORK

SUMMARISES THE FINDINGS

Leaders can use the Framework’s eight factors to review what more they might do

to achieve more successful major innovations, more quickly


Citizen & service user

Focus

Culture promotes

innovation

Effective delivery

mechanisms for innovation

Cross boundary

innovations

Strategic approach to innovation

Leaders & managers lead for

innovation

Clear political vision & priorities

Employees skilled &

motivated for innovation


1. Are citizens’ and service users’ priorities and aspirations central to the council’s approach to

innovation?


“It is only by examining the fundamentals of service purpose from the citizens’ perspective can we begin to uproot service costs and resettle them in new ways.”

Barry Quirk, Chief Executive, Lewisham

“We need to restore trust and build a more sustainable relationship

between the local state in all its many forms and our citizens.”

Martin Reeves, Chief Executive, Coventry


E.g. could more be done to: • Understand residents’ aspirations, needs & priorities more

deeply? • Develop innovations with service users?• Unlock & develop more capacity for innovation with local

communities?


2. Is the council’s political vision, & its

priority areas for innovation clear?


“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 organisation for change.”

Martin Tett, Leader,Buckinghamshire County

Council


“Build innovation into strategic objectives”

“Set a clear strategic direction – wider than own directorate & the

council”

“Identify areas where there may be opportunities”

“Identify things to stop doing”

“Be honest & clear about desired

outcomes & stick to them”

“Recognise that sometimes

innovations are not quick wins”

“Prioritise”

“Face realities”

“What will council look like in 5 years

time?”

“Don’t be overambitious”“Members are too

geared to the next election”

“Accept what the financial situation

means”

“Start the hard conversations now”

“Put effort into the right places”

Middle managers’ comments


E.g.• Is politicians’ vision

inspiring, but attainable?

• Have politicians agreed the innovation priority areas?

• Are politicians prepared for experimentation, & considered risk taking?


3. Are leaders and managers leading

for innovation?


“Communicate with & engage

staff”

“Take concrete action 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 communication”“Sell the corporate

vision”

“Be brave & courageous”

“Provide clarity to the vision & expectations”

“Be united”

“Put members’ ambitions into a realistic plan ”



E.g. Are leaders & managers:• Focusing enough time &

effort on innovation? • Bold, united, convincing

communicators? • Involving, & listening to

others?• Persisting until

innovations are delivered?


4. Is the council taking a strategic approach

to innovation

?


“Make time for creative

thinking”

“Invest to save”

“Ensure there are adequate resources to deliver the agreed priority schemes”

“Do less, but do it properly”

“Need to allow time to think,

reflect & engage”

“Create more time to think &

time to implement priorities”

“Free up time, we are the squeezed middle”

“Stop trying to do change on a

shoestring”

“Give us enough resources to get head above the parapet --

time away from the day job to look upwards &

outwards”



E.g. Does the council have: • Enough resources & time

devoted to innovations? • Sufficient digital expertise?• Clear plans & accountability

for innovations?


5. Does the council’s organisational culture promote innovation?


“Innovation is often understood as a mysterious

fringe practice by geeks. What we are about is trying to create an eco-system, and the DNA of innovation, as a

daily part of the way the organisation organises itself

to deliver.”Kersten England, City of York

Chief Executive


E.g. Is innovation promoted through:• Leaders’ & managers’

everyday behaviours?• Safeguarding time for

reflection & creative thinking?

• Healthy debates?• Looking elsewhere

for fresh ideas?


Is innovation promoted through:* Leaders’ and managers’ everyday behaviours, practices and stories?* Values, norms and working practices?* Safeguarding time for reflection and creative thinking?* Healthy debates, that challenge and test accepted assumptions?* Pro-actively looking elsewhere for fresh ideas, from other councils, other organisations (including those in other countries)?* Celebrating innovations?

6. Are cross-boundary approaches generating significant innovations?


E.g. Is the council innovating through: • Cross-council working? • Partnerships with external organisations?• Its commissioning and contract management

arrangements?


7. Are the council’s employees motivated and skilled for innovation?


E.g. Does the council:• Have enough employees with the attitudes &

skills needed to deliver innovations? • Encourage employees to develop better ways

of doing things?• Involve frontline employees in innovation

processes?


8. Does the council have effective, disciplined, delivery mechanisms for

innovations?


E.g. Does the council have:• Effective ways of tracking innovations to ensure

they are delivered?• Sufficient innovation expertise?• A straightforward approach to learning from

successful & unsuccessful innovations?


Citizen & service user

Focus

Culture promotes

innovation

Effective delivery

mechanisms for innovation

Cross boundary

innovations

Strategic approach to innovation

Leaders & managers lead for

innovation

Clear political vision & priorities

Employees skilled &

motivated for innovation


Your overall reflectionsIn relation to innovation:• What is the council doing well?• How can you build on these strengths?• Where do you need to do things differently?• What significant opportunities do you have?• What should you stop doing?• Which actions are most important?• What do you need to do in the next year?• What will you personally do?


Resources & contact details Local Councils’ Innovation Framework:http://tinyurl.com/LGIF2014

Framework Self-Assessment tool:http://tinyurl.com/LGISA2014

Summary of latest findings: http://tinyurl.com/LGILF2014

Presentations on innovation:http://www.slideshare.net/joanmunro

[email protected] Tel: 0779 2952 498@JoanMICL

http://tinyurl.com/LGIF2014

http://tinyurl.com/LGIF2014

http://tinyurl.com/LGISA2014



http://tinyurl.com/LGILF2014

http://tinyurl.com/LGILF2014

http://www.slideshare.net/joanmunro

http://www.slideshare.net/joanmunro

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

local councils' innovation framework review tool for leaders

Government & Nonprofit

quicklyaccelerating

service userspriorities

service costsand

local state

citizens perspective

martin tett

martin reeves

councilspolitical vision