Innovation

Local Authorities must figure out innovative ways of creating and improving services, and involve citizens and partners in doing so.

All organisations want to be innovative, but not all understand how innovation relates to them or the potential it holds. Perhaps the most important aspect of this with regards to Local Authorities is cooperation – figuring out flexible yet productive ways to create things with other people.

Lessons can be learned from the open source software movement, and other open innovation practices, in terms of how to engage, how to communicate, how to respond, how to reward, how to ensure quality and how to nurture a network of self-selecting collaborators in pursuit of a common goal.