The Innovation Lab was set up in the Department of Finance, Northern Ireland in 2014. The Lab aims to improve public services through innovation. The Innovation Lab and CES have been working together under the Goal Programme for Public Service Reform and Innovation. The Lab engaged support from CES to bring a greater focus on implementation, and to help them bridge the gap between innovation and implementation.
A report which brings together learning from this collaboration is now available. The report is based on extensive consultation with public servants in Northern Ireland about what innovation means in the context of public services, and what helps it to become more embedded. While there is an increasing demand for thinking differently, opportunities for innovation are being missed. The report concludes that an innovation process, planning for implementation, and organisational culture all play a part in embedding innovation within public services.
To read the report, click here.